Total Pokemon: Zero
by Dark Arcanine 33
Summary: A prequel to (my) entire Total Pokemon series. Every wondered how the series came to be? Well, as it turns out, a trial season was required before the actual series even began. Who was part of this first season? What were they like? And most importantly, who was the first ever winner? (Season 0/7)
1. The Beginning

**LET'S GET ITTTTT!**

 **000**

The Hall of Origins, a glorious mansion-like vicinity that housed the goddess of all Pokemon, Arceus. You would expect such a place to be a place of calmness and tranquility, but alas, you would be mistaken. The hall was originally smaller and thinner, as it was constructed for only the Alpha Pokemon herself. However, she grew bored of being alone. So, she decided to have the hall expanded into a large mansion in order to allow her creations to live alongside her.

She soon came to regret her decision, as her fellow mythical and legendary Pokemon proved to be a handful. With over thirty of them all under the same roof, things became very difficult to control. The only one that didn't seem to be that much of a bother was, surprisingly, Giratina, whom she had banished to the Distortion World due to his malevolent nature.

Being her only solace in the mansion of legendaries, she soon found herself falling for him, and vice versa. It seemed that being banished for all of those years _actually_ changed him for the better. With her new paramour, she was able to get everyone together and set ground rules for the hall.

After a few centuries, due to the constant damage to the various regions caused by humans and their greed, Arceus decided to do away with the entire human race. Her fellow legendaries initially felt that it was unfair to the humans that were actually good-natured, but their care for the situation dissipated with time.

During this time, normal Pokemon of all shapes and sizes, including ones originally trained by humans, began to pick up the mannerisms of their former masters, as well as evolve mentally in order to talk and interact with each other. Time continued to past, and eventually, a majority of the Pokemon in the world were behaving very much like humans once did; getting jobs, building new buildings and vehicles that suit them, getting married, and going to different bars and restaurants.

Despite those Pokemon making the advancements, some Pokemon decided to stay feral, as they had become so accustomed to the life and they did not want to have to work so hard or complain as often as the more developed Pokemon did.

As these Pokemon became more and more like humans, it eventually became the way that almost every Pokemon was expected to behave besides the ones that decided to stay in the wild. With this, came the rise of more movies, television series, and video games very similar to ones made by humans prior, including the ones that everyone knows and loves, Total Pokemon.

 **000**

Arceus and Giratina, being a couple, slept in the same room and in the same massive bed. The Renegade Pokemon was in his Origin Forme, as Arceus allowed him to be able to shift formes despite not being in the Reverse World, also known as the Distortion World. In his Origin Forme, he was coiled around the llama god, keeping her warm and comfy as she snuggled against him.

 _BOOM!_

The couple's eyes opened almost immediately at the sound of the explosion. Giratina let out a groan, "Fuck, you've gotta be kidding me."

Arceus sighed, "They had better not be wrecking the living room again."

Giratina responded gruffly as he coiled around her a bit more, "I wish they'd learn to just fall asleep."

"I know, love. But, for some reason they still have a ton of energy," the Alpha Pokemon groaned, cuddling into Giratina's chest once again with a yawn. "Hopefully they don't completely trash the place. We can deal with it in the morning."

The couple began drifting off to dreamland once again, only to be awoken once again by their door bursting open. A small, star shaped pixie floated toward the couple's bed, covered in a white and brown fluid. It was Jirachi, the Wish Pokemon, and she did not look pleased in the slightest.

She bellowed, "Arceus! Giratina! Mew and Victini just blew up the freezer and now there's ice cream _everywhere_."

With a yawn, Giratina offered a solution that he would be common sense, "Okay. And how many of you guys are psychic-types?"

"Can't you at least punish them or get them to stop doing their stupid bullshit around here? I think Mew's rubbing off on Victini a bit _too_ much," she opined.

Arceus took a breath before lifting her head momentarily, "It is 3:43 in the morning; we'll handle it sometime tomorrow. For now, just clean the mess up, and go about your business."

Jirachi groaned, "Fine…"

She floated back out of their room, leaving their bedroom door wide open. Giratina's eyes flashed red, slamming the door shut before he and Arceus dozed back off.

 **000**

The next day, the couple was lying in bed, watching their television while also brainstorming ways to get the other legendaries to calm down and be less energetic. They hadn't even gone to assess the damage caused by the explosion they heard.

The channel they were watching broadcast a Survivor-esque show hosted by a Mothim. It was apparently the finale, with a Jynx and an Alomomola being the final two. As the Mothim announced their final challenge, an idea popped up in Giratina's head.

Turning off the television, he turned to Arceus with a small smirk, "I think I have an idea on what the others can do to occupy their time."

Arceus gazed back at the television, thinking that she knew what he was going to suggest. "Reality shows?"

Giratina nodded, "Yeah. We can give them each a show to do, which will keep them busy and allow us to regain what's left of our sanity."

Arceus hummed in uncertainty, "It sounds reasonable, however it'll be hard to convince any of them to go through with it. A majority of them _are_ stubborn."

The Renegade Pokemon gave her a look, "Uh, honey, we're practically the bosses of them. So, if we tell them that they have to do it, they'll have to do it and they'll have to just deal with it."

Arceus chortled, nuzzling him, "You make a good point."

Giratina chuckled, their faces mere centimeters away from each other, "Oh do I?"

The Alpha Pokemon planted a brief kiss on his lips. She let out a sigh before clearing her throat, regaining her composure, "So, how do you think we should handle this?"

Giratina stared at the television thoughtfully for a few moments before the process came into his head. "Okay. I feel like we should have them do trial shows before we ever decide to put them on television."

"Trial shows?" Arceus queried, "Doesn't that mean that it won't be aired?"

"No, it'll be aired," Giratina explained. "For trial shows, I mean that they host the shows on their own, and it gets seen by a worldwide audience as just a trial run. If they do well, then they move on to doing an _actual_ show with better funding and go from there."

"So, essentially the equivalent to sports team tryouts," Arceus reasoned. "They do well, they continue, and if they don't, they stay."

Giratina nodded in affirmation. "And we'll make it mandatory for everyone. Minus us, Manaphy, and Phione, of course."

The goddess smiled at her paramour, "I like the sound of that. So, if they're gonna be doing their pre-shows, they'll have to find their own islands, their own equipment, come up with good challenges, and create their sign-up sheets. Speaking of, how many contestants should they be allowed to recruit?"

The ghostly drake thought momentarily, "I think between fourteen and twenty would be okay. If they're able to handle that, then they can have as many people as they want."

Arceus nodded in agreement, "Okay. Hopefully this keeps them busy for a while and keeps the hall from damaged further."

The Reverse World ruler nudged her, "Ready to go tell them their new assignments?"

Arceus nodded.

 **000**

After being told of a meeting, all of the legendaries there at the time, which included the ones from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova, met up in the outrageously large living room. There was noticeable dilapidation due to the chaos that usually ensued. There were holes and cracks in the walls and windows, stains on the carpet, as well as the walls and ceiling, rips and tears in the couches, and a simply atrocious carpet in the middle of that clashed with the colors of the walls.

"So, does anyone know what this is about?" Ho-Oh queried.

"Hopefully they decide to ban tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum here and make them stay out," Registeel stated, gesturing to Mew and Victini.

"Get over yourself, Registeel," Victini responded.

"Yeah, seriously, you act like what you think matters," Mew added.

Entei growled, "You guys blew up the damn freezer and covered us in ice cream and other junk! I honestly wouldn't mind you two being gone."

The other legendaries murmured in agreement, leaving the two friends to roll their eyes in indifference. Shortly after, the god and devil equivalents entered the living room, getting directly in front of them. The others remained dead silent.

Having all of their attention, Arceus started by clearing her throat, "Now, I'm sure that you're all wondering why you're here."

Kyurem snapped, "This had better not take long, because I really don't want to be around you fucks any longer than I need to be."

"Love you, too," Zapdos deadpanned, as he and the others narrowed their eyes at the icy dragon.

" _Anyway_ ," Arceus continued. "We've decided to give all of you your own reality shows!"

Immediately, few of the legendaries erupted in conversation and exclamations of excitement and lack of interest. While some of the legendaries were interested and excited, others like Landorus, Kyurem, and Darkrai were indifferent and questioned the reasoning behind the alpha couple's choice.

Landorus rose a brow, "I can understand that you guys are annoyed by the ruckus that goes on throughout the day, but I don't really see the point of giving us all reality shows. What purpose does it have?"

Giratina explained, "This is mainly to preoccupy you guys in order to keep more mischief from occuring around here."

"So, what are our shows gonna be about?" Lugia queried. "I want something dealing with fashion."

Arceus shook her head at her enthusiasm, "All of your shows will be survivor-like. You will pair up in twos, threes, or even fours in order to host the shows, and you must have at least fourteen to twenty participants."

Immediately, the excitement dissipated, with the exclamations of excitement turning into groans of disappointment.

Cresselia whined, "Why do we have do one of those idiotic shows instead of something smarter?"

"When the hell has reality television ever been smart?!" Mesprit countered. "It's mostly shitty acting and setups."

"And the best part about this is that we are _not_ allowing that. Everything must be real," Arceus explained. "So, no telling people to fake their feelings or fight for drama. Anything of that sort will cause us to immediately pull your show and you'll be stuck doing chores around here."

"In addition," Giratina began. "These shows will act as precursors to larger scale shows that we will allow you all to do if you do well. So, if your show does well with audiences, _and_ you're still interested in doing a series, you guys will be able to move onto larger things. They'll still be similar concepts, but you'll be free to change your locations, your rules, bring in interns if you'd like, and just much more as time goes on."

Keldeo groaned, "Too much work."

"Well too bad," Arceus replied. "It's mandatory for _all_ of you to do a show like this before you ever decide that you want to just lounge around the hall again. Except for you, Manaphy. You have to take care of Phione."

The Prince of the Sea sighed in relief, but realized that he'd have to spend a _lot_ more time with Phione, causing him to groan. There were groans and bellows of protest, which Giratina immediately silenced. "QUIEEET!"

"Thank you, Giry," Arceus responded, getting a nod in return from the Renegade Pokemon. "Now, there are posters detailing what you have to do hanging up on the walls. Follow those instructions, and then come to us once you're finished for an explanation. We'll be in our room, waiting."

The two of them began exiting the living room, leaving the remaining legendaries to converse and offer allegiance for the shows. Exchanging looks, Mew and Victini smirked before floating out of the living room. Victini, seeing one of the white and green posters hanging up on a wall outside of the living room, immediately yanked it off.

 **000**

The pair of friends were inside of Mew's room, with the New Species Pokemon typing on his laptop while sitting on his bed, while Victini sat on a bean bag chair in the corner with the poster.

The fox cleared his throat, "Alright, so we need to find an abandoned island, come up with challenges beforehand, and create a sign up sheet."

"Dude, I still can't believe that Arceus and Giratina are letting everyone have their own shows," Mew responded giddily. "It's kinda weird that they'd make them all about the exact same thing, but I guess it'll depend on who we choose to compete."

"Speaking of that, how many players do you think we should allow?" Victini queried. "I'm thinking the maximum of twenty to prove that we're better than the others."

Mew shrugged, "I'm cool with that. Uh… What about challenges?"

Victini hummed, "Well, they said that this is a precursor, so I don't think we should be _too_ bad when it comes to challenges. These _are_ mortal Pokemon, we don't want to kill them or anything."

"True," Mew shrugged in agreement, looking back down at his computer. "Alright, I think I found some islands."

Victini threw down the poster and floated toward Mew's bed as the pink feline turned the laptop in the fennec's direction. Victini scrolled through the various island pictures, and eventually came upon one that he found interesting. "Jeje-Amawa Island."

"Jaja- What?" Mew queried, turning his laptop back toward himself. "Ooo… This looks like a cool island. It's got a cliff, a huge beach, a mountain…"

"And who knows what else?" Victini queried. "I think we should call it before someone else does."

Mew hummed, "Maybe we should plan out everything outside of their door, that way no one else can beat us."

"I like your thinking," Victini replied, nodding in agreement.

 **-000-**

The two of them sat outside of Arceus and Giratina's room, with Mew creating the Sign Up sheet on Sliggoogle Docs.

"And… Done," he said, finishing up the form.

" _Finally_ ," Victini groaned as he floated up. "Let's get this show on the road."

The two of them entered the room immediately, surprising the couple inside. The two of them floated onto their bed, with Mew's laptop facing them.

"All done. We've got the island picked, the sign up sheet is done, and we're just go with the flow and improvise the challenges," Victini explained. "So, what do we do now?"

Arceus and Giratina exchanged looks of disbelief, not expecting the two of them to be finished in under an hour.

The Alpha Pokemon cleared her throat, "Well, now you just have to publish your sign up sheet and get it around. Read through all of the applications, email the ones that you choose, and let them know when to be ready."

"While you're doing that, go check out this island… Jeje-Amawa? And get everything settled. The contestants will need shelter and you need to make sure that the island is safe," Giratina explained. "In addition, you're gonna need a camera crew in order to capture everything properly."

Mew nodded in understanding, rubbing his hands together, while Victini had his arms folded. They were practically all set. All they had to do was check out the island and get their applications out there. The camera crew wasn't really a necessity, as Victini had bought a bunch of floating hidden cameras from a spy website a few months prior.

"Now, get going. Come back when the island inspection is done, your selections are made, and your camera crew is ready," Arceus explained.

"Actually, the camera situation is already handled. I have a whole bunch of small, invisible cameras that track movement, record audio, and record in general," Victini explained haughtily.

Mew had already known about the cameras and what he had been using them for, but the two legends before them were suspicious and unamused.

Chillingly, Giratina asked, "Do you mind telling us _why_ you bought those devices and _what_ you've been using them for?"

"I plead the fifth!" Victini replied quickly.

The couple rolled their eyes, not going to pry further since the fennec was going to likely ignore them anyway.

"Whatever, just go," the Renegade Pokemon replied, shaking his head.

The two psychic-types teleported away, with Arceus letting out a breath. "I have a feeling that their show is going to be full of contestants exactly like them… And I'm a bit worried."

Giratina nodded in agreement.

 **000**

As soon as they left the room, Mew published the sheet online on a couple of forums. Once that was done, the two soon-to-be hosts teleported to their island location in order to scope it out.

They arrived at Jeje-Amawa Island around noon, with the sun beaming brightly over the entire body of land. The icy, blue water glimmered under the radiant sun, the smell of the sea filling the air.

"Man, this place is so cool," Mew opined, looking around as he and Victini floated on the beach.

Victini replied, "Hey, we haven't even fully scoped out the place yet. We've gotta make sure it's safe or whatever."

"Oh, right…" Mew responded. "We need to find a suitable place to set up the cabins and stuff."

 **-000-**

Floating toward the mainland, they found an old staircase made of rocks leading up a remarkably flat area of land. There was grass covering different parts of the ground, with some sections left bare. There weren't many trees in that area, but there were just about enough to offer shade to the contestants if they required it.

"Hmm… You think this is a good enough spot?" Mew queried, looking around.

Victini pushed against one of the strong oak trees, with it not moving an inch. "Hmm, these things seem sturdy enough."

Mew gave him a look, "Uh… Trees are sturdy anyway."

"Oh… Right," Victini replied. He shrugged, "Well, I don't necessarily care too much. It looks spacious enough to me, so if you want the cabins here, be my guest. I'm gonna go explore and check out the rest of the place."

Mew nodded in affirmation as Victini flew into the forest. The New Species Pokemon sighed to himself as he looked over the wide space.

 **000**

Victini whistled to himself as he surveyed the island. A cool breeze wafted through the air, filling his nostrils with the smell of nature, which to him, was very musty. He looked around as the sun beamed down, the leaves of the large trees only allowing certain parts of the ground to be illuminated.

Soon, the musty smell that he identified earlier grew stronger. He continued through the forest, eventually discovering a pond.

He was pleasantly surprised, a smile appearing on his face, "A pond, nice…"

He turned to the left, seeing a stream of water trailing away from the small body of water. Curious, he flew over to the creek and began to follow it.

As he followed the stream, he continued looking around his environment. He saw more trees, rocks, and a few logs. Pretty soon, though, he saw the large, towering mountain that the description of the island talked about. The looming landform's numerous edges, creases, and crevices really impressed the fennec as he gazed up at it.

An idea came to his head, "Hmm… We're definitely doing a challenge with this…"

He continued following the steam and noticed that it went through a crack at the base of the mountain. He smacked his lips in disappointment as he scratched at his left cheek, "Well, that adventure's over."

Turning back around, he saw a clearing between some of the trees. Raising a brow, he floated toward the scene. Entering the wide open glade, a smile appeared on his face, "Yet another interesting spot to do some challenges. This place is better than I thought."

 **000**

Mew had teleported two decent-sized cabins into the vicinity, making sure that they were a good distance away from each other. After dusting off his hands, he floated toward the cabin to the left of him. Going inside, he saw that the cabins were of decent quality.

Completely constructed out of wood and concrete, both cabins were stable, but had a few issues that the competitors could very well fix on their own if they choose two. The problems weren't plentiful, only a few holes in the roof and creaking beds.

There were two rooms in each cabin, one for the guys and the other for the girls. The rooms each had six bunks each, meaning there would be four empty beds overall. He nodded before moving away from the cabins with a firm nod, "Alright, shelter's taken care of."

He took a deep breath before sighing and flying back toward the beach, "Now to wait for Victini to finish inspecting the island…"

As he floated in wait, a thought entered his head, "Wait, there's supposed to be a cliff here, too."

He began flying around the perimeter of the island, wanting to see what the cliff looked like and what it had to offer. Eventually, he saw what he _supposed_ was the cliff. There was a large landform out in the water, with a path of rocks leading toward it from a part of the beach. He flew toward it with relative ease and, upon closer inspection, saw that it was indeed the cliff.

It was very peculiar to see a cliff not really connected to any other piece of land, but he simply shrugged it off. He saw that there were a couple of trees sitting on the top of the cliff, as well as a bit of foliage, which he felt was pretty unique.

"Hmm… Well, it's not directly connected to the island, but it'll do," he stated before flying back toward the main island.

On his way back, he decided to check his phone to see if they had gotten any emails from willing participants and, to his surprise, he had 102 emails.

"Jeez, what the hell?!" he exclaimed in surprise. "A lot of people really want to do this show, I guess."

He made it back to the beach, where he found Victini drawing in the sand with a stick. Seeing this, the New Species went over to see what he was doing, only to narrow his eyes at the Victory Pokemon. It was a crudely drawn picture of Mew making out with Celebi, which made him blush slightly.

"May I ask _why_?" Mew queried, startling Victini, who hadn't even noticed that he came back.

"Oh, because I got bored," Victini explained, tossing the stick away. "We've got some really choice spots that we can do challenges in. I even found a volcano nearby! The only thing that I didn't find was the cliff…"

"Oh, it's on the other side in the water," Mew explained before catching on to the other thing he had said. "And did you say a _volcano_?"

"Yep," Victini nodded. "It's out in the water for some reason, but it's close. Kinda weird, but whatever. Still cool."

Mew tapped on his phone, "Yeah, and get this… We've already got 102 people emailing us!" His phone vibrated numerous times before he looked back down at it. "Make that 151…"

"Damn!" Victini cursed in surprise. "I thought it'd take at least two or three months for us to even get _one._ Now we have to sort through these things and see who will be the best choices. I wonder how many of them are trolls or are completely boring."

"Well, there's no constraints, so, we can choose whoever we want," Mew said with a smile.

 **000**

Two weeks went by, with Mew groaning as he lie sprawled out on his bed, a tablet and pen by his side, "FINALLY! After 32,543 applications…"

Just then, Victini entered the New Species Pokemon's room with a burger in hand. Seeing this, Mew gave him a look. "Really? You left to get a burger while I struggled choosing these last few people?!"

The fennec shrugged, "Hey, I needed a break. Plus, I helped choose the first twelve."

"You didn't even think to bring me one back?" Mew complained.

"Sorry," the fire- and psychic-type replied before taking another bite out of the food item. "But, on the bright side, I know why we all got so many applicants so fast…"

"You do?"

Victini nodded, "Yeah, apparently Arceus and Giratina sent out a live broadcast across the world that let people know what they were making us all do. When given the chance to win some cash and be on television, people will hop to it like Kangaskhan."

"Wait, cash? Who said anything about cash?" Mew queried.

"They did," Victini said, taking another bite. "It was on the broadcast. And apparently, they said that the minimum that we can give is 100,000 Poke, and the maximum is 300,000."

"WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY TO GIVE AWAY!"

Victini gave him a look, "You realize that Arceus and Giratina are the ones that are gonna take care of the prize money, right?"

Mew sighed in relief. "Well, that's a good thing."

"But anyways, you got everyone's names and emails written down, right?" Victini queried.

Mew nodded, picking up the notebook next to him, "Now we just have to email them back and get someone to pick them all up and bring them to the island…"

"Well, that should be easy," Victini shrugged. "We can find a bunch of Lapras that'll happily do something for a few seconds of fame. "

Mew rose a brow. "Uh… Alright then. Well, we should probably start it by next week. I think a few of the others are already starting."

"And their rushing is what will make them fail," Victini shrugged. "Now, I'll call up some Lapras, and we can get the show on the road! WHOOO!"

Mew shook his head with a sigh.

 **000**

A front view of Jeje-Amawa Island was seen before Mew and Victini popped up on either side of the screen.

"Hello all and welcome to our first episode of a show that we like to call…" Mew started before freezing momentarily. After all that time, they still hadn't even come up with a name for their show! "Uh…"

Victini, knowing their predicament thought on his toes, "Victini and Mew's Island Challenge!"

Mew gave him a look of annoyance due to the way their names were situated, so he chuckled, as if it was part of the introduction. "He means _Mew_ and _Victini_ 's Island Challenge! Such a jokester."

Victini gave him the same look of annoyance, but decided to let it go.

Mew continued, "Anyways, we received over 30,000 applications from you all, and after half a month of weeding through them, we were finally able to choose the twenty that will be participating in our _wonderful_ show!"

"That's right," Victini continued. "The twenty Pokemon that were chosen will be will be placed into two teams and battle it out in challenges that will test their strength and challenge their minds. After each challenge, one team will be declared the winners and will have invincibility. The other, losing, team will have to eliminate one of their fellow players. This process continues, until there is only one player remaining. That particular player will win 100,000 Pokedollars in cash and bragging rights as being one of the first ever winners of one of these shows!"

"Yep, so let's get down to the beach and welcome the willing participants to the island," Mew announced as he and Victini floated down toward the beach.

After about five minutes of waiting on the beach, a plesiosaur-like Pokemon with a shell on its back could be seen in the distance. It was the first Lapras, and it was holding their first contestant.

As the Lapras approached, the contestant in question came into clearer view. He was a red penguin with white feathers covering its head and part of its chest. He had a yellow beak and a white dot on his stomach. He was a Delibird.

"And here is our first contestant, Max," Mew announced.

The Delibird hopped off of the Lapras with a small smile. "Ho ho ho," he responded cheerily as he waved.

"Welcome to the show, Max," Victini greeted, only for the Delibird's eyes to widen as he approached the two.

"This is very exciting!" the Delibird beamed. "I would have never expected to be in the presence of actual Legendary Pokemon on live television!"

"I bet you wouldn't," Mew responded with a chuckle. "Now, go stand over to the side. The next Lapras is arriving."

Obliging, the Delivery Pokemon moved to the side, gripping his tail tightly. The next Lapras arrived with the next contestant. She resembled a goat, however she had a grassy neck and back. She had brown fur and a white face, with her shiny black horns curving back like handles. She was a Gogoat.

Hopping off of the Lapras, the Gogoat approached the two hosts with a mix of an excited and indifferent expression.

"And here is our next contestant, Lynn," Mew introduced as she approached. Once she was close, he continued, "How're you doing? How're you feeling?"

"Well, this _is_ pretty exciting, but I feel like I can only expect that there will be a _lot_ going on with nineteen other people here," Lynn explained. "Overall, I'm a bit anxious, but I think I'll get over it after a while."

"Well, you'll just have to wait and see now won't you?" Victini responded. "In the meantime, you can talk to Max over there for a while. We've got eighteen more of you to meet."

"And the third one is on its way, so Lynn, if you'd please stand over by Max," Mew instructed. The Gogoat nodded before walking over to the Delibird, who was still holding onto his tail, twisting it back and forth.

"Hello, I'm Lynn," she greeted, extending a hoof.

"Hiya," he responded, taking the outstretched hoof and shaking it, "Max. Short for Maximus."

"Nice to meet you," she responded peacefully before facing back toward their hosts, who were introducing the next contestant.

The third Lapras dropped off a sack-like Pokemon. He had pink ring cheeks and a blue bib and 'gloves'. He was a Makuhita.

"Welcome to the show, Zahku," Mew greeted as the Guts Pokemon approached.

"Zahku is grateful that mythical hosts chose him," the Makuhita responded with a rough accent.

Noticing how he spoke, Victini held back his laughter, "Oh, you speak in third person? Interesting..."

"Yes, Zahku does," he replied. "It not problem is it?"

Mew reassured him, "No, no. I think it'll be good to have some diversity on the show. You're fine. Go stand over by the others."

The Makuhita did as he was told, walking over to the other two contestants already there. "Hello, me Zahku. What your names?"

The two were a bit put off by his dialect, but were still friendly anyway. Lynn started, "Uh… I'm Lynn."

"And I'm Max," the Delibird followed, still twisting his tail.

Nodding, he took his stance next to the Delibird, who was a bit hesitant about him. The Guts Pokemon queried, "What you think gonna happen, here?"

Lynn shrugged her shoulders, "Not really sure, but hopefully it's fun."

The next contestant soon arrived on another Lapras. She resembled a cricket, but also a violin. Her arms were thin, she had a grey moustache, grey wings, and a couple of grey circles on her abdomen. She was a Kricketune.

Hopping off of the Transport Pokemon, the Kricketune carried a violin case on her back. Approaching the hosts, she gazed around, taking in the atmosphere.

"And here we have Christine," Mew introduced. "Good to see you here."

"It's _amazing_ to be here," the Cricket Pokemon chirped excitedly. "I never even thought that I'd be chosen!"

"Well, you were," Victini chortled. "So, why don't you go meet the rest of your fellow competitors so far?"

Christine glanced over in the direction Victini gestured to. Seeing the other three players, she smiled to herself before walking over to them. Once she left, Victini smacked his lips, "Well, so far we've got just the nice or 'normal' people."

"There are still sixteen others," Mew replied. "And who cares if they're nice? Nice people have drama and issues, too."

Victini rolled his eyes, "Sure."

The four contestants already there were engaging in short conversation, with Max's curiosity being piqued due to the case Christine was carrying. "What's in the case?"

Christine smiled as she placed the case down, "It's my violin." She opened the case, revealing its velvet insides. A wooden, guitar-esque instrument was seen inside of it. The polished wood glistening under the light of the radiant sun.

Lynn was impressed, "Wow, you play violin? That's pretty cool."

"Thanks," Christine replied. "I've been playing for fifteen years now. I've had this baby since I was ten."

"Zahku impressed," the Makuhita opined, folding his arms.

Max rose a brow at her decision, "Why would you bring something this valuable to you here? This is a relatively new show idea, and we don't know what other kind of people are coming here."

Christine shrugged, "My husband told me not to bring it for the same reason, but I like to give people the benefit of the doubt."

"Well, hopefully that doesn't bite you in the butt," Lynn commented, watching as the Kricketune closed the case and locked it.

Mew and Victini welcomed their next contestant as he got off of the Lapras. He was a silver and grey pod with spikes jutting from his body. He had green vines that extended from his head with ovular ends that were also covered in spikes. He was a Ferrothorn.

"Welcome to our first ever show, Arthur," Mew greeted. "I hope you're ready for the game."

The Ferrothorn huffed, "You can just call me Art. And of course I'm ready; this show is practically a 'Legendary Edition' of the other survivor shows out there. Not really an original concept in the slightest."

A small smile grew on Victini's face, while Mew felt like rolling his eyes at his comments. He instead shrugged, "Sorry you feel that way."

Art rolled his eyes before glancing over at the others that arrived before him. "Well, I'll be over there with the other people. Just keep on doing whatever."

Once he left, Victini chortled, "I like him."

Mew gave him a look, "Of course you do…"

The Ferrothorn had stood next to Lynn in silence, confusing the others a bit. Christine was the one to speak up.

"Uh… Hi?"

Art gave her a look. "I'm not that much of a conversationalist. Just know that my name is Art" he replied dismissively.

Seeing this, the others exchanged looks, with Christine being annoyed by his rudeness and the others shrugging him off. The Kricketune didn't tolerate rudeness of any kind if there was no reason for it.

The next Lapras arrived holding a small, pink bear that resembled a stuffed animal. Once the Lapras made it to the beach, the Pokemon hopped off, with the Lapras swimming away with an agitated look on its face. This was very strange considering the Pokemon, a Stufful, was extremely adorable.

Mew had took note of the Lapras' annoyed expression as it swam away; the Stufful approached him and Victini. Because Mew was watching the Lapras, Victini introduced her instead, "And here we have Kay, our sixth contestant, and might I add, one of the most adorable Pokemon I've ever seen."

The Stufful huffed with a smile, "I suppose you legendaries _do_ actually have good taste in contestants. After all, my fluffy adorable makes me desired by all. In fact, I feel like I _should_ be a legendary, I'm far cuter than the other ones, I'm sure."

Mew narrowed his eyes at her, now realizing why the Lapras was quick to leave. "Alright Kay, go stand by the other contestants."

The Flailing Pokemon looked over to the others, and immediately gained a look of unamusement. She looked back at the hosts. "I take back what I said about you two having good taste in contestants."

She proceeded to walk toward her fellow competitors, their appearances alone making her think that she had this competition in the bag already.

"Greetings, peasants," the Stufful addressed as she approached the five others.

The contestants exchanged looks before staring down at her. Max was the one to point out the obvious, "Did she just say peasants?"

"Yes, she did, and she's an idiot for it," Art commented brashly. "Anyone who thinks that they're better than someone else for no real reason-"

Kay interrupted with a scoff, "No real reason? Have you seen me? I'm adorable! Meanwhile, you look like something you get when you cross an ugly ass Aggron with a Carnivine."

"And you look like a Teddiursa with Down syndrome," Art deadpanned in response.

Kay huffed, "Sorry, I don't listen to people lower than me…"

"Hey, hey, hey, what's with the sudden rudeness around here?" Christine interrupted. "We don't even know who you are and you're already being disrespect-"

"I'm just gonna stop you right there," Kay cut her off, holding out an arm. "You're all boring and ugly, so I'm not even gonna bother with you."

The Stufful moved away from the group, not even bothering to give her name. Christine glowered at her, while Art rolled his eyes. Lynn just sighed to herself, Max sweatdropped at the sudden tension, while Zahku just stared into space.

The Makuhita explained, "Zahku feels that things will be difficult with other people…"

Art, upon hearing that, rose a brow before shaking his head. " _Morons_."

The next Lapras arrived with a large, brown bear with a tan ring on its stomach. His piercing glare was enough to send shivers down the spine of even a Rhyperior. He was an Ursaring.

As soon as he reached the beach, he approached the two hosts in a rather aggressive manner.

"And our seventh contestant has arrived… Kane!" Mew introduced before being put in a headlock by the Ursaring, who now had a smile on his head.

"Dude, this is awesome! I can't believe you guys actually chose me! You have no idea how great this is!" Kane effused.

"Whoa, whoa, down boy," Victini choked out as the Ursaring also had _him_ in a headlock. "You're gonna need to stop choking us!"

Hearing this, the Ursaring let them go. A sheepish smile appeared on his face, "S-Sorry about that."

Mew rubbed his throat, "It's fine. Just… Try to hold your excitement and energy for when the game _actually_ starts."

The Hibernator Pokemon nodded before glancing over and noticing the other competitors. They looked a bit irked from a distance, making him a bit hesitant about approaching them. Despite this hesitance, he approached the group.

"Uh… Hey there," he greeted, waving a bit. "Name's Kane."

"'Sup Kane, I'm Lynn," the Gogoat replied.

"Max," the Delivery Pokemon said with a cheery wave, happy that someone else had a good mood.

"Me Zahku," Zahku responded.

"Christine," the Kricketune responded.

Kane nodded upon hearing their names. He looked at Art, who showed absolutely no interest in speaking. He knew this type of body language well, so he didn't bother asking about him.

He noticed a pink figure a good distance away from the group, and thought that it was someone antisocial. He decided to be respectful of their space and stood next to Zahku.

"Jeez, any tighter and he would have broken my neck," Mew complained, still rubbing his neck.

Victini rolled his eyes, "You big baby. It wasn't that bad. You don't see me complaining."

Mew grumbled to himself as the next Lapras approached the island. It carried a blue rhino-like Pokemon. She had armor that resembled cleavage and underwear, and spikes on her back. She was a Nidoqueen.

The Lapras dropped her off and she walked toward Mew and Victini with a smile. "I can't believe I was actually chosen for this show! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

She embraced Mew in a hug, which the New Species Pokemon gladly accepted. Victini got a hug as well, which felt very weird for him, as he was hardly ever hugged by anyone.

"Well, we're glad to have you here, Sasha," Mew smiled. "Now, go on and meet the others over there."

He gestured over to the other contestants. The Nidoqueen nodded and started walking over, her eyes widening upon seeing Kane. A small blush appeared on her face as she approached. Clearing her throat, she waved, "Hello. I'm Sasha, and I hope that we're all able to get along well together."

Art huffed, "Please. I'm sure you people have seen these types of shows before. This is literally no different. The only difference is that there are Legendary and Mythical Pokemon in charge of them. The rules of the game are more than likely going to be the same. Therefore, trying to get on people's good side will only work for so long."

Christine glared at him, "And you are already doing a good job of making sure that you have no allies."

Art rolled his eyes in response. "Hey, we're all here to win, not make friends. I mean, you're free to make friends regardless. They just may be your downfall, but at least you'll have someone worrying about you."

"And this has been 'Mood Killing', with Artie…" Lynn playfully joked, earning her a glare from the Ferrothorn. She looked back at Sasha, who was a bit confused and irritated by the Thorn Pod Pokemon's comments. "Anyways, hey Sasha. I'm Lynn and… You just met Art."

The Nidoqueen nodded as the others introduced themselves once again. However, she couldn't help but keep looking at Kane from the corner of her eye. Once the bear made himself known, she couldn't help but smile a bit larger.

The next Lapras approached with a gray worm-like Pokemon standing on it. He had six stubby legs, a curl on its head, and white cheeks. He was a Burmy, however, he didn't really have a cloak. The Burmy nervously looked around before jumping off of the Lapras' back.

Mew greeted the Bagworm Pokemon, "Hey there, Dade. How're you doing?"

The Burmy, Dade, jumped in fear, "Oh, uh… I'm okay. I think..."

"You think?" Victini queried.

"Yeah, I just need to uh…" Dade started before beginning to roll around in the sand. Eventually, he rose up straight, now in a Sandy Cloak. He sighed in relief, "Much better…"

"Uh… Doesn't that cloak restrict your movements now?" Mew asked, confused by his decision to cloak up despite being more mobile when he wasn't.

Dade began hopping in place, "I can still get around. And if my cloak falls off, I can just make another one."

"Uh… Alright then," Victini replied. "How do you feel about being here?"

Dade sighed, "I'll admit, I'm nervous. I was surprised that you guys even emailed me back. Never thought I was television material. My family even thought I was wasting my time."

"Well, you proved them wrong, now didn't you?" Mew responded with a smile. "Now, go ahead and stand by the others."

"The ot- Oh Arceus, why?" Dade turned to see all of the other competitors. He felt himself clench a bit as he saw what he was up against.

"Yep. You're going up against a few other _interesting_ players," Victini nodded.

Dade sighed, "Well, looks like I'm done for…"

"Probably so," Victini shrugged.

The Burmy hopped over to the group of players. Dade swallowed as he eventually made it to the group. "Uh… Hey everyone… Um… I'm Dade and… Please don't hurt me?"

Everyone was surprised by that greeting, with Kane asking, "Uh… Little dude, why would we hurt you?"

"Yeah, everyone's chill so far," Lynn explained. "We wouldn't hurt you."

"Correction. Everyone's chill except for Artie down there and… Whoever she is," Christine followed, gesturing to Kay, who was resting on the sand.

The Ferrothorn growled, "Will you people stop calling me Artie? My name is Art. _Art_."

Dade let out a sigh, "Well, that's a relief. Maybe things won't be as bad as I thought…"

"Always try to think positive," Max chirped. "Or neutral at the very least."

Art rolled his eyes.

The next Lapras came moments later holding a reptile-like Pokemon encapsulated by rocks. She was a Golem. She hopped off of the Lapras with an energetic, determined expression. "Let's get this show on the road!" she exclaimed with a fist pump.

"Belladonna! Welcome!" Mew greeted with an identical tone. "Love the enthusiasm."

The Golem, Belladonna, chortled, "Are you kidding? I'm on national television _and_ I'm on the same island as Legendary Pokemon. Plus, who knows what crazy stuff will happen here?! And let me say this now, these challenges had better be extreme or difficult in some way."

The hosts exchanged looks, with Victini responding, "Well, you'll just have to wait and see about that now won't you?"

"In the meantime, you're our tenth contestant, so why don't you head on over and talk to the others for a bit," Mew said.

Nodding, Belladonna withdrew into her rocky shell and rolled over to the others. She came back out to greet her fellow competitors. "Wow, it looks like the competition is gonna be interesting," she commented.

"As it should be," Sasha replied, "It'd be pretty boring if everyone was the same. Even _if_ it meant a bit more respect and understanding."

Art groaned, "Seriously. I said that this is still a competition regardless of what you do and that we're here to win. How is that disrespectful? Tell me..."

Sasha huffed, now feeling like a fool due to how he explained it. She grumbled, "Well, you should have explained it that way in the first place…"

Kane sighed, "Okay, how about we _don't_ bring up Artie…"

"ART!"

" _Art…_ Into conversations anymore?" Kane suggested.

"You know, I'd really appreciate that…" Art replied.

Nobody said anything in response, leading to Kane taking a breath, "Alright, there."

Belladonna was astounded, "Wow, there's tension here already? The competition hasn't even started yet."

Lynn sighed, "Yeah, let's just not talk about it."

Zahku hummed, "Zahku wouldn't call it _tension_ , more like disagreement or annoyance."

"Same difference," Belladonna shrugged. "Anyway, I'm Belladonna. Looking forward to going against you all."

"Likewise," Sasha responded with a nod.

Mew let out a sigh, "Ten down, and ten to go. These Lapras need to hurry up. The faster we do this, the faster we can start the show."

"Well, if this goes well, maybe we can move onto bigger Pokemon that can carry more than one Pokemon at a time when we do another season," Victini explained.

Mew nodded, "Yeah, that'll be better."

The next Lapras soon arrived holding a very humanoid looking Pokemon. He had a belt around his waist and what looked like a speedo. He had four arms and a very muscular stature. He had a whistle around his neck and a tribal tattoo on each of his lower arms. He was a Machamp.

Flipping off of the Lapras, he folded his arms with a smirk.

"And here's Chip with an impressive front flip!" Mew introduced. "Nice moves…"

Chip chuckled as he began doing squats, "Thanks. I was working on that entrance ever since I got the email back."

"What's with the whistle?" Victini queried, seeing the item tied around his neck.

Chip ceased his squatting, standing up and grabbing hold of the item in question. "Oh, this. I'm a gym teacher back in Vermillion City, so I have this baby on me at all times."

Mew, upon hearing that, smacked his lips, "Okay, I'm not gonna question that. So, what do you plan on doing in the competition?"

The Machamp scoffed, "Win, of course. And probably whip these limp noodles on my team into shape. I sincerely doubt that any of them match my musculature."

He flexed his muscles before kissing his left bicep. Seeing this, the two hosts exchanged looks of perturbation.

After a few seconds, Victini urged him, "Uh… Yeah. You can go on and go meet the others over there."

Chip nodded, walking over to his fellow competitors with a smirk on his face. Upon seeing who his competition was, he could only laugh. His laughter caused a bit of confusion to the others, leading to Belladonna questioning him.

"Uh… What's so funny?"

The Machamp continued chuckling, wiping a tear from his eye, "The fact that _you_ all are my competition. Seriously, if you guys are the best they could choose, they might as well give me the money and title already."

Nearly everyone narrowed their eyes at him, with Zahku being the only one who didn't really mind.

Christine cleared her throat, "You know, running your mouth like that will only make people dislike you."

Chip had stopped his laughing, flatly responding, "And you realize that I don't care about anyone else's opinions, right? As long as I win challenges, I don't care."

"Well, you're gonna be a _fun_ one aren't ya?" Art replied sarcastically.

Chip was prepared to retort, but something else got their attention.

"Ugh, wow… Just wow." Kay walked over to the group after seeing the number of people increase. Needless to say, she still wasn't impressed, "More of you posers are here and you're all still ugly as sin. What is _wrong_ with these guys? Can't they choose a good player?"

"Excuse me?" Sasha queried, glowering at the Stufful. "I'm sorry, but you don't anything about any of us, so why don't you just be quiet?"

"Aww… Cute, a talking fleshlight thinks that she matters," Kay replied. "Seriously, all of you are completely irrelevant. It's obvious that _I'll_ be the one to win this game. I'm too cute not to."

"Again, Teddiursa with Down syndrome," Art repeated.

Hearing this the ones who came after Kay were surprised, with Dade expressing, "Whoa, whoa, isn't that a bit much? I mean, she's mean, but that's too far. That's as bad as using gay or cancer as an insult."

Kay laughed at this, "Ha! The sandy poop emoji has more common sense and empathy than you, tentacle porn."

Dade gave her a look of annoyance, not appreciating the insult.

Kane sighed, folding his arms, "Well, I can see why she stayed over there by herself, now."

"Oh yeah, Winnie the Pooh? What of it?" the Stufful challenged. "Like I said, you all are pretty crappy player choices."

"And so are you!" Belladonna responded. "You seriously look like a Teddiursa fucked a Muppet, flushed the love child down the toilet, and bathed it in Pepto Bismol!"

"And _you_ look like you've never had sex with a male in your life…" Kay countered.

Belladonna growled, ready to charge at the Flailing Pokemon, but Sasha held her arm out, holding her back. "She is _not_ worth it. She'll be taken care of accordingly when the game starts…"

Hearing this, a smirk appeared on the Golem's face. The Stufful started walking away from the group once again, with Chip shaking his head.

"Wow, _some_ people…"

Everyone immediately turned back to him in irritation. The hosts watched all of this go down with surprised expressions. Not surprised that there were already disagreements and feels of annoyance, surprised that it was happening before the game even started!

Victini commented, "Jeez, there's a lot going on over there already. They should at least let the competition start, first."

Mew shrugged, unfazed by the possible drama, "Eh, simple interactions can cause unexpected reactions. Not really bothered that much by it."

Getting this reaction, the Victory Pokemon shrugged as well. He usually followed Mew's lead back at the hall, so if he wasn't fazed by the drama, he wasn't either. Soon enough, the next Lapras arrived.

The next contestant was not on the Lapras's shell, instead riding on its head. She was a purple primate, having no fingers and only two toes on her feet. At the end of her tail was a three-fingered prehensile tail, which was currently wrapped around the Lapras' neck. She was an Aipom.

The Transport Pokemon approached the island's beach with the monkey on its face. It shook its head aggressively in order to get the primate off. The Long Tail Pokemon appeared to have on a small, black backpack. Giggling, she reached into her pack and pulled out a white orb.

She crammed it into the Lapras' mouth before hopping off, with the Transport Pokemon's mouth filling with foam. The Lapras spit out the orb immediately, coughing out foam as it swam away.

The hosts were a bit unnerved by what they just witnessed, but continued with the show nonetheless. They were prepared to introduce her, but the Aipom seemed to do it on her own.

The Aipom, Marley screeched while waving, "HELLO WORLD! GET READY FOR MARLEY MADNESS!"

"Ah yes… Marley," Mew introduced. "Welcome to the show."

"I'm glad that you chose me. Now I can fulfill my quota of pranking strangers and getting their reactions."

Victini rose a brow upon hearing that, "Interesting quota, there."

Marley bowed in appreciation before sticking her hand, "Why thank you…"

"Oh ha, ha," Victini responded. "I know that trick already…"

The Aipom rose a brow, "You sure? I don't think you know about _this_."

Her tail swung around, grabbing one of Victini's tail wings before electrocuting him. The fox yipped as the sudden jolt ran down his spine. Mew chuckled at this as Victini rubbed his tush.

Victini glared at him before grumbling, "Just go stand by the others."

The monkey giggled as she moved toward the others. Seeing the others, her eyes glimmered as she eyed her potential victims.

Marley tittered, "Hello, fresh meat!"

"Hey, this is your first day here too," Max replied.

The Aipom huffed, "So what? Still fresh meat ready to be pounded. Metaphorically speaking of course."

Chip snickered, "Uh huh… As if _you_ hold any type of threat."

In response, Marley hopped on her tail, taking out a spray can from her pack. She shook it before spraying silly string it in the Machamp's face. Once finished, she let out a hearty laugh as Chip growled and removed the string from his face.

Everyone else was pretty quiet, until Christine clicked her tongue, "Don't know what to say to that…"

"Really?" Art deadpanned. "She sprays him with silly string and you have nothing to say to that? No whining? No 'rudeness' ramble?"

Sasha groaned, "Art, nobody was talking to you."

Art responded flatly, "And nobody asked you to respond."

Kane stepped in once again, "Alright, again, can we not?"

Marley laughed, "You guys are gonna be so much fun to mess with."

Dade twitched, "Mess with?"

The Long Tail Pokemon smirked, "Yep. You're looking at Marley, the Master of Pranks."

Chip huffed, "More like the Master of Disaster."

"Ooh… I like the sound of that," Marley responded with a smile, rubbing her hands together mischievously. "I can't wait for this game to start!"

"I can…" Dade muttered to himself.

The next Lapras approached the island with, oddly enough, nobody. The hosts were confused by this, as every Lapras contacted was supposed to have one player along with it. Victini floated toward it in confusion.

The fox queried, "Uh… Where's the next competitor?"

The Lapras sighed before explaining the situation, "He fell off a while back. I tried to go back and get him, but he told me that he'd be okay. But, since you said that we all had to make it to the island to get our camera time and payment, I came anyway."

Eventually, a the sound of rushing water was heard as Mew, Victini, and the Lapras looked toward the source of the sound. Gazing down the beach, a large, white crab emerged from the water. He had yellow sprigs of hair, a rather dopey face, long arms, and large, pincers. He was a Crabominable.

While he coughed up water, the hosts floated over to check on him. The Lapras decided to leave now that the Woolly Crab Pokemon was at his destination. Up close, it could be seen that the Crabominable's body was covered in scratches and bites. The fighting- and ice-type groaned in pain as he got to his feet, the swim exhausting a lot of his energy.

"Hey, you okay?" Mew queried, rubbing his still sobbing fur.

Victini was curious as to what transpired, "What the heck happened?"

The Crabominable sighed, "A lot. I fell of my Lapras, got hit by a cruise ship, was attacked by Sharpedo, and had to sweet quite the distance to even get here."

Mew hissed, "Jeez. That sucks, Lawrence."

The Crabominable sighed, "No, no, don't call me Lawrence. That's far too formal, just call me Lucky. That's what I'm called everywhere else."

Victini chortled, "Wow… Quite the contradicting nickname, _Lucky_."

Lucky sheepishly chuckled, knowing of the irony of his nickname, "I'm aware. My mom thought that it was a cool nickname, but… As it turns out, things always seem to go wrong for me."

Victini shook his head while clicking his tongue, "That's gotta suck, dude."

The Crabominable sighed in dismay, but his expression changed into a small smile, "Yeah, but hopefully being here causes my luck to turn! I was already chosen to be here out who knows _how_ many applicants, so maybe things will start looking up."

Just then, a crate landed on the Woolly Crab Pokemon's head, knocking him out cold. The hosts were completely taken aback by the sudden occurrence. Looking up, they could make out the silhouette of a plane.

Mew let out a sigh, "Well, that was unfortunate."

Victini nodded, "Yeah… I'll just take him over to the others."

A pink aura surrounded the Crabominable as his body was lifted from the sand. Victini started floating over to the other competitors with Lucky's unconscious form.

Seeing him approach, the eleven players that stood together were dumbfounded as the Victory Pokemon brought an unconscious body toward them and lied it next to Art. As you would have guessed, the Ferrothorn wasn't pleased, "Uh… What the heck is this?"

Victini decided to introduce the incapacitated crab to the others since he currently couldn't do so on his own. "This is Lucky. He just got hit in the head with a falling crate after having a tough time getting here."

Chip stifled his laugh, "Wow. For a guy named Lucky he sure doesn't have any."

Belladonna scoffed, "The guy is unconscious and you're making jokes? What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Marley decided to come to Chip's defense, saying, "Nothing wrong with dark humor. Plus, Lucky isn't even dead. It's not a big deal."

Dade didn't think so, "It's still a bit grim, in my opinion."

Victini, unconcerned about their conversation, chimed in, "Well, just be cautious. More things may fall from the sky if he regains consciousness."

Everyone stared blankly at Victini before looking in Lucky's direction and taking a few steps away from him. Victini nodded in approval before floating back to Mew.

The next Lapras arrived a few moments later. On its back was a Pokemon that seemed to resemble a racecar driver. She had a pink shell covering her head with two green stripes on it, and she looked like she was wrapped in blue bandages. She was an Accelgor.

She quickly rushed toward the hosts, kicking up sand unintentionally. Mew and Victini both waved the sand away before Mew introduced her, "And here we have Tonya!"

The Accelgor spoke rather rapidly, but she made sure to make herself understandable, "Hi, hi, hi! Thanks for choosing me for this competition. It's truly an honor to be in the presence of legendaries such as yourself."

Victini sighed in appreciation, " _Finally_ , someone else who recognizes us as actual legendaries."

Mew gave him a look, "Vic, plenty of the others have recognized us as Legendary Pokemon."

Victini responded, "Even so, they didn't act like we were anything special. But, I digress. Anyways Tonya, we're happy to have you."

The Accelgor nodded vigorously, "Thank you, thank you."

Looking over to the left, she saw that there were other Pokemon standing in the sand. Interested, she zoomed over to them, leaving a dust cloud in her wake, causing both Mew and Victini to cough.

Tonya made it to the others, skidding to a halt and unintentionally launching sand into their eyes. Belladonna, Dade, and Sasha weren't affected, Lynn closed her eyes and shook her head, Max started to rub his eyes, which only made it worse for him, Christine faced away and started blinking rapidly so that the sting dissipated, Marley and Zahku both accepted it, not really being fazed, Kane just waved the dust away from his face, Chip yelled out and, like Max, tried rubbing his eyes, and Art just closed his eyes and let the sand slide off of him.

Chip's eyes stung from the grains of sand that gathered into it, causing him to curse, "Damn you! What's the big idea?!"

Tonya promptly apologized as the others gave her teary looks of irritation, "Oops, sorry about that. I'm Tonya."

Sasha huffed, "Well _Tonya_ , is there any reason why you decided to rush over her and kick sand in our faces?"

The Accelgor awkwardly explained, "That was accidental. I tend to move fast, so things like this tend to happen."

Lynn sighed, "Well, could you learn to slow down so this _doesn't_ tend to happen a lot?"

Tonya sheepishly rubbed the back of her head, "I'm not entirely sure about that, but… I guess I can try?" She soon caught a glimpse of Lucky's still unconscious body and grew concerned. "Uh, is that guy okay?"

Belladonna responded, "Apparently so. He had some bad luck."

A familiar groan was heard, causing a few of the other contestants to roll their eyes and groan to themselves, "All of you guys' luck is bad, especially mine since I'm stuck with all of you ugly nobodies."

Kay walked back over once again to see who else was there. Seeing Marley, Lucky, and Tonya, she rolled her eyes. "Typical. Nothing but more losers who don't matter."

Chip groaned, "Okay, listen here you little retarded Sentret, you are _nobody_ special. You can talk all you want, but we all know that you're pathetic. You give fighting-types a bad name."

Kay teased, "Oh boo-hoo, the roid monkey thinks that what he says affects me. Seriously, you just look like one of those egotistical bastards that mentally fuck themselves in mirrors."

"Yo-"

Kane interrupted the Machamp, "Chip, don't even bother. Literally nothing you say will get to her."

Kay glowered at the Ursaring, "Oh look, Winnie the Pooh's talking up again. Seriously, you seem to talk a lot of smack for someone whose dick is probably the size of a pen cap."

Kane was confused. He hadn't even insulted her like the others, but she was coming after him? That made literally no sense.

Sasha immediately came to his defense, grabbing onto his arm, "Talking smack? He hasn't said a single word against you. He was actually getting him to _not_ insult you!"

Kay huffed, "As if I need him to do that. He needs to learn to stay in his place."

Kane decided not to take anything the Stufful said seriously. She was only proving that she had a lot of insecurities of her own, in his mind anyway.

The Stufful continued to berate the Ursaring, as the hosts introduced the next competitor. He was a large, white bear Pokemon with a beard made of ice. He was a Beartic, and he held a rather unimpressed expression.

Mew began, "And here we have Richard-"

The Beartic interrupted, "R.J."

Mew hummed in confusion.

The Freezing Pokemon growled to himself, "I understand that you're legendary and all, but I'd appreciate it if you just called me R.J."

The two hosts exchanged looks, with Victini responding, "Uh… Okay? No need to be hostile."

R.J. gave him a look, folding his arms, "I'm not being hostile. It's a simple request."

Mew sighed in defeat, not interested in debating with a contestant about this. Instead, he decided to move on. "Okay R.J., just go on over to the others."

The Beartic rolled his eyes before walking toward the others, looking at who all he was going to be competing against, he couldn't help but twitch a bit. " _You've got to be kidding me_."

Finally making it to the group, he could hear Kay _still_ laying into Kane. Hearing the insults coming from the pipsqueak, and seeing that Kane wasn't being fazed by it at all, he smirked a bit.

Chuckling, he said, "Hey, pipsqueak, I don't think you're really doing any emotional damage, so it may be a good time to stop."

Kay turned around and immediately had to stifle her laugh. "What are _you_ supposed to be? His mother?"

R.J. glowered at the Stufful, "No, I'm not his _mom_ , but I know that yours didn't raise you right if you're spouting off bullshit."

Kay ignored him, yawning, "You done?"

R.J. was very tempted to punt the Flailing Pokemon, but knew that he'd probably catch a case from it. Instead, he stood beside Belladonna, no longer wasting his breath on the Stufful.

Christine, growing tired of the Stufful's attitude, spoke up, "Hey, aggressor, you want to actually give us a name, now? Or are you too much of a coward?"

She countered haughtily, "He didn't give his name, so I don't have to give mine."

The Freezing Pokemon obliged, "R.J."

Kay huffed, "Well, you still get nothing. Just a bunch of worthless posers who aren't cute in the slightest."

Lynn sighed in annoyance, mumbling, "And the repetition continues…"

Belladonna was really growing tired of her attitude and chatter, "Okay, we get it you little bitch, you think you're cute, now shut the fuck up already."

Kay gave her a look, but decided to oblige. "You know what? You're right. I'll save it up for when the competition actually starts. There's just no way that _any_ of you can beat _this_."

She made a cute, puppy-dog face, her eyes glimmering. The others weren't exactly impressed, not even Max or Dade.

Art deadpanned, "That's the face only a mother can love."

Kay growled, "Go fuck yourself!"

Mew and Victini waited for the next contestant to arrive. Apparently, Victini only called fifteen Lapras, as five of the contestants responded that they were going to have their own modes of transportation. They could have come to the island at any time.

Waiting for any one, or multiple, of them to show up, Mew let out a sigh as he watched their other competitors bicker and talk amongst themselves. He slowly started having doubts about how the show would go.

Victini, noticing this, rose a brow. This was a pretty exciting time for them, so seeing Mew's expression of uncertainty raised questions. "You okay, dude?"

Mew let out a sigh, "I guess. But, seeing how the others are acting over there makes me a bit worried about how the show's gonna turn out. I mean, not _all_ of them are jerks, but some of them really need to get their acts together. I don't think audiences like watching people who are annoying unless they're relatable."

Victini nodded in understanding. This was their trial season, so they really needed to impress and entertain their audience, as well as Arceus and Giratina. Having a bunch of hate mongering or annoying people would likely bring the enjoyment down.

Victini reassured him, "Don't worry about that. This is before the game even starts and they're probably over there complaining because of everyone's first impressions. Who knows? Maybe some of them will become good friends down the line. Plus, it's not all of them, just two or three. So far, at least. We've still got five more to g-"

He cut himself off when he happened to glance out at the water and saw something that made him question his sanity. "Is that a Rhyperior riding a surfboard?"

Hearing this, Mew looked at the water as well as his eyes widened at the sight. A large, brown and orange rhinoceros-like Pokemon was riding a huge wave over to them. It was on a green surfboard with a couple of blue swirls decorating it.

As the wave began to crash onto the beach, the Rhyperior jumped off with a _THUD_! It picked up the surfboard, smiling brightly at the hosts.

The Drill Pokemon spoke, "Sorry I'm late, guys. Weren't that many gnarly waves."

Mew was still a bit shocked, but when he remembered that surfing was someone's hobby, "Uh… That's okay. Welcome to the show, Portia."

The Rhyperior, now identified as Portia, nodded in greeting, "Stoked to be here, brah."

Victini queried in interest, "How did you get into surfing, and _how_ are you able to? I thought all rock-types hated water if it wasn't their other type."

Portia shook her head, "Nah. I got into surfing because of my uncle. I was scared at first, but eventually he started teaching me how to surf and I got better. I nearly drowned over ten times, but it was a learning experience."

Victini nodded, "Well, hopefully you don't drown here if you plan on surfing a lot."

Portia sheepishly giggled, "I hope that, too."

Mew sighed, "Well, you can head on over to the others. Maybe one of them will be interested in surfing, too."

Hearing this, Portia smiled a bit. A few moments later, the flapping of wings could be heard. Looking up, the hosts, as well as Portia, saw two Pokemon heading in their direction. One resembled a dinosaur. He was a tan color with parts of his body being green. He had large, leaf wings, and what looked like bananas under his neck. He was a Tropius.

The other resembled a female honey bee. She had a honeycomb bottom and a red gem on her forehead. She was a Vespiquen.

The two had arrived together, but one seemed to be far more annoyed by the other, signalling that they weren't related or even friends. Portia moved out of the way, walking toward the others, allowing for the two flyers to land. Well, the Tropius mainly, the Vespiquen remained in the air.

It would seem that the two were engaged in conversation prior, as the Vespiquen spoke, "All I'm saying is that you should have been courteous and let me ride on your back. A lady shouldn't have had to fly that long distance."

The Tropius, obviously annoyed by that point, groaned softly, "For the last time, that doesn't matter. You have wings yourself, why would I let you ride on my back if your method of getting here is the same as mine?"

The Vespiquen argued, "To be a gentleman! Just because I'm able to fly as well doesn't mean-"

Not wanting to hear more, Mew interrupted them, "And here are Tim and Honey, who seem to be have a bit of a lovers' quarrel."

Upon hearing that, Tim, the Tropius, immediately turned to the New Species Pokemon, "Lovers' quarrel? Oh no, no, no, no. There's no connection to us at all. She just wants me to cater to her every whim, which is _not_ gonna happen."

Honey growled, "I am royalty, I'll have you know! I can buy _and_ sell you!"

Mew and Victini exchanged knowing looks, with Victini sighing, "The two of you, go on over and meet the others. We've got two more players to introduce and then we can begin the explanations and such."

Tim nodded and proceeded to head over to the others. Seeing this, Honey interrupted, "Uh… Care to see a lady over?"

The Tropius just ignored her, continuing his way over. In a huff, Honey followed suit. Going over, Tim introduced himself, "Uh… Hey there, I'm Tim."

"Hey there Tim," Max greeted, waving at him.

"Wh-"

Honey flew up, interrupting the conversation already happening. "Hello all. I'm pleased to be meet you and I hope that we're all able to get along."

Tim gave her a look, " _Now_ you want to be nice? You were just telling me to do things for you as if I was some sort of servant."

Honey scoffed, "Oh please. You simply misinterpreted. I'm used to being served, so my requests might have come off as 'pushy'."

Tim narrowed his eyes at her, "Riiight."

The next contestant game by sky as well, only it did not have wings. It resembled a U.F.O., having three eyes, magnets, and screws. The center eye was red, with the other two being normal. He was a Magnezone.

Mew introduced, "Ah, Xavier, good to have you."

The Magnezone responded, "Firm handshakes and eccentric attitudes."

The hosts immediately exchanged looks before looking back at the Magnet Area Pokemon. Victini queried, "Uh… What?"

Xavier explained flatly, "In order to increase the popularity of your show, you need to be firm and eccentric. Dare to be yourselves. Being stale and generic doesn't make for a good show."

Seeing this as advice, Mew responded, "Uh… Thank you?"

Xavier didn't respond, instead going straight over to the other competitors. Victini and Mew exchanged looks of understanding, taking in what the Magnezone had said. They weren't planning on being generic anyway.

Eventually, the final contestant arrived by water. She was a fish; she was yellow, pink, purple, and blue in color. She had rather luscious lips, and jagged teeth. She also had an extension of sorts on her head. She was a Bruxish.

Despite being a fish, she was able to float out of the water via kinesis. She had a very seductive look on her face, which unnerved the two hosts.

The Bruxish licked her lips, greeting the hosts, " _Hello you handsome hunks of meat~._ "

Victini shuddered in disgust, not appreciating the actions. "Welcome to the show, Jessica…"

The Gnash Teeth Pokemon responded, "Delighted to be here, sugar~. It's nice to see some sexy legendary males such as yourselves hosting such a fine show."

Mew twitched a bit, "Well, you're the last player to arrive, Jessica, so let's get you over with the others so we can start explaining how the competition is going to work."

Jessica smiled, "Sure thing cuties~."

She proceeded to float over to the others, with Mew and Victini following her.

 **000**

Still on the beach, the duo stood in front of all of the contestants with smiles. With all of them now in attendance, they could start explaining the competition.

Mew cleared his throat, "Alright, once again, we'd like to welcome you all to the show. As you all may know by now, the twenty of you will be competing against each other for 100,000 Poke in cash, as well as bragging rights. Furthermore, you'll be participating in challenges that will either protect you from elimination, or have you send someone home."

The contestants exchanged looks, as Victini spoke up, "Now, we're sure that you all have gotten to know each other a bit and have made your final decisions on who you like and who you don't. But, remember that even though first impressions are everything, they aren't always accurate. You'll be learning that as you're placed into teams."

Mew interrupted him, "But, before we do that, we'll have to give you all a tour around the island. So, follow me and Victini"

The pink feline began floating toward the stone stairs, with all of the contestants following him. Victini decided to be the caboose, making sure all of the contestants stayed with the group.

 **-000-**

The cameras followed them to their first stop, which was the cabins. The hosts floated in front of the contestants as they stood in the middle of the campgrounds. The only things there were the rather shabby, yet decently sized, cabins. Based on their expressions, the contestants weren't really impressed.

Mew explained, "As you can see, these are the cabins in which you'll be staying. They don't look like much, but I can assure that you all will be perfectly fine."

The contestants still weren't impressed, with R.J. staying, "Uh… No offense, but you guys are legendaries. Shouldn't you be able to afford something better than this?"

Art agreed with this sentiment, "My thoughts exactly."

Victini responded, offering them an explanation, "Well, this is our first season, and Arceus and Giratina have to permit us to get all of the fancy schmancy stuff. However, since this is essentially a trial season, our budget is a bit lower than we'd like."

Marley rose a brow, "Then how'd you afford the island?"

Mew sighed, "The island is abandoned. We don't have to pay for it. Now, are there any questions regarding the cabins themselves or your living arrangements?"

Jessica smirked, "Yes. Since I'm assuming most of us are adults here, are we allowed to sleep with whoever we like?"

Mew and Victini exchanged looks. As they recalled, some shows like this allowed that kind of interaction, and Arceus and Giratina didn't mention anything regarding that. So, they decided to allow it.

Mew shrugged, "I suppose so."

Kay scoffed, "Oh please. I don't see why anyone here would even bother with these hideous, inbred fucks you call men. None of them would even attract a Jynx."

The guys immediately glowered at the Stufful, as did some of the girls.

Lucky, who had been dragged by Chip, regained consciousness and got onto his feet. "Ugh… Where am I?"

Tim, noticing this, smiled, "Hey! The unconscious guy's up."

Lucky looked around and saw that he was among the other contestants. Looking, he saw the cabins and grew interested. "Ooo, are those our cabins? Interesting…"

Mew decided to get back on topic, "Anyways yes, you guys are able to sleep with whoever you want, but it must be consensual. We don't any of you girls in the guys' beds if they don't want you there and vice versa."

Sasha immediately smiled to herself as she once again grabbed onto Kane's right arm. The Ursaring noticed this and blushed a bit. Nearby, R.J., who had his arms folded, saw this and his eyes widened.

Victini continued, "Alright, let's move onto the next destination, the plains."

Victini, having been the one to investigate the rest of the island, took the lead. The fox led the contestants into the forest on the left side, with Mew taking the role of the caboose this time.

 **-000-**

They all made it to the glade, where the sun shined bright. A light breeze blew through the air, causing a soothing aura to waft around.

Victini explained, "Alright, these are the plains. This will be a site for a fair amount of your challenges. And it will also act as a place for you all to relax and do whatever you want."

Chip groaned, "Do what? Stare at trees?"

Lynn gave him a look, "Hey, sometimes just sitting in silence and resting your mind does your body good."

Chip laughed, "Please. That's just what hippies like you want us to think. Everyone knows that exercise does the body good."

Jessica tittered. "Actually, _both_ of you are wrong. I believe that it's _milk_ that does the body good…" she expressed, licking her lips.

Seeing and hearing this, majority of the guys shuddered. As soon as they saw her and heard her, they knew that they wanted no part of her _anywhere_ near them.

Belladonna urged them to move on, as she herself was growing a bit uncomfortable because of Jessica, "Okay, so these are the plains. Where to next?"

 **-000-**

Victini led the contestants to the mountains next. The looming landform causing a bit of fear to go down some of the players' spines. From a distance, it had the normal effect. However, up close, the contestants had a much better idea of what they were going to be dealing with.

Victini chuckled, "This is the mountain, and I can tell by you guys' surprised expressions that this is a bit terrifying for you. But don't worry, you guys _will_ be ascending it for one or two challenges, so be prepared."

Dade twitched, "Uh… I-Is it even stable?"

Victini floated up to the mountain and knocked on it. A faint rumbling was heard as a rock began tumbling down, picking up speed.

Christine was the only one to shout out, "Look out!"

The rock bounced off of a ledge, heading toward the group of contestants. Or well, one in particular. The rock struck Lucky in the head, knocking him back out, causing him to topple onto Max and Dade.

The Delibird and Burmy groaned in pain from under the Woolly Crab Pokemon.

Kane hissed, "Jeez, that guy really _is_ unlucky."

Mew sighed, shaking his head, "Does anyone mind helping the three of them up?"

Portia, being the one closest to them, got the Crabominable back up onto his feet. Max and Dade were knocked out by the weight of the fighting- and ice-type. Due to this, Kane decided to pick them up and carry them.

Victini got things back on track, saying, "Alright, we're not going over there, but know that there is a volcano out in the water nearby. When the time comes for a challenge, we'll tell you where to go. Now, onto the next part of the tour."

 **-000-**

The next part of the tour took the competitors to the pond, where the glistening water reflected clearly. The musty smell hit everyone's nostrils like a truck.

Honey scoffed, waving her claw in front of her face, "Jeez, the odor here is reprehensible."

Sasha agreed, covering her nose, "It smells like complete shit around here."

Soon enough, an actual smell of fecal matter spread around the scene, making everyone curl their noses. It was like someone left a fresh pile of diapers there and covered them in garbage.

R.J. cursed, "Fucking shit, what the hell is with that smell?!"

Marley chortled maniacally, "You all just got Liquid Assed!" She took out a small spray bottle with a picture of a pair of buttcheeks printed onto it. 'Liquid Ass' was printed as the title.

Lynn coughed, "Why… Would you spray that?"

Marley continued laughing, "It's hilarious!"

Art growled, "Hilarious my ass. You're just making us all sick to our stomachs!"

Marley smirked at his response, "Which is what _makes_ it hilarious, my humorless comrade."

Mew and Victini were holding their noses, already irritated by Marley's actions. The feline stated, "Alright, let's just move on to the next location since Marley's decided to artificially fart in this scene."

The contestants began to move away from the pond, as the odor began to mix with the already musty scent, creating an completely repugnant smell.

 **-000-**

Mew led the contestants to the side of the beach, where the cliff was located. Gesturing to it, Mew explained, "This will be another site of your challenges."

Seeing the cliff, a few of the contestants grew concerned and worried.

Christine cleared her throat, "Uh… That doesn't look safe."

Victini chuckled, "Don't worry. You'll be fine… Mostly."

There were immediate exclamations of unsurety once he said mostly. The slight panic alarmed Mew a bit, while Victini laughed.

Victini wiped a tear from his eye, "Calm down. We'll have appropriate safety precautions to make sure that no one is gravely injured."

Mew sighed to himself, " _Anyways_ , let's get you guys back to the campgrounds so we can get you into teams."

Tonya queried, "Wait, you're putting us into teams already? I thought that-that-that involved choosing team captains and letting them do the rest?"

Victini shrugged, "Sure, that's the _traditional_ way that things would be handled."

Mew huffed, "In middle and high school, maybe."

Victini continued, "But, you guys are adults and you're competing for a lot of cash. Plus, it's our show, so… Our rules."

 **000**

Mew and Victini escorted the twenty competitors back to the campgrounds.

Mew rubbed his hands together before spreading them, "And that ends our tour. So, if you have any comments, questions, or concerns, feel free to ask them now. If not, we can get on with the teams."

Zahku raised a glove, "Zahku wants to know about food."

Upon hearing that, Tim also grew concerned, as there wasn't any mention about how they'll be fed. "Yeah, that's one of the main things we need to be worried about besides possible grievous bodily harm."

Kay interjected, "Obviously. Especially since you don't need to be worried about any girl here trying to have sex with you."

Mew and Victini exchanged looks of unsurety. They hadn't discussed a meal plan at all. Mew began stammering, "Uh, we, uh… "

Victini replied, "We will provide small platters for you in the morning times."

Mew cleared his throat awkwardly, "And in addition-"

A decently sized building appeared in the campgrounds, a good distance away from them. "You'll have this mess hall here to talk. It will also be where you get your platters."

Art chortled sarcastically, " _Lovely_ , we get a newly found, shitty mess hall to eat it.

Mew gave him a look, "Like we said, low budget. You can't expect a five star, fancy cafe from first time hosts."

Art rolled his eyes.

Victini chimed in, "Now, if there are no other-"

Portia interrupted him this time, "Wait, dudes. How are we gonna do those one-on-one things where we just give our thoughts and stuff? Don't these kinds of shows have them?"

Mew growled to himself, "Right…"

An outhouse appeared next to the group. Glued to the inside of the door was a camera. Victini stifled a laugh, "Well, here you guys go. Now you can confess to your heart's content while _also_ relieving yourselves."

Honey scoffed at this, "This is repulsive! There is no way that this is the way we'll be relinquishing our private thoughts."

Belladonna laughed, "You heard them. Low budget, _so_ you're gonna have to deal with it like the rest of us."

Honey grumbled to herself, folding her arms.

Mew felt completely embarrassed by this, but explained its usage nevertheless, "Now, the outhouse confessional will be located near the plains. And, as Victini said, you can use this to confess to your heart's content."

R.J. huffed, "Great, can we get on with this team stuff now?"

The New Species Pokemon nodded, "Yes, yes." A piece of paper appeared in his hands as he cleared his throat once more. "Now, the cabins are marked with a red square and a blue square. On the Red Team, we have-"

The camera began panning to each contestant as their names were called for the teams. Mew continued, "Tim, Honey, Chip, Kay, Kane, Jessica, Xavier, Sasha, Max, and Tonya."

Respectively, the Tropius, Vespiquen, Machamp, Stufful, Ursaring, Bruxish, Magnezone, Nidoqueen, Delibird, and Accelgor moved to the left, where their cabin was located. There were mixed reactions to the team.

Tim, seeing who he was stuck with, could only twitch in annoyance. Honey wasn't impressed, Chip was annoyed, as was Kay, Jessica only licked her lips as he eyes went to Chip's crotch, Xavier remained emotionless, Tonya shrugged, and Max, Kane, and Sasha just exchanged looks of unsurety.

The pink feline continued, "And that leaves the rest of you on the Blue Team. Dade, Lynn, Art, Belladonna, R.J., Christine, Zahku, Portia, Lucky, and Marley."

Unlike the Red Team, the Blue Team seemed rather content with their choices, well, besides Christine, who was miffed that she was on the same team as Art. The ten of them moved to the right.

Victini, clapped his hands together, "Now, why don't you all get settled into your cabins, get to know each other better than you already have, and try to conduct some strategy. Or, if you don't want to, you can explore the island and just do whatever until we call you for dinner."

Kay scoffed, "You can't expect me to stay with these low level ingrates!"

In response to this, Sasha growled, "You act like we want to be stuck with you on this fucking team!"

Chip chimed in, "I mean, all of you are fucking weak anyway. I honestly don't even want to be on this team with _any_ of you out of shape ninnies, either!"

Max tried to lighten the mood and calm the others down, "Come on guys, the competition hasn't even started yet. Shouldn't we just _try_ to get along so we don't get our butts kicked?"

Chip gave the Delibird a look of annoyance, "I repeat, all of you are weak, anyway."

Kane, growing annoyed, placed his hand out, "Hey, lay off. You don't know any of us, you're just going by our appearances, which is completely dumb on your part."

Sasha backed him up, saying, "Yeah. You may have all of those muscles, but in the intelligence department, you're probably as weak as you think we are."

"Compassion and understanding are what you must have," Xavier explained, facing Chip.

Chip glared at him, "Oh, shut up sheet metal…"

Seeing their annoyance with each other already, R.J. laughed. "I have to say, I really feel bad for you guys," the Beartic said with his arms folded. "So many piss-poor attitudes has to weigh a team down. Before the competition even starts, too? For shame…"

Tim decided to speak up, despite his own negative thoughts about the team, "Hey, at least we don't have the cynic, the prankster, and the accident prone ones on our team!"

Art, being mentioned, easily retaliated, "Yeah, meanwhile you have a wannabe princess, an egotistical coach, an annoying, ugly… Whatever you want to call her, and a possible sexaholic. Shouldn't be so high and mighty when your team's worse than ours, character wise."

Tonya shouted back in her same quick manner, "We'll see whose team is worse when we start-start these challenges!"

Both teams returned to their own cabins, where they were going to attempt to know and understand each other.

 **000**

" **First thoughts? This show is gonna fail," Art opined. "These 'legendary hosts' didn't even have how we're going to** _ **eat**_ **prepared. How the heck do you forget that you're supposed to feed us!?"**

" **As for the other players… Can't really get a good read on them just yet. But, so far, I think the biggest threat has to be either R.J., Chip, or Belladonna. R.J. seems to have some spunk and a bit of anger in him, Chip boasts about being** _ **so strong**_ **, and I'm inclined to believe him, and Belladonna's attitude in general just oozes confidence and strength. I'm gonna have to keep a watchful eye."**

 **000**

" **I'm here and ready for the danger!" Belladonna cheered. "I just can't wait for the challenges to start. My team seems okay, other than Art's attitude. But, he could turn out to be a decent person, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. The others, though… Ugh, I'd love to just drown Kay in a pit of mud."**

 **000**

" **I just can't believe that I'm on a team with a bunch of soft weaklings!" Chip groaned. "I'm seriously gonna have to carry this damn team until I can whip them into shape!"**

 **000**

 **Christine sighed, "Out of everyone here, I have to say that so far… Art is the main one bugging me. His demeanor and apathetic attitude just make me want to melt him into a puddle."**

" **But, I have to keep myself calm. I'm gonna rely on my music to keep me calm while I deal with everyone here."**

 **000**

 **Dade smacked his lips, "Well, I can say that I'm glad that I'm not on the other team. Our team has so many big guys that we could easily dominate these challenges! And if we're dominating, there's a lower chance that I'll be sent home!"**

 **000**

 **Honey grumbled to herself. "I can't believe I'm stuck using this shit shack to tell my opinions! I should be in an actual powder room, not this!"**

 **000**

 **Jessica hummed suggestively, "Everyone hear is** _ **so gorgeous**_ **~. I can imagine taking on four of the guys at one time already. Just feeling everything on my face and body would be-"**

 **000**

 **Kane sighed, "Well, first day and people already practically hate each other. But, at least some of the people seem nice. Sasha's been holding my arm since she got here, but I don't know. We literally just met. Plus, I'm already taken."**

" **But, other than her. I guess Max and Tim are okay. Max seems like he just wants people to have a good time and Tim just has that kind of vibe to him that's hard to explain."**

" **I just hope things end up okay."**

 **000**

" **ALL OF THESE LOSERS NEED TO KILL THEMSELVES!" Kay exclaimed. "I'm serious! These ugly-ass, no talent, unreliable, unlovable, fat, loose lipped, morons need to go back to wherever the fuck they came from. I am the only one who matters on this show, and you all know it!"**

 **000**

 **Lucky groaned, rubbing his head. "Yeah, I tend to have a lot of crappy luck, but I'm not gonna let that set me back. I'm gonna keep on trying unt-"**

 **He suddenly felt a rumbling underneath where he was sitting before raising up, causing a geyser of dirty water to enter the confessional. "OH COME ON!"**

 **000**

 **Lynn looked around and was cautious to even be in the confessional, "Whew, what the heck happened!?"**

" _ **Sorry!"**_ **she heard Lucky shout from outside.**

 **Lynn sighed, "I don't really have much to say other than I hope this experience does me well."**

 **000**

 **Marley giggled as she rifled through her bag, completely ignoring the wet and smelly confessional. "I have so many things that I'm gonna do. I've got some twine, some whoopie cushions, shaving cream, more fart spray, some homemade foam bombs…"**

" **THIS IS GONNA BE AWESOME!"**

 **000**

 **Max sighed, "I work as a Santa at a mall, and my job is to make children happy and promise them they'll get what they want. Well, right now,** _ **I**_ **just want these people to act their age and stop being so selfish and irritable."**

" **I'm generally a jolly guy outside of my job, but being surrounded by these kinds of people is only gonna irk me, I know it."**

 **000**

 **Portia chortled, "Well this is gonna be pretty interesting. There's a bunch of people with conflicting personalities. It'll be interesting to see where it all goes."**

 **000**

 **R.J. grumbled, "** _ **That fucking bitch better stay-**_ **"**

" **I swear, I really hate this show a bit already. We're essentially just a trial run, I'm surrounded by people who have fucking issues, and my team is… Ugh. We may have the stronger minded players, but we don't have** _ **the**_ **players I was hoping four.**

 **000**

 **Sasha moaned to herself, "Kane is just so hot and firm. He's probably the only guy here that I can see myself having a shot with. The other ones either have issues or remind me of my husband, which is just… A huge turn off."**

 **000**

 **Tim was banging his head against the wall. "Why… Why… Why… Why… Why…"**

 **000**

 **Tonya explained, "Hopefully the others don't mind my speed, my speed often times gets on peoples nerves because they tell me I'm going too fast and I try to slow down, but they still get mad at me. I love to go fast, because life is short and you never know when your own life will end, so you gotta get through it."**

 **000**

 **Xavier stared at the camera, "There is no real guide to being popular."**

 **000**

 **Zahku looked around the confessional, "I feel awkward."**

 **000**

 _ **Red Team - Tim, Honey, Chip, Kay, Kane, Jessica, Xavier, Sasha, Max, Tonya**_

 _ **Blue Team - Dade, Lynn, Art, Belladonna, R.J., Christine, Zahku, Portia, Lucky, Marley**_

 _ **000**_

 **And there we go. The beginning of an era. It makes you think… "Wow,** _ **these**_ **were the original contestants they had to deal with before the ones we all know, love, and completely hate?" Jeez. But, at least Mew and Victini are decent here, compared to what happens later on down the line. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time on Total… Pokemon… Zero! See ya guys, BYE!**


	2. Here I Sand

**NEXT!**

 **000**

The Red Team approached their wooden cabin, with most of the players grumbling to themselves upon seeing it up close. The shabby cabin looked large enough to hold all of the team members, though its appearance of it made it seem like it was much smaller than it really was.

The concrete stairs leading up to the patio were chipped and painted red. The combination of concrete and lumber was able to provide a decent living condition, but just its appearance alone turned the members the Red Team off from it.

Honey shook her head in discontent,"No, just no. These guys must be joking if they think I'm sleeping in this ugly, run-down cabin!"

Max sighed, "Honey, we are on an island, in a competition, and the hosts have told us that they have a low budget. I'm pretty sure that this is just a given."

Kay glowered at the Delibird in annoyance, "Oh Shut up, Santa Flaws. These hosts are completely moronic. Just because they're low budget doesn't mean they can't put in some hard work and at least make these shithole cabins look a bit more presentable!"

Kane, curious about how the insides of the cabins looked, and annoyed by the complaining, just shook his head as he started climbing up the steps. The wooden patio creaked with every step he took as he approached one of the two doors.

Opening the door, the Hibernator Pokemon peered inside and rose a brow. Looking over the six beds, the others began to come up in order to search the cabin as well. They identified the holes in the cabin roof and side, and saw the dusty, crusty beds. The guys had gone into the same room as Kane, while the girls investigated the other room.

Tim looked around before groaning, "Man, it looks even worse inside…"

Chip rolled his eyes at the Tropius' complaint, "Buncha pussies. You act these beds are gonna fucking kill you. The mats that we use at the high school I work at are in worse condition and the kids are still obligated to use them."

Max deadpanned, "Well that's not disgusting at all."

Xavier turned to Chip, "Compassion, understanding, and empathy. You need to gain those traits if you wish for people to actually value your opinions."

The Machamp growled, "I told you to shut up, scrap metal! Why the hell should I value your opinion at all?"

The Magnet Area Pokemon stated flatly, "Because nobody here sees you as a decent Pokemon at the moment."

Chip flipped him the bird, which didn't really affect the Magnezone. Max, Tim, and Kane just exchanged looks, knowing that living with the Machamp was going to be annoying.

 **-000-**

Meanwhile, on the girls' side, Jessica had used Scald to spray all of the beds in an attempt to disinfect them. While it seemed to have worked, as the dust and hair that was on the mattresses and bed sheets were washed away, the fact that their sheets were going to be wet for a while annoyed a few of the girls, namely Kay and Honey.

Kay groaned, "Nice work, reverse Picasso. You've ruined out fucking beds!"

The Bruxish rolled her eyes. "Please, you and wanna-bee queenie over there were gonna complain regardless. Plus, I'm part psychic-type, so I can dry all of the sheets and mattresses whenever I want."

Honey replied, "And by whenever, you mean when you're done harassing guys who wouldn't dare fuck you even if they were paid to."

"Girls, can we please _try_ to get along in here. Arguing like stupid teenagers isn't going to help us win any challenges, so just put-put aside your-"

Kay interrupted, "Du-Duh-D-D-D-D. Shut the fuck up, speed freak. Who are you to tell us what to do when you can't even speak like a normal fucking person?"

Sasha had enough of the Stufful, "KAY! Seriously! You are just proving yourself to be one of the worst people here! You are _not_ better than anyone. You do _not_ have any reason to talk shit to anyone. _Your_ opinions don't matter to _anyone_ here. So why don't you just shut the hell up or else we're gonna lock you out of the cabin!"

All of the girls stared at the Nidoqueen in surprise, except for Kay, who looked indifferent.

The Stufful responded, "If my opinions didn't matter to anyone, they how the hell did you just get so worked up, fleshlight Rhydon? Ever since you've been here, you've been clinging to that sorry excuse of a 'nice guy' and trying to do the same things as him. Newsflash, you're both ugly, and he'll probably never even _want_ to fuck you, so get over yourself."

Sasha clenched her fists before taking a deep breath, not wanting to let the pipsqueak get to her anymore. The actual game hadn't even started yet! She couldn't show weakness now.

The Nidoqueen shrugged her shoulders with a huff, "Whatever…"

Suddenly, Kane's voice could be heard from outside, " _Hey girls, could you come on over to our side, we need to talk!"_

 **-000-**

Following Kane's request, the five girls went over to the guys' side of the cabin, where they saw Max sitting on one of the bunks, Tim and Chip standing near the door, Xavier floating on the top bunk of one of the beds, and Kane sitting on the bed sitting against the back wall.

Entering, Sasha decided to continue with her 'flirting' by sitting next to Kane. Honey just flew beside Tim, much to his dismay, Jessica floated next to Chip, still eyeing his crotch, and Tonya and Kay each took seats in empty bunks, though Kay was still disgusted and annoyed.

The Stufful groaned, "Alright, loser, what the hell do you want?"

Ignoring the insult, Kane began, "Okay. Now, I understand that there are some personal issues that some of us may have with each other for reasons unknown, but as a team, we need to learn to work together."

Chip rolled his eyes, "No shit, dumbass. I'm already pissed that I'll have to whip you sad sacks into shape. I don't need you to tell me about teamwork, too."

Honey gave the Machamp a look, "You _really_ underestimate everyone who doesn't look like you. You remind me of my stupid little brother."

Kane interrupted, " _Anyways_. I think we should start this by getting to know each other as people. Learn our strengths and weaknesses and-"

Kay interrupted him once again, "Let me stop you right there."

She hopped off of the bed and started exiting the cabin, not wanting to hear anything about people that she found unworthy and useless. With her leaving, Kane just shook his head. "Okay, uh… I guess I can start."

 **000**

Portia sighed upon looking at the conditions of their cabin as she placed her surfboard on one of the bottom bunks, "Well, it could be worse."

Christine placed her violin case on the bunk above hers, "It most certainly could, but I think we'll be okay. As long as we have good sleeping arrangements."

Belladonna whistled as she entered the girl's side of the cabin, when Marley hopped on her back and jumped past her. She growled to herself, "Was that really necessary?"

Marley had taken the top bunk of the bed against the back wall. She rummaged through her bag, humming in delight, ignoring Belladonna's complaint.

The Golem huffed before taking a seat on the lower bunk of the bed next to Portia and Christine's. "Well, these beds are kind of uncomfortable, but hey. It's still a new experience."

Lynn yawned as she entered the room, "Well, I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised with our team. We don't have much of a negative vibe."

Christine huffed, folding her arms, "We have Art on our team, of all people. Now, if we had Kane or Tim, or even Max, then our team would be perfect."

Portia shrugged, "Well, that's not the case, dudette, so we just have to make the most of it. Plus, the thorny dude might be a good person deep down."

Christine rolled her eyes, "I doubt it. People like him act high and mighty and never seem to have any empathy for anyone. I've seen and met too many people like him."

Belladonna replied, "Well, I'm not too fond of the guy either, but maybe you should give him a-"

 **-000-**

" _-fair chance. He's probably not like the other guys you've met."_

R.J. could only stifle a laugh as he overheard the girls' conversation next door. The Beartic, despite his gloating prior, felt that he got the short end of the stick, teammate wise. Sure, the other team had a bunch of losers with piss-poor attitudes, but at least they _looked_ somewhat strong.

He was stuck on a team with a lousy Burmy, a Crabominable with horrible luck, a third-person speaking Makuhita, and a snarker Ferrothorn. He just knew that he was going to have a rough time in the challenges. At least some of the girls seemed tough.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a tiny voice, "Hey, R.J."

The Beartic turned to the source and saw Dade, who was now in a Trash Cloak, staring up at him. He huffed, "What do you want?"

The Burmy cleared his throat, "Well, I was wondering if you wanted to talk and try to get to know all of us. That way, we can know our strengths and-"

The Beartic sighed in annoyance, "You know what? I'm not much of a talker… So, I don't think I'll be of any use in the conversation."

Dade blinked in response, "Oh… Uh, okay."

R.J. nodded before placing his arms behind his head and resting on the lower bunk of the bed closest to the right wall.

Art, hearing the polar bear's response, shrugged, "I call bullshit, personally. All of that attitude inside of you and you claim that you're not a talker? Please…"

R.J. glanced at him irritatedly, not expecting to hear that from him. He knew that the Ferrothorn was going to be a pain, but not _this_ early. "What? You calling me a liar?"

Art deadpanned, "I didn't call you anything. I just said that I think that it's unlikely that someone with _your_ personality, from what I've seen so far, is one who doesn't speak his mind."

R.J. growled, "Well, I'm sorry, but I'd appreciate it if you minded your own damn business. We're on the same team, yes, but beyond that, we're nothing."

Lucky rose a brow, "Jeez, you say that like he was stalking you or something."

Upon hearing that, R.J. grumbled to himself before turning over. "I'm gonna take a nap. Don't bother me."

The other guys inside exchanged looks with each other, a bit perplexed by the Beartic's attitude. However, because they didn't feel it was their place to say anything since they didn't really know the guy, they left him be.

Art huffed, "Well, whatever. I guess I'll go check out this shitty landmass they call an island…"

The Ferrothorn started heading out of the door, leaving only three capable males in the cabins. Zahku, Dade, and Lucky exchanged looks with each other.

Lucky felt pretty awkward, but cleared his throat in order to speak with them anyway, "So, uh… What do you guys like to do?"

R.J., hearing this, growled, "Take it outside, thank you. I don't want the King of Bad Luck destroying the cabin mid-sentence."

Immediately, Dade and Zahku expressed a bit of concern, with Lucky sighing in response. Once again the Woolly Crab Pokemon was being asked to leave on account of his unluckiness. Though, this was very understandable. They _were_ near trees, after all. Having one suddenly topple over and crush the cabin didn't seem ideal.

With a dejected sigh, Lucky acquiesced, "Okay. I'll leave."

The Crabominable exited the cabin, with Dade and Zahku exchanging looks before following him out. The two of them didn't want to be left alone with R.J., anyway.

 **000**

After listening to what the other members of team had to say about their own private lives, Tim grew very agitated due to the utter negativity that assaulted his ears. Because of this, he left before he could even say his piece. He could just tell that his team was going to drive him insane.

Once he left the cabin, he decided to go to the glade in order to have some peace of mind and just keep to himself. This was going to be a _long_ competition. He lied down to rest,but after a few moments, he could hear a faint sound coming from the forest.

Looking around, the Fruit Pokemon was a bit befuddled as to where the noise was coming from. It only seemed to intrigue him more, as he was able to hear it much clearer. It sounded like a violin, and from what he could remember, only one person on the island would have access to one.

Soon enough, as the music grew louder and louder, he heard the rustling of foliage in addition to it. He knew that it couldn't have just been the wind, as it was only a light breeze, so that meant that the owner of the violin was getting closer.

Eventually, Christine entered the glade from the direction of the other cabins, holding a violin in one of her arms as she continued to play. The melodious sound really soothed him, despite him not really being interested in that type of music.

Shortly following her, Lynn emerged from the foliage. She sighed heavily from the brush, a placid expression on her face. Seeing this, the Tropius rose a brow. Seeing them walk toward a tree and sit down, he approached them, intrigued. Once he was close enough, he sat next to them, "Hey guys, uh… Lynn and Christine, right?"

Seeing him, the girls responded with confused, but small smiles. They weren't expecting the Fruit Pokemon to approach, but they were still kind, regardless. Christine waved, wanting to focus on her violin, while Lynn verbally greeted him, "Hey there, Tim. What brings you out here?"

The Tropius looked back at the spot he was originally lying in, "Oh, uh. I was actually already lying over there. I just heard some music and saw you two come from the forest, so… Here I am."

Lynn nodded in understanding as Christine began to listen to their conversation as well. There was an awkward moment of silence following the nod, with Christine fiddling with her violin's tuning pegs. Tim cleared his throat before attempting to engage in another conversation. "So, uh… What brings you girls to the competition?"

The girls exchanged looks before Lynn decided to speak up again, "Well, after I saw that broadcast by Arceus and Giratina, I knew that this would be a good opportunity to try and win. And even if I didn't win, maybe I'd make some friends."

Tim nodded, "Nice."

Lynn reciprocated the question, "What about you?"

Tim sighed with a soft chuckle, "My friends wanted me to get out more since I'm the only one in the group who hardly went out on my own accord. Someone always had to ask me to go with them or else I'd never leave the house. And, since there was money involved, I thought… Why not?"

Lynn giggled softly, "So, you're an introvert?"

Tim shrugged, "I suppose you can reason that."

Lynn got to her feet and stretched, "Well, you're taking steps in the right direction. If you keep talking like this, you'll break out of your shell soon."

Tim chuckled softly once more,"Maybe…"

Suddenly, Christine began to play a song that seemed familiar to the Tropius. It was a song that made him sway his head and close his eyes. Seeing this, Lynn smiled, turning to Christine. The Gogoat had recognized the song as well. "River Flows in You?"

Christine nodded affirmatively, "It's one of my favorites to play. Simple, melodic, and just makes people feel a wave of tranquility wash over them. It's beautiful."

Tim lied down once more, "Yeah…"

 **000**

 **Lynn giggled, "Not entirely sure what to make of Tim just yet, but he seems like a decent guy. Maybe we could become friends. We seem to have similar interests, anyway."**

 **000**

 **Tim let out a shaky breath, "Okay, that felt a bit awkward… I know. I'm just not used to talking to girls in that way. Like in a general, normal conversation."**

 **He sighed, "Hopefully Lynn's right…"**

 **000**

Chip decided to leave shortly after Tim, not wanting to hear excuses or sob stories from anyone. He felt that the entire idea of talking in that manner was stupid and had no purpose. So, he decided to head back down to the beach and get some exercise.

The Machamp was doing a few knuckle pushups on the beach, the grainy sand pinching his flesh as he forced himself up and down. He mentally counted up as he did so.

" _46… 47… 48…_ "

Suddenly, a familiar voice interrupted his count before licking his right thigh. This caused him to flip over out of surprise as he saw that it was Jessica, who was licking her lips seductively. " _Hello, handsome~."_

Chip shuddered. He had known that the Bruxish was ogling like fresh meat, but this was just ridiculous. He was just as open for fooling around as the next guy, but he'd prefer that it was actually someone _attractive_. He knew that he'd have to respond, so he got to his feet, dusting his legs off, "What do you want, fish?"

The Bruxish giggled, "Well, cutie, I was wondering if you'd be interested in a little… _Fun_."

Chip rose a brow, folding his arms. "Fun? With _you_? Hmph, no thanks. I prefer attractive people."

Jessica's look didn't deter. She had been called unattractive and ugly throughout her life, but that never deterred her. She still ended up getting what she wanted with enough _coercion_.

She float toward him, batting her eyelashes, "Oh come on, big boy… Just give me a taste of your meat and I'll be on my way… _Maybe…"_

Chip took a few steps back, not wanting her anywhere near him. She had just licked his thigh; that should have been enough. "Back off, fish lips. I said I'm not interested! And I never will be!"

Jessica paused he floating. She had heard _that_ numerous times before as well. She only smirked, " _We'll see about that, sugar_ ~."

Surprisingly, the Gnash Teeth Pokemon backed off, float-swimming back toward the campgrounds. The Machamp only watched her go, knowing that she wasn't going to give it up. He's seen these scenarios far too many times.

 **000**

" **That ugly bitch is gonna be trying to get me to screw her for a long ass time," Chip shrugged. "Can't say that I blame her…"**

 **He flexed his muscles, "I** _ **am**_ **a catch. But, like I said, she's ugly. If she was actually good looking in some way, then it's a maybe. But those ugly eyelashes, gross colors, and sharp ass teeth… How can she even expect to give a proper BJ with those teeth!? Just… All around unattractive and gross."**

 **000**

 **Jessica giggled, "I'll have all of these boys wrapped around my gills in no time. Maybe even some of the girls, too. Y'see, when I want someone, and they don't want me, I make sure that they change their mind down the line…"**

 **000**

Sasha and Kane were the only two left in their cabin. The others had either left before telling their story or grew bored and left to explore the island. Sasha felt that this was perfect opportunity to try and know him better, as well as do a bit of flirting.

As the Ursaring rested on his bed, staring at the bottom of the bunk above him, Sasha sauntered over, subtly swaying her hips. She took a seat next to him, looking down at him with a kind smile. "So, Kane… Uh… You said that you're a lumberjack, right?"

The Hibernator Pokemon chuckled, "Yeah."

Sasha followed up with another question, "Well, are you ever worried that you may end up accidentally dying from one of the trees falling on you? Or that someone else may die in front of you on the job."

Kane froze. It was an unexpected question, but also… Impactful. He stared back up at the bottom of the bunk above him as his eyes began to tear up slightly. Seeing this, Sasha paled. "O-Oh my Arceus, Kane. T-That happened before, didn't it?"

Kane let out a breath before sitting up. He couldn't believe that he was still getting emotional over what had happened. He needed to get away for a while, "I'm just… I'm gonna go for a walk, okay?"

Sasha gazed at him in concern and regret, "Kane, I'm sorry! I didn't mean-"

The Ursaring interrupted her, his voice shaky, "It's fine, Sasha. I know you didn't mean it; you were just curious. Just… Give me some time, okay?"

Kane exited the cabin, leaving the Nidoqueen alone. She growled angrily to herself, " _Worried that you may end up killing someone?'_ What the fuck is wrong with me?!"

Outside, Kane had started walking toward the beach, but his eyes rested upon the opposite cabin for a while. He looked at the beach before looking back toward the cabin and gazing down somberly.

 **-000-**

R.J. was still snoozing in his team's cabin. It took him about fifteen minutes to get into a good position once it was vacated, but he was somewhat comfortable at the very least. A knock at the door suddenly startled him awake.

He growled, rolling over to his side once again, "Go away! I'm trying to sleep!"

A few seconds later, the Beartic could hear the door creak open. Growling, he turned back over, "Hey, you fuck! I sa-"

He stopped mid-sentence upon seeing who it was. He blinked a few times before his face hardened and he turned back around.

Kane entered the cabin, closing the door behind him. He took a seat on the same bed as the Beartic, looking at his claws. "Hey, babe…"

R.J. huffed, not turning to face him, "Don't fucking 'Hey, babe' me. Shouldn't you be canoodling with your new girlfriend over there?"

Kane rolled his eyes as R.J.'s attitude, "Richie… You know that I'd only want to canoodle with you. We've been married for _how_ many years now?"

R.J. took a while to respond, before finally letting out a sigh, "Six…"

Kane smirked, knowing that the Beartic couldn't keep up his aggressive act around him for long. "Exactly, so you have nothing to worry about. And we both agreed that if we signed up for the show and one of us got chosen, that we wouldn't be jealous if people flirted with us. Right?"

The Beartic still didn't turn to face him, but he disgruntledly replied, "Right. BUT, since we _both_ ended up getting chosen for Arceus knows what reason, that shit's off the table."

The Beartic sat up, facing the Ursaring with a glare. "If that bitch, Sasha, tries _anything_ , I swear I'll fucking end her."

Kane sighed, rolling his eyes, "And once again you're making threats to people you don't know for no reason. I know how to handle myself."

R.J. got in the Ursaring's face, "You sure about that?" However, he noticed that his eyes were red and there was a bit of wetness under his eyes, signifying that he had been crying. "W-D- Did she make you fucking cry!?"

Kane groaned, "Babe, it's nothing. Jeez. She asked if there were any incidents on the job and I ended up remembering about Milton…"

R.J. flinched at the mention, clenching his fists, "Why was she asking about that in the first place?"

The Ursaring shrugged, "I don't know, it just came up in conversation."

R.J. tightened his glare before rolling back over, "Just leave. We're not even on the same team. No point of you being here. Plus, if anyone finds out, they'll all be against us."

Kane rose a brow at his husband's assumption, "Uh, I don't think anyone here's homophobic, R.J., well other than maybe Kay or Chip."

R.J. groaned, "I don't give a fuck if people are homophobic, I mean they'll be against us in the competition. They'll probably think we're working together to make one of the teams lose or something."

With that possibility, Kane swore to himself, "Damn it… You're probably right."

The Beartic responded, "I know I'm right. Now get the hell out of here. Go… Find some more friends or something. I don't care…"

Kane gave him a smug look of disbelief, rolling the Beartic on his back and pinning him to the bed. He got over him, making the Beartic's eyes widen in surprise, "You don't care, huh?"

R.J.'s face flushed from embarrassment as he struggled to get his husband off of him, "Get the fuck off of me! This is gonna be on fucking TV, boy!"

Kane leaned his face down toward him, "Give daddy a kiss and I'll leave."

R.J. only throatily growled in response, his face turning as red as a Tamato Berry. He was too prideful; he did _not_ want to look like a bitch on national television. However, as Kane moved his face closer, R.J. looked into his eyes, getting mesmerized by his caramel orbs. He groaned, "Fine."

He leaned up and planted a smooch on the Hibernator Pokemon's lips. It only lasted a couple of seconds before he broke it, which he immediately followed with, "There, now get the fuck out!"

Kane chuckled as he rose off of the Freezing Pokemon. "Love you, too," he said, playfully smacking the Beartic on the thigh.

R.J. growled as he heard the door to his cabin open and close. He clenched the sheets of the bed a bit before a small smile formed on his lips.

 **000**

 **R.J. cleared his throat, "Look, our marriage is a bit complicated with our personalities, but know that our feelings for each other are** _ **extremely**_ **mutual. We may not act like it 24/7, but we do care about each other."**

" **Oh, and to all of you homophobes that are gonna turn this off, I'm glad, because I get laid more times in one month than you do in an entire year."**

 **000**

Dade, Lucky, and Zahku, after being shooed away by R.J., took refuge near the lake. The horrendous odor brought by Marley's prank was still there, but they were able to deal with it.

Dade, thinking about their situation, sighed, "Well, I have no idea what to expect in this competition. What about you guys?"

In Dade's mind, Zahku and Lucky seemed to be the only ones on his team that were on _his_ level. They were all rather chill and could be seen as 'The Little Guys'. Well, not really Lucky, but due to his horrible luck, he could be reduced to their level.

Lucky shrugged, "I don't know, either. All I know is that things are going to be very uncomfortable for me with my luck. I just want to do well."

The Makuhita among them shrugged, "Zahku doesn't expect anything. Goes with the flow."

Dade nodded to him in understanding, "Well, what do you guys think of the competition so far?"

The Crabominable hummed in thought, "Well, it hasn't necessarily started yet, but the people don't seem that bad so far. Besides that Kay girl, Chip, and R.J. to a degree."

The Makuhita shrugged, "Zahku doesn't like fish lady. Too hormonal."

Dade could only shudder at the mention of Jessica. Just the sight of the hideous fish made his skin crawl. "Ugh, Jessica. She's uber creepy. What kind of person is so interested in… Nevermind."

Lucky knew what he was thinking and hissed, " _Yeah_ … But, luckily, she's not on our team. So, we won't have to deal with her."

Zahku nodded affirmatively, "Zahku rather stay virgin than deal with fish lady."

Dade blinked repeatedly, not expecting to hear about any virginities or anything sexual. Heck, Jessica's overall presence alone raised questions for him in regards to the show.

 **000**

" **What kind of show is this?" Dade queried. "Aren't there supposed to be a bunch of people around us telling us not to talk about anything sexual?"**

 **000**

Belladonna and Portia were able to ascend the cliff and were marveling at the view from the edge of the steep rock face. After leaving the cabin, both girls ended up having the idea to go to the cliff, but for different reasons. Portia wanted to just gaze out and watch the water's movements from the great height, while Belladonna wanted to dive off of it.

At the moment, though, Portia was fulfilling what she had come up there to do. Watching the clear, blue sea writhe about made her feel a sense of serenity. Just seeing the behavior of the water send chills up her spine. The sound of the crashing waves, playing in her eye like a melodious tune. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, soaking up all of the atmosphere like a dehydrated sponge.

Her strange behavior befuddled the Golem beside her, who was watching her with a raised brow. "Uh, are you okay, Portia?"

The Rhyperior was pulled out of her peaceful thoughts, looking over to the Megaton Pokemon. "Hmm? Oh, I'm fine."

The Golem wasn't convinced. Portia had been sitting at the edge of the cliff, staring out at the water with a distant expression. She had her eyes closed in addition, which made her story less valid to the tortoise-like rock monster. "You sure?"

Portia giggled before nodding, "I was just absorbing the atmosphere. Hearing and seeing the water just… Soothes me, ya know?"

Belladonna was still a bit confused by the fact that Portia could surf despite her large size and the fact that she was both a rock-type _and_ a ground-type, the same as her. "Yeah, about that… How are you able to surf despite the weakness to water? I mean, I dive into water and pools, roll down mountains, hold onto fireworks… All just for the thrill and experience. Why do you surf?"

Portia smiled before she started to explain, "My uncle taught me. He was really into surfing and the thrill of it all. When I was younger, he started to teach me. I was scared that I'd end up drowning and I almost did, _a lot_ , actually. But, eventually I got better, my fear of drowning slowly dissipated, and… That was it."

Belladonna was intrigued, "Huh, wow. Your uncle sounds like a badass. Was he a rock-type, too?"

Portia responded by shaking her head, "He's a Feraligatr."

Belladonna folded her arms in interest. "Well, since he taught you… Do you think _you_ could teach _me_?"

Portia rose a brow at her sudden request. Belladonna didn't really seem like surfing type in her eyes. Curious to know her reasoning, the Drill Pokemon asked, "You're interested in surfing?"

Belladonna knew that lying wouldn't get them anywhere, so she was honest. She sighed, "No, not really. _But_ , if _you_ are able to surf and get over your fear of water, I say… I can, too. This is the kind of stuff I live for: new experiences, the thrill of life, taking risks… It's no fun just sitting around waiting and letting life pass you by. Ya gotta take the Tauros by the horns and fuck it!"

Hearing that, Portia stared blankly at her, completely perplexed due to what she just heard. "What… Kind of statement is that?"

Belladonna deadpanned, "The kind that _my_ uncle spouts out when he's drunk off of his ass. But, in a way, he's right. You gotta take charge."

Portia took a breath, "Are you serious about this? The training and trials that I had to go through were super rigorous."

Belladonna stared at her blankly, "I mentioned that I dove into pools and rolled down mountains just for the heck of it. I think I'll be fine."

The Rhyperior shrugged nonchalantly, "If you'd like."

Belladonna fist pumped, "Nice! Thanks, Portia!"

 **000**

" **Well, I've likely just initiated the act of becoming friends with someone," Belladonna explained. "Not bad considering today's the first day. If she can teach me how to surf, I'll have another fun thing to do."**

 **000**

On the opposite side of the island, on the part of the beach behind the mountain, Art was walking alongside the Magnezone, Xavier. The two weren't really there _together_ , Xavier had just floated aimlessly around the island before seeing Art walking around the beach.

The Ferrothorn didn't really care for anyone's company; he was only concerned about the game and how he was going to play it. He had already identified his main threats based on appearance and first impressions alone, but he'd need to wait a while to get a good read on the others first.

The Magnezone was a wild card so far, only speaking when he wanted to. And whatever he said seemed to offer some sort of advice, raising questions. Art gave him a look as he stuck close to him, not saying a word.

Art cleared his throat, "Any particular reason why you're next to me?

The Magnet Area Pokemon didn't respond initially, but eventually he spoke, "Find allies that will support you and help you."

Art glared at him, "I don't need your help. The game hasn't even started yet, we're just waiting for our nimrod hosts to call us for dinner."

Xavier didn't respond once again, instead continuing forward. Art growled before continuing his trek around the island. He decided to cut into the forest, while Xavier just continued floating forward.

 **000**

 **Art shook his head, "I don't know what the hell is up with magnet boy, but I know that I do** _ **not**_ **need any help from him or anyone else for that matter."**

" **At least now I know that I can call him a complete weirdo."**

 **000**

Inside of the 'new' Mess Hall, there were numerous blue tables with seats attached to them. The floor of the cabin was made of wood. The wood was not smooth, it was crudely made. Nails were sticking out of certain floorboards, and some floorboards had holes and were even out of place. The walls were no better, having a rotten smell. Some of the wood that made up the wall had moss growing on it.

The windows were foggy and dirty, as if they hadn't been cleaned or touched in years. The roof was rather dingy as well, with holes and misplaced boards decorating them.

There appeared to be a couple of restrooms inside of the mess hall, as there were two doors on opposite sides of the back wall. One had a male symbol on it and the other had a female symbol on it. Also against the back wall was an indoor window that presented the kitchen.

There was a single, grey refrigerator sitting in the back, caked in rust. A metal table sat in the center, with numerous pots and pans hanging above it. The was a stove against the right wall of the kitchen and what appeared to be a sink, dishwasher, and trash can against the left wall.

In the middle of the dining vicinity, Sasha sat at one of the tables with her head down. She was still upset about what happened with Kane and felt that she had possibly ruined her semi-friendship with him. She didn't mean to make him upset. She was just trying to make casual conversation.

She sighed to herself, "I can't believe I fucking asked that? Who asks that to a person!?"

A sudden voice startled her, "Who asks what to a person?"

The Nidoqueen jumped a bit, but the speedy delivery of the question immediately told her who it was. She turned to the Accelgor beside her, who gazed at her with a befuddled expression. She sighed before greeting, "Oh, hey Tonya."

The Shell Out Pokemon replied, "Hi. Now why do you look so sad?"

The Drill Pokemon sighed. She didn't want to burden her with her issues on the first day. Plus, she barely even knew her. For all she knew, Tonya could use what she tells her against her. She hesitantly replied, "It's nothing. No need to worry…"

Tonya wasn't convinced, as the Nidoqueen's body language told her that something was definitely wrong. However, she wasn't one to impose, so she decided to leave the situation alone. Instead, she decided to change the subject, "Have you checked out the island for yourself, yet?"

Sasha shook her head, as after the incident with Kane, she came straight to the mess hall to clear her thoughts. "No. I honestly just came here for some quiet time and didn't bother. Plus, didn't they already show us everything on the island? I don't think there's a point of going back around."

Tonya shrugged, "Maybe, but it's never wrong to do some venturing on your own. I'm sure this-this is a new experience for the hosts, too, so they might have missed something."

Sasha only blinked in response before shrugging her own shoulders, "To each their own, I suppose."

A sudden groan was heard, as both Mew and Victini appeared inside of the mess hall with a bag in each hand. Each bag contained five styrofoam carry-out boxes, which they placed on one of the tables.

Mew sighed, "Alright, we've got the food for today."

Victini chuckled at his friend's demeanor, "Maybe we should consider hiring a cook. That way we don't have to wait in those lines…"

Mew groaned, "Don't remind me. You'd think that us being legendaries gives us the privilege to get all of our orders done immediately."

Tonya sped over, startling the two hosts, "Whatcha get us, whatcha get us?"

Victini held out his arms to keep her away momentarily, "Whoa, slow your roll there, Speedster."

Mew agreed with his sentiment, "Yeah, it's nothing special. It's just mashed potatoes, steak, and green beans."

Sasha rose a brow upon hearing that, "I thought you guys were on a low budget."

Victini stifled a laugh as Mew started taking the boxes out of the bags, "What? Do you think we went to a five star restaurant for these? We just went to Greasy Al's."

Tonya and Sasha exchanged looks of uncertainty. With a name like 'Greasy Al's', there was one of two possibilities. Either the food was flavorful and delicious, or it was between average and disgusting.

Once Mew took all twenty boxes out, he popped his back, "Alright. Vic, go call the other players in for dinner."

Victini blinked in response before folding his arms, "Uh… With what, exactly?"

Mew groaned, before holding out his hand. A megaphone appeared in his hand, which he promptly handed to Victini. "With this…"

Victini smirked as he floated out of the mess hall with the megaphone in his hand. Tonya zoomed toward the mess hall door and peeked out to see what Victini was doing. Meanwhile, Sasha rose to her feet and went toward the boxes, picking one up before taking it back to her seat.

As she opened it, a loud noise startled her. The blaring sound was easily identifiable, as the source had literally just exited.

Outside, she could hear Victini yelling through the megaphone, "ALL CAMPERS REPORT TO THE MESS HALL FOR DINNER! I REPEAT! ALL CAMPERS REPORT TO THE MESS HALL FOR DINNER!"

Sasha looked back at the box in front of her and wasn't very impressed with how the rations inside of it looked. The potatoes just resembled a scoop of ice cream in texture, the steak was decent looking, even having a bit of gravy drizzled across it, and the green beans just looked like normal green beans, with the bean juice being visible. It wasn't exactly appetizing, but it would do.

Within ten to twenty minutes, the other competitors entered the mess hall, where they saw their boxes sitting on one of the tables.

After retrieving their trays, the competitors all sat with their respective teammates. The other players on the Red Team sat with Sasha, while the Blue Team sat at a table beside them.

With all of them there, Mew decided to explain how the rest of their day would go. "Alright contestants, it's 6:00 right now. When you finish dinner, you're free to do whatever you want, once again. However, know that you _may_ be awoken early, so trying to stay up _super_ late may not be in your best interests."

Chip huffed, folding his arms. "Well, some of us may _have_ to stay up late because these cabins are co-ed."

His eyes darted toward Jessica, who was staring at him hungrily, despite having finished her meal already. He grumbled to himself as his eyes went back to his takeout box.

Mew shook his head, "Like we said earlier, sleeping together _must_ be consensual. If we find out that any of you are sneaking into others' beds without his or her consent, you'll face automatic elimination."

Chip mentally let out a sigh of relief, not wanting to show his wariness. He shifted his gaze back toward the Bruxish, but saw that she still held that same lustful gaze toward him. It really made him uneasy, and rightfully so, considering what happened during their encounter on the beach.

Victini spoke up, "So yeah. You guys are all adults, or at least old enough to be considered adults, for the most part, but we don't want to see any rapey, stalker behavior going on here. You can stay up late, party, talk, do whatever, but just remember that you're still competing. Be mindful."

All of the contestants exchanged looks of uncertainty and earnest. The hosts nodded before retreating, leaving the competitors alone.

 **000**

 **Honey buzzed in the confessional, "Hmm, in this type of game, I feel like having as many allies as possible heightens your chances of making it further."**

" **And who wouldn't want to work with moi?" She placed a claw on her chest.**

 **000**

Honey was sitting a good distance away from the rest of her team, her eyes gazing thoughtfully at each one of them. Just then, due to them being the first ones in the mess hall to begin with, Sasha and Tonya began to make their exit.

The Vespiquen didn't care for the low budget cuisine given by the inexperienced hosts, nor could she understand how any of the others were stomaching it. Because of this, she was able to leave rather quickly. The Nidoqueen and Accelgor had the appearances of hard workers, so having them be her allies in the game could benefit her greatly.

She flew after them, and saw that they seemed to be separating. She quickly flew over to Tonya before she could speed off, placing a claw on her shoulder.

"Hi… Tonya, right?" the Beehive Pokemon greeted, as the Accelgor turned to face her.

Tonya rose a brow at Honey's sudden appearance and interest in her, but she responded, "Yeah."

Honey gave her a 'kind' smile, "Well, I'd like to make a proposition for you, and Sasha if she's interested."

The glanced at her fellow bug-type warily. The Vespiquen didn't really seem to be trustworthy in the Accelgor's eyes. Her haughty, snobbish attitude was something that she could do without. Nevertheless, she decided to hear her out first before making any decisions. "What type of proposition?"

Honey tittered, "One that'll guarantee that you, Sasha, and I make it to the final three."

Tonya folded her arms, "Uh huh… And why did you choose us out of the others? We haven't even had a chance t-to prove anything in-in challenges."

Thinking about it from that standpoint, Honey looked thoughtfully at the ground for a moment, " _Hmm… The speed freak has a point. They could look like worthy players, but be completely awful. I don't want my reputation tainted by such blatant unprofessionalism."_

An idea popped into her head, causing her to clear her throat to explain. "Okay, you're right in that case. I'll wait for the challenges to begin before I decide if you two are worthy enough to work with me. And so I won't have to repeat myself, share our conversation with Sasha could you?"

The Vespiquen flew off, with Tonya rolling her eyes before zooming off into the forest again.

 **000**

" **I don't care for Honey, personally. She just seems like-like the stereotypical rich snob in all of those other reality shows or high school movies. I-I-I always hate those kind of people because they're only ever out for themselves and they lack empathy," Tonya explained quickly.**

" **But, it's just the first day. She c-could prove me wrong. If she does, I'll consider working with her. Though, I'm still confused as to why she chose me and Sasha."**

 **000**

Following dinner, Christine and Lynn decided to hang out in their cabin for a while. Upon entering through the door, Lynn's hoof caught a string set up across the bottom. A bucket filled with a black substance was dumped on her head.

She growled to herself as she heard cackling from inside of the cabin. Marley was in her bunk laughing at the goat's misfortune. "Oh, that was priceless!"

Lynn didn't give the monkey a response, instead choosing to walk back out of the cabin, dripping the black substance on the way. Christine was not impressed, glowering at the Long Tail Pokemon. "Exactly how old _are_ you?"

Marley wiped a tear from her eye, "That's none of your concern, now is it? I'm just having fun the way that it's meant to be."

Christine scoffed, "By being immature and insensitive to others?"

Marley rolled her eyes, "No, sourpuss. With other people around."

Christine crossed her arms, "And you think that dumping black fluid on someone is fun? She _obviously_ didn't know about it, nor did she like it!"

Marley smirked, "Who said that it'd be fun for the other people? I just said that _I'm_ having fun."

Christine shook her head as she walked back out, "Despicable…"

The Aipom snickered as she walked toward the door. She closed it before picking up the bucket again. She hopped back up to her bunk before grabbing her bag and bringing it down to the floor again. She took out a can of paint before pouring some into the bucket once again.

In addition, she took out a box of flypaper. With a smirk, she started placing the flypaper on Christine's bed. She also pulled out a small spray bottle labeled 'Tex-Ass' Stink Prank. Following that, she pulled out a gas mask and placed it over her face.

She proceeded to spray the substance in the cabin, specifically in the other girls' beds. After doing so, she placed everything back in her backpack before sliding it under the bottom bunk. She climbed onto the top bunk of her bed and rolled over with a giggle.

 **-000-**

Lynn was down at the beach, sitting in the water in an attempt to get the black paint off of her fur, horns, and 'mane'. She sighed as dunked her face into the water and shook her head. She rose it, noticing that the paint was dripping off, with the water containing the black paint.

She sighed, before hearing a voice behind her. "Uh… Are you okay?"

The Mount Pokemon turned and saw R.J. standing there, his arms folded. She was surprised, but responded with another breath of dismay. "Yeah, I'm okay. Covered in paint, but okay."

R.J. stifled his laugh, "And how did you get paint on you?"

Lynn noticed his demeanor and mentally shook her head, but, she decided to enlighten him anyway. She dunked her head in a different part of the water in order to get some of the remaining paint off of her. "Well, it wasn't by choice. Marley set up a paint bucket prank and I ended up being the unfortunate victim."

R.J. chortled as he got closer to her, "Well, she got you good."

Lynn faced away from him so that she could continue to get the paint off of her. Seeing this, R.J. looked down awkwardly. "Um… I think there's an easier way to get the paint off. If you can find some oil or soap or something like that, it should get out quickly."

Lynn smiled softly after hearing that, though she frowned once again a few moments later. "Uh… Thanks R.J., but I don't think there's any oil or soap here."

R.J. gave her a look, just as another player approached the scene. It was Christine, who looked a bit concerned. "You okay, Lynn?"

Lynn nodded, "Yeah, R.J. was just telling me how I could get this paint out quicker."

R.J. took a breath before gesturing to the mess hall, "There's like two bathrooms in there. I'm sure there's some soap dispensers in there that you can use. If not, just… I don't know, ask the hosts."

The girls exchanged looks before proceeding to move toward the mess hall, as the Beartic suggested. Once they left, R.J. took a breath before looking over and seeing Kane entering he Red Team's cabin. He was tempted to go inside and mess with _him_ , as he had done the same to him earlier.

However, he kept himself from doing so, knowing that he needed to focus on the competition. He walked back toward his team's own cabin, which didn't go unnoticed by Art, who was watching the Beartic's interactions on the beach. Humming, he entered the cabin.

 **000**

" **For someone who claims to not be much of a talker, he sure was fine with talking to Lynn and Christine," Art explained. "And he seemed to be watching the Red Cabin for a bit. Hmm, I may need to see more to get a clear understanding of him.**

 **000**

Inside of the girls' side of the Red Team's cabin, Sasha was lying on her bunk, which was below Tonya's. She had locked the cabin door in order to have some privacy. She was still very disappointed with what she said to Kane, even though she could see in the mess hall that the Ursaring was no longer upset. She was trying to stop the poor feeling from growing by reminding herself that everything was okay and that it was just the first day.

After a twenty minute soliloquy, the Nidoqueen took a deep breath and sat up, holding her head. A few moments later, banging was heard on the door, startling her. "Why the hell is the door locked?!"

Identifying the voice as Kay's, she immediately huffed, not wanting to let the Stufful into the cabin on account of her terrible attitude. The Stufful began banging on the door more, with Sasha lying back down and watching the door with an amused smile.

The Flailing Pokemon growled, "I know someone's in there! The door locks from the inside! Let me in, you fucking cunt or I'll break this fucking door down!"

Sasha wanted to reply, but decided against it, calling the Stufful's bluff. A mere seconds later, the door was struck once, causing it to be knocked from its hinges. It fell forward, with Kay climbing on and over it to get inside.

The Stufful, seeing Sasha lying in her bed, glared, "I should have known your fat, ugly ass was the one who locked it. Now look what you did. You broke the door."

Sasha scoffed, sitting up once again with a glare, " _I_ broke the door?! You were the one who did it because you're impatient!"

Kay wasn't having it, responding, "Shut the fuck up, loser. You were the one who caused it to happen, meaning that it's _your_ fault. If you'd let me in, this wouldn't have happened!"

Sasha growled. Coincidentally, Jessica floated to the cabin seconds later, and upon seeing their door off of its hinges, she smacked her lips once, "Should I ask?"

Kay groaned, "Great, now the second ugly bitch is in here. You should've tried to lock _her_ out."

The Bruxish rolled her eyes, the Stufful being nothing more than a ignorant brat in her eyes.

Sasha decided to offer an explanation to the fish, "Basically, I was having some personal reflection time in here, so I locked the door for a while. _She_ decides that, instead of being patient, she's going to knock the door down."

Kay mocked her, "Personal reflection. More like you were masturbating since you know that bear boy won't ever touch you."

Sasha blushed, mouth agape. She clenched her teeth, growling at the Stufful.

Jessica rolled her eyes with a groan,"Alright you two, just stop. One. Kay, if Sasha had done anything like that, we'd smell it. Two. It doesn't matter who caused it because you're both egging this on when you shouldn't be. Three. I can fix it in literally five seconds, so there's no use in arguing."

Kay huffed before walking over to her bed, which was against the back wall. None of the girls wanted to bunk with her, which she was perfectly fine with.

Jessica floated to the top bunk of the bed that was against the right wall of the room. Sasha decided to just stay quiet and roll over in order to get some sleep.

 **000**

 **Sasha roughly rubbed her face downwards, "I hate Kay…"**

 **000**

Max, Kane, and Tim were the only ones in the guys' side, which Tim found as a relief. Chip was far too arrogant and cocky for his liking, and Xavier was just weird. At the moment, the three guys were engaging in normal conversation.

Kane queried, "So, Max, you said you work as a Mall Santa, right? What's that like?"

Max hummed, "It's a bit tedious, but rewarding. Seeing all of the smiles you put on the faces of children. And sometimes cute girls get pictures just because, so I suppose that's a bonus."

Tim scoffed at his description, " _Suppose_? Dude, that _is_ a bonus!"

Max shrugged, "I guess I don't really think about them in the same light as you. I can tell that they're beautiful, still, but yeah."

Tim hummed, "Eh, that's fine. People are different."

Kane input himself into the conversation once again, asking, "So what all do you have to do? Just sit down, let people sit on you, and smile?"

Max nodded in a 'somewhat' fashion. "Just make the kids happy and get paid. It's kind of boring because I can't really move or do anything until people's kids are done."

Tim rose a brow, "How much do you get paid?"

Max sighed, "Uh… About $250 a day."

Kane gaped, "Wow, so you get over 1,000 bucks a week?"

Max sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "Uh… Not really. That's only around November and December. Other than that, I'm living with one of my friends."

Tim and Kane exchanged looks before looking back at the Delibird in surprise. Tim cleared his throat, "In that case, what do you do for the rest of the year?"

Max shrugged, "I work at fast food place. But I like to acknowledge my other job as my main one since it actually makes me smile."

Kane nodded, "I get that."

Tim smirked, "Speaking of getting things… Kane, Sasha seems _really_ into you already."

Kane chuckled sheepishly, a blush appearing on his face, "Yeah, I've noticed."

Max responded, "Do you reciprocate her feelings?"

Tim was surprised by his question, "Whoa, Max. They just met. Just because _she_ seems to like him doesn't mean that _he's_ going to."

Kane shook his head with a chortle. "I can admit that she's attractive, _but_ I'm already married, and I wouldn't cheat on my partner."

Tim chuckled, "Wow, wouldn't expect you to be the marrying type. Where'd you meet her?"

Kane smiled, "It-"

He was suddenly cut off by the door slamming open, with Chip entering, followed by Xavier. Kane immediately silenced himself, having a feeling that Chip was just going to be rude and annoying.

Chip immediately stared at the Ursaring, folding his arms, "Get up, fatso. I want that bed."

Kane gave him a look of defiance, "How about no? There are two other beds right there. One top bunk and one bottom bunk."

He gestured to the bunks above Tim and below Max, respectively. The Machamp looked at the beds before glaring back at the Hibernator Pokemon.

"I _said_ , get the fuck up," Chip growled, clenching his fists. "You fucking nimrods can sleep together. I, for one, don't need any of you losers' poor strength and obesity rubbing off on me."

Tim scoffed, "Obesity?! None of us are even fucking fat!"

Kane wasn't budging, not willing to let an egotistical jackass like Chip intimidate him. Seeing that words weren't working, the Superpower approached the Ursaring before grabbing him and throwing him toward the door.

Max gasped before using Ice Beam, freezing the Machamp as he sat down. Tim looked over to Kane, who was getting back to his feet, a furious glare on his face as he stared at the frozen Machamp. "Kane, you okay."

The Ursaring took a deep breath, before speaking through grit teeth, "I'm gonna go for a walk."

He walked out of the cabin, leaving the others inside. Xavier spoke, looking to Chip's frozen form, "He will never be popular now."

Tim huffed as he looked out of the window, seeing Kane walking away, "That's pretty obvious."

 **000**

Art, who was looking outside through the window, saw Kane departing from the other cabin. "Huh, looks like the Ursaring is leaving the cabin for a while."

R.J.'s eyes widened momentarily before he silently cleared his throat, "And… Why do we care? He's not on our team."

Art shrugged with his vines as he head back to his bunk, "Meh. Just find it interesting that they're team's probably spiraling already."

Dade hummed, "Well, they _do_ have Chip over there. So, I can kinda understand."

Lucky nodded in agreement, "Yeah…"

Art replied while grumbling, "No use in dwelling in that fact. We all know that the guy seems to have some sort of ego, so let's just ignore it and get some sleep."

"Sleep?" Dade queried. "Isn't it still a bit too early?"

R.J., who was lying in his bed, turned to him, "Remember that they said that they could wake us up at any time. Might as well go early."

Lucky smacked his lips, "Well, Zahku seems to have the right idea…"

The Makuhita was already asleep, lying on a top bunk. R.J. chortled, "Yep. And… Speaking of the right idea."

The Beartic sat up, eyeing Lucky, "How can I say this…? _You_ need to sleep outside."

Dade exclaimed, "WHAT?! You can't just tell him to sleep out there!"

Art chimed in, "Actually, it's the most logical option. The guy has admitted to having bad luck, and from what we've seen, that seems to ring true. I'd rather not have the entire fucking cabin topple down on us while we sleep."

Dade argued, "And how do you know that it'll happen? He could be perfectly fine and you guys could just be overreacting."

R.J. sighed, "Okay, crab boy. How do you sleep? Does anything happen to you?"

Lucky sweatdropped, "Well, surprisingly no. Or, well, nothing as bad as anything falling. Other than a rash that comes and goes and my bed falling off of its posts, I'm fine when sleeping."

Dade nodded, "See. That means that he just needs to be on a bottom bunk."

The guys exchanged looks, before Art replied, getting off of the bed he was on. "Okay, then _you_ can bunk with him."

He moved over to the bed that Zahku was sleeping in, getting in the bottom bunk.

"Okay, fine, I will," Dade replied with a glare, hopping over to the back bed and climbing to the top bunk.

Lucky, seeing this, grew a bit nervous. He knew of his own misfortune; he didn't want anyone to be a victim of it. Especially not a small guy like Dade!

He cleared his throat, "Uh… Dade, I think you'd be safer bunking above R.J. I don't want you to get hurt if something _does_ happen."

Dade rolled his eyes, "It'll be fine. Come on."

Lucky sighed, "If you say so…"

Suddenly, there was a large bump heard from the girls' side, making them exchange looks.

 **000**

" **I like Lucky," Dade admitted. "He seems like a good guy, but he seems to have a bit of bad luck. That doesn't make him any less of a Pokemon."**

" **I don't like how Art and R.J. just treat him like he can't do anything because of his luck," he continued. "Lucky could be a huge help to us…"**

 **000**

Meanwhile, on the girls' side, Portia was trying to keep Belladonna from maiming Marley. The Aipom in question was laughing maniacally while dancing mockingly on her bed, her gas mask staying secured.

Belladonna, covered in paint, was reaching for her, while Portia held one of her arms while holding her breath. The smell inside of the cabin was absolutely rancid, her eyes watering from the foul odor.

The Megaton Pokemon continued reaching at her, but Portia was able to hold her ground and not allow her to move, "MARLEY! YOU ARE GOING TO FUCKING PAY!"

Marley sang teasingly, "I sincerely doubt it."

This teasing made the Golem even angrier as she grabbed one of the beds in an attempt to pull herself forward. However, she only managed to pull the bed out of place.

Marley continued to laugh before Portia was able to pick Belladonna up completely and carry her out of the cabin, kicking the door closed behind them.

Portia took a huge breath as she moved away from the cabin door, taking in all of the fresh air. She was still carrying Belladonna, who was less than pleased with what had just transpired.

She demanded, "Put me down…"

Portia realized that she was still toting the Golem and placed her down, "Sorry about that."

Belladonna growled, glaring at the cabin. As if on cue, Christine and Lynn walked toward them, the latter looking much cleaner. Seeing the paint on Belladonna, Christine groaned, "Ugh… Marley got you, too?"

Belladonna clenched her fists, "Not only did she 'get me', she sprayed that stupid fart spray inside of the cabin and placed some kind of paper on _your_ bed."

Christine twitched, "She _what_?"

Portia chimed in, "Okay. I think it's safe to say that Marley will be one of the first ones that we eliminate when we lose a challenge."

Belladonna laughed irately, "Oh-ho, no question. Now I have to go clean this stupid paint off."

Lynn gestured to the mess hall, "The bathroom is in the mess hall. It took a while for me, but it shouldn't be that long for you."

Portia spoke up, "So, where are we gonna sleep?"

Belladonna gave her a look before heading to the mess hall, "In the cabin. That monkey bitch just made it smell bad. I doubt that it'll matter when we're asleep."

Christine folded her arms, "I say that we go in there and give her a taste of her own medicine…"

"And then she'll just get us back harder," Lynn deadpanned. "Let's just go inside, ignore her, and get some sleep. Maybe if we don't give her a reaction, she'll calm herself down."

The Gogoat proceeded toward the cabin, with the other two following suit. Upon entering, Lynn immediately felt her nose burn from the sudden disgusting scent.

Seeing them, Marley smirked, "Ah… I can see that you're back for more. You cleaned up nice."

Lynn didn't reply, instead getting in her bed. Marley rose a brow as Christine and Portia came in as well, doing the same. Marley snickered to herself, understanding their tactic. She remained silent afterwards, rolling over.

 **000**

 **Marley giggled, "It seems like the girls are already fed up. Didn't take as long as I thought. I think I'm gonna push a bit harder. Gotta make sure that we win these challenges so that I stay in though. And what better way to accomplish that than by pranking the pants off of the other team!?"**

 **000**

The next morning, all of the players were still sound asleep in their beds, excluding R.J., who had been tossing and turning all night to the point where he couldn't sleep at all.

Having not been able to sleep, and seeing that the sun was up through the window, the Beartic got up and headed out of the cabin. He went toward the mess hall to see if there was any breakfast there. Much to his surprise, he saw Max sitting at one of the tables.

Being sleep deprived, R.J. just staggered over to his team's table and sat there, rubbing his eyes. Max, looking over and seeing him, waved. R.J. rested his head on the table. Seeing the Delibird waving, he grumbled to himself before waving back effortlessly.

Max, seeing the Beartic's condition, walked over to him in concern. "Hey, you okay?"

R.J. groaned, "Yes, I'm fine. I just didn't any sleep."

Max nodded, "Well, maybe when they bring in breakfast, you'll get your strength back."

Suddenly, a blaring sound echoed throughout the island, making the two of them cover their ears.

 **-000-**

Sasha sat up abruptly, hitting her head on the bottom of the top bunk. She growled, rubbing her head, "Ow…"

" _GOOD MORNING CAMPERS! HOPE YOU SLEPT WELL! REPORT TO THE MESS HALL FOR BREAKFAST!"_

Honey growled in annoyance, "It had better be some gourmet, five-star breakfast if they woke us up like a bunch of invalids."

Kay huffed, "You losers can go. I'm staying right here…"

Jessica gave her a look, "Uh… You realize that they're probably gonna explain our first challenge there, right?"

Kay glared, "So what? They can get me."

Sasha huffed as she got out of bed, "Just leave her. It's not like she matters to us anyway."

The Stufful clapped back, "Watch it, Ugly Betty."

Sasha rolled her eyes as she walked out of the door. Tonya, Honey, and Jessica followed, leaving Kay alone.

 **-000-**

All of the other players went to the mess hall, most of them still a bit groggy from the abrupt awakening. Inside of the mess hall, there were numerous boxes, similar to the ones the night prior, sitting on the tables.

Inside of each box, there were boiled _and_ scrambled eggs, a few strips of bacon, a sausage patty, a bit of oatmeal, a single waffle _or_ pancake, and a piece of buttered toast.

Seeing the boxes, and the name printed on it, Sasha let out a sigh, "You guys went back to Greasy Al's?"

Mew nodded affirmatively, as Victini chuckled, "Why would we not? They've got breakfast, lunch, _and_ dinner. Plus, it's within our budget."

Christine deadpanned as she poked at her eggs, with was covered in salt and pepper, "So, we're not gonna have any kind of _healthy_ options?"

Mew was prepared to respond, but Art beat him to the punch. "Hey. They just said that they're on a tight budget _again_. Complaining about the stuff going around here is pointless since it's practically _guaranteed_ to be of poor quality. Plus, these days, nimrods in restaurants like charging a lot more for the healthy stuff and makes everything else cheap as all hell. So shut up, eat your bacon, and let's move on."

Christine growled, glaring daggers at the Ferrothorn.

Mew blinked in response, a bit irked by the backhanded explanation, "Okay… Anyways, healthier options are limited due to, as Art explained, them costing more."

Victini nodded in agreement, "Yep, so unless you guys are fine with choking down a bunch of twenty-five cent bananas throughout your time here-"

Dade was alarmed hearing that, "Wait, you guys can't afford to be five dollars worth of bananas? How much are these boxes?!"

Victini answered, "Fifteen bucks a pop."

"Wait, then… How-"

Mew interrupted his next question, "MOVING ON! You guys will start your first challenge shortly after breakfast, so get excited!"

Tim drawled, "Yay…"

"Great enthusiasm, champ…" Mew responded back in the same tone.

Belladonna rubbed her hands excitedly in anticipation, "What're you gonna have us do?"

The hosts exchanged glances.

 **000**

All of the contestants, excluding Kay, were on the top of the cliff, overlooking the ocean. With the sun brightly beaming and a cool breeze in the air, the setting was perfect for the first challenge.

Victini clasped his hands together, "Okay, you guys' first challenge is in two parts. First task… Leaping off of this cliff and into the water below."

Nearly everyone gasped, with the exception of Belladonna, who only laughed in anticipation.

"A-Are you guys insane!? This could _kill_ us!" Dade exclaimed.

Mew, seeing this coming, chuckled softly, "Relax, it'll make sense."

Victini continued, "Down below, you'll notice three sections. The outermost section is filled with Carvanha and Sharpedo, the middle section is filled with Tentacruel and Jellicent, and the smallest section, the one that you all are aiming for, is completely safe."

"Uh… How can you be so sure about that? They can still swim," Honey questioned, her arms folded.

Mew and Victini exchanged looks, with Mew responding, "Um… We're psychic-types. We can make the sections blocked off."

Honey huffed, turning away.

Victini continued, "Anyways, your second task is as simple as your first. Build a sandcastle."

Everyone remained silent for a moment, before Art spoke up, "Really? That's it?"

Mew looked to Victini, who shrugged, "Yep, pretty much. And, it would seem that… Blue Team, you're up first."

 **-000-**

Lynn looked out over the cliff, whistling upon seeing the distance from the top of the cliff to the water below. "That is a _long_ drop…"

Christine, looking over the edge as well, nodded in agreement, "Yep."

Art groaned, "Alright, we don't have time for this. Are any of you gonna jump or are we gonna sit up here like idiots?"

Taking a running start, Belladonna let out a shout of excitement before leaping off of the cliff, "COWABUNGA!"

The others watched in awe as the rock- and ground-type dropped down. Portia, briefly informed about the Golem's antics, wasn't really worried.

Dade expressed his concern with wide eyes, "Is she crazy!? She'll drown!"

Belladonna had landed in the middle section, landing directly on top of one of the Tentacruel. Tucked into her shell, she used Rollout, bumping into the jellyfish before launching herself out of the water and back onto the land that the cliff stood on.

"WHOO-HOO!" she cheered from below.

Dade gaped upon seeing her alive and well, "Wait, she's alive?!"

Portia nodded, "Yep, she loves doing this type of stuff. She mentioned doing this kind of stuff in pools, just diving in. My guess is that her body just got accustomed to water like mine did all these years."

Confused, Lucky rose a brow, "Wait, so does that mean you're not weak to water-type moves anymore?"

Portia hummed, "Probably so. So, I'm gonna go next. Shouldn't be that big of a deal."

Art just listened on in interest as he watched the Rhyperior dive off of the cliff.

 **000**

" **Hmm, so both of our rock- and ground-types are able to handle water without issue," Art reasoned. "I suppose that they're more useful and threatening than I thought."**

 **000**

Portia shouted as she landed in the center. A few seconds later, she arose from the water with a deep breath. She smiled as she swam toward the shore, where Belladonna was waiting.

R.J., despite his tiredness, expressed his thoughts, "Wow, those are some tough chicks."

Zahku walked toward the edge. Looking over the edge and seeing how far the drop was, a chill went down the Makuhita's spine. He took a breath, "Zahku feels uncomfortable."

Marley scoffed, "Oh come on, ya big chicken. You're a fighting-type. All you have to do is punch them in the face."

Art nodded, "Precisely. So, unless you want to cost us the challenge, I suggest that you jump."

The Guts Pokemon gave the Ferrothorn a look, "Zahku was going to jump anyway."

The Makuhita took a few steps back before running forward and jumping off. He had his arms up in the air as he splashed down into the middle section of the ocean.

The others exchanged looks, with Lynn looking down in slight worry. "Uh… Think he's okay?"

 **-000-**

Underwater, Zahku was punching a Tentacruel repeatedly before a Jellicent attempted to grab him, only to grab the Tentacruel instead. Zahku quickly started to swim to the shore, but one of the Tentacruel grabbed his foot.

Zahku growled as more of the other Jellicent and Tentacruel began surrounding him.

Seeing this, Portia gaped, "Oh no…"

Zahku was now being constricted by the jellyfish and held underwater. Belladonna quickly turned to Portia, "Quick! Throw me!" She curled into her shell quickly, with Portia picking her up and throwing her toward the water to help him out.

 **-000-**

Dade blanched, "Okay, Zahku looks like he's in trouble, so… I don't really know if I'm willing to go. I'll get eaten alive down there!"

R.J. chuckled, "I doubt it pipsqueak. You're just a snack compared to the rest of us."

Marley groaned, "Come _on_ , guys. We need to get this done!"

Christine folded her arms, "Okay, then _you_ go next!"

Marley sneered, "Maybe I will."

The Aipom rushed toward the edge before jumped off. Her tail grabbed onto one of Christine's legs, taking the Kricketune down with her.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Landing with a splash, the two of them were able to land in the center section. Emerging from the water, Christine growled, glowering at Marley. "You are a _major_ pain in my ass!"

Marley giggled, "Hey, we're both in the safe zone aren't we? It's over…"

The Long Tail Pokemon started swimming to the shore, with Christine following suit. On the bottom, they saw that Zahku was panting heavily, still attempting to catch his breath.

Getting back on land, Christine shook herself off before checking on the fighting-type, "You okay, Zahku?"

He groaned, "Hate life…"

Marley rolled her eyes, "Dude, you were just attacked by normal, feral Pokemon. It's not that big of a deal."

Hearing that, Belladonna glowered at the monkey before picking her up and, with a grand toss, threw her all the way to the middle section of the water. Her shouts of pain and fright were heard as the others watched on indifferently.

 **000**

 **Belladonna chuckled, "She deserved it. I'm not sorry about it."**

 **000**

"Alright, so far that's five jumpers for the Blue Team," Mew explained as he turned to the rest of them. "How about the rest of you?"

The remaining five exchanged looks. Dade sighed, "I'm sorry. I just… I can't. I'll die, I'm sure of it."

R.J. groaned, "Earth to pipsqueak. The others down there can help you!"

Aer added, " _And_ you're small enough to ride or cling onto someone."

Dade shook his head feverishly, "No, no, no, I just… I don't want to risk it!"

Victini silently laughed at the Burmy's cowardice, "Well, that's understandable. But, that also makes you a scaredy cat. So…"

An Espurr hat appeared over Dade, making him groan.

Lucky sighed, "Well, I guess I'll go next."

The Woolly Crab Pokemon walked over to the edge of the cliff. As he did so, the edge of the cliff actually began to crumble, much to his annoyance. He groaned, "You've gotta be kidding MEEEEEEEEE!"

The ice- and fighting-type slid down the cliff before the rocks under him dispersed. To add insult to injury, he landed in the outermost section, where he was immediately attacked by the Carvanha and Sharpedo.

His shouts of pain were heard as furious splashing was seen. Eventually, Lynn leapt off of the cliff as well in an attempt to aid her teammate. She landed in the center section of the water. She swiftly swam toward the surface.

She opened her mouth in the direction Lucky was in, firing numerous brown seeds toward him. The seeds exploded upon contact to the Carvanha and Sharpedo, knocking them out. Unluckily, Lucky was also hit quite a bit, resulting in _him_ getting knocked out as well.

Lynn blinked, "Oops…"

A couple of vines stretched from her grass mane. Her vines wrapped around the crab as she lifted it and placed him on the shore next to the others. Seeing that Marley was still having some trouble, Lynn was tempted to help, but decided against it.

As she swam to the shore, Marley managed to climb into the smaller section and swam frantically toward her team. She glowered at them.

Marley seethed as she got onto the land, "Thanks for the help, _team!_ I could've died out there! _"_

Belladonna replied, her arms folded, "You're welcome."

Marley glared.

 **000**

" **Oh-ho, so apparently my pranks make attempted murder completely justifiable to these people," Marley said with a smirk. "Looks like I'm gonna have to go bigger."**

 **000**

R.J. whistled as he looked over the edge, with Art standing nearby. The Ferrothorn looked blankly at him, "Are you gonna go or not?"

R.J. turned back to him with a glare, "Are _you_? You're the one who hasn't moved a fucking inch."

Art replied simply, "I plan on going last so that I can actually _assure_ that we have a strong finish. So, I ask again, are you gonna go or not?"

R.J.'s eyes momentarily shifted to the other team, whose members were either watching or conversing among themselves. Truth be told, the Beartic didn't really like heights all that much, as being super high up made him feel disoriented. However, he _was_ still a bit tired, he didn't want to be the cause of his team's loss, _and_ jumping would bring him closer to the ground.

He took a breath before plugging his nose and leaping off of the cliff. His short jump guaranteed that he'd make it into the smallest section. The sudden wave of cold water washing over him completely woke him up.

He arose from the water with a deep breath, coughing a bit. Only a few moments later, he found himself being splashed and hit by something sharp. He rubbed his head before turning around and seeing a familiar Ferrothorn behind him.

 **000**

Mew went over the results, "Alright, that makes nine jumpers and… One scaredy cat."

Dade sighed, disappointed in himself.

Victini continued, "Now, Red Team. If _all_ of you manage to jump, we'll throw in extra shovels and pails for your sandcastles."

Sasha smirked, "That could be useful…"

Mew recognized an issue, "Hold on a second… Red Team, you're missing a player."

The guys looked around, realizing that Kay was missing. Tim let out a groan, "We should have realized sooner, there was a lack of bitching and insulting going on."

Max rose a brow, "You girls didn't wake up Kay?"

Sasha huffed, "More like the little foul-mouthed brat refused to come to the mess hall despite us saying that it was required."

Victini folded his arms with a smug expression, "Well, one of you had better go and get her or else this'll just end in a tie."

Honey queried, "And what happens then?"

Mew and Victini exchanged looks, with Mew responding, "Uh… Nothing. The challenge will just continue normally; no one gets the advantage."

Honey shrugged, "Okay, so why do we care about her? We can just do the challenge without her and vote her out if we lose."

Tim scoffed before sarcastically responding "Oh yeah, completely abandon the chance of getting an advantage _and_ possibly losing the first ever challenge on the show. That'll be perfect."

Chip grumbled, "Typical bitches, can't ever fucking follow instructions the first time…"

In turn, the four girls growled at the Machamp, who was unfazed. Kane, seeing this, held his head. "Okay, Chip. Why don't you just go get Kay? _Drag_ her here if you have to."

Chip growled, "You're not the boss of me, Pooh Bear. Why don't _you_ go get the brat? You need to take a couple of pounds off of you, anyway."

Jessica threatened, baring her teeth, "No… Why don't _you_ just do what he says before you find your penis detached from your body?"

Chip paled before running away, much to everyone's delight. The girls were still rather furious with him for what he said. Due to her threat, Tonya decided to question Jessica, who had been lusting for Chip since they got there, "Jess, why'd ya threaten Chip? Don't you like him or something?"

Jessica giggled, "There's a difference between liking someone as a person and liking what someone's packing. He seems like a big boy down there, but I'm not gonna listen to shit like that."

Sasha rose a brow, "Wait, doesn't that just mean you like _all_ guys in a certain way, then?"

Jessica giggled in response. "Exactly," she replied, eyeing the other guys seductively. The guys could only shiver upon receiving the look.

Kane turned to the hosts, who were still standing nearby. "So, are we allowed to go ahead and jump? Or do we have to wait for the two nuisances to come back?"

Mew responded, "It's preferred that your entire team is here. That way there's no extremely long pause if you guys wind up finishing before they get back."

Kane groaned in annoyance.

 **-000-**

Chip grumbled to himself as he made his way back to the campgrounds in order to get Kay and bring her to the cliff. He was very annoyed by Kane already. The Machamp saw that the Ursaring was trying to act as a leader, but felt that he was an awful choice in comparison to himself. He was buffer, stricter, bolder, stronger, and _already a coach_.

He was definitely going to need to assert his authority more in order to set the others straight, as right now he felt that, under Kane's leadership, the team was going to fail majorly. As he approached the campgrounds, he noticed that Kay was exiting the mess hall.

He swiftly rushed toward her, startling her. Upon seeing him, she hit him once, sending him to the ground. The Machamp gaped, "What the hell!?"

The Stufful climbed onto him with a glare, "Where the hell are you fucks?"

Chip shoved her off before getting back to his feet and dusting himself off. He glared back down at the Stufful, "It you weren't a stubborn bitch, you'd know that we were at the cliff. Now come on, we need all of the team there so that we have a chance to win."

He began to walk away, with Kay groaning to herself. She rolled her eyes, "Yeah yeah, keep your speedo on…"

 **-000-**

The Blue Team, not wanting to just stay at the bottom, made the climb back up the cliff to watch the interactions and see how the Red Team does in comparison to them.

Marley sneered, "The feeling of possible death _has_ to be washing over you guys right now. We all know that all of you won't jump."

The Red Team members exchanged looks with each other, with Tim responding, "Um… No, a fair amount of us can swim, float, and fly, so no worries here. I'd be more concerned about whether _you_ are gonna survive or not considering your team pretty much left you in the water to be possibly drowned and attacked."

Lynn giggled, "Uh, Tim. You guys are missing the most stubborn person on your team. I don't think she's gonna be doing you guys any good."

Tonya chimed in, "Which is w-why we're gonna have Chip throw her off of the edge."

Sasha chortled, folding her arms, "Yeah, you guys' trash talk really isn't working. We're gonna win, end of story."

The Blue Team exchanged looks of doubt. Eventually, Chip and Kay made it up the cliff, the latter grumbling the entire time. Chip pushed past the members of the Blue Team, with Kay following him. "Out of the way, fuckboys…"

Chip huffed, "Alright, I got the bitch. Can we get this started now?"

Victini nodded, "Yep. Go ahead and get started."

Kay, still uninformed about the challenge, questioned, "What the hell is the challenge anyway?"

Kane explained, "We have to jump off of the cliff and into the water below. The team that has the most players jump gets an advantage in the secon-"

"I'm not doing this shit," Kay interrupted.

Kane twitched a bit, "What?"

Kay argued, "You heard me, retard! I'm _not_ about to jump after I just climbed all the way up here!"

Jessica deadpanned, " _All_ of us climbed up here and we're still gonna do it."

Kay responded, "Because you're all idiots! I'm not doing it, and that's final!"

Tim groaned at her attitude, "Chip… Just throw her off."

The Machamp turned around and tried to pick up the Stufful, who kicked him in the face, sending him stumbling back a few feet. Chip growled, glaring at her, "You fucking bitch!"

The Superpower Pokemon attempted to pounce on the normal- and fighting-type Pokemon. The Flailing Pokemon leapt up and tackled him, sending him flying over the edge.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Sasha, Max, and Honey went over to the edge and saw that Chip had, luckily, landed in the smallest section. He was swimming back to the land.

Mew chuckled, "Well, that's one jumper."

Tim growled, "Kay! Just jump for fuck's sake!"

"Fuck you, loser!"

Suddenly, Kay found herself being lifted and tossed over the edge of the cliff.

"AHHHHHHH!"

Jessica's protuberance closed and she let out a sigh, "Much better. Now, let's get this challenge over with, team."

The other members of the Red Team began to jump off of the edge, one after another. Eventually, all of the contestants on the team was off of the cliff… With the exception of Honey.

The Vespiquen held a smirk as she turned to the Blue Team, "It's been a pleasure seeing you guys fail because of the pipsqueak. Ta-ta, now…"

Honey floated over the edge of the cliff, leaving the opposing team to glare down at Dade, who sweatdropped.

 **000**

 **Dade sighed, "I'm screwed aren't I?"**

 **000**

Through the megaphone, Mew announced, "AND THE RED TEAM IS THE WINNER!"

Victini turned to the Blue Team, "Aww… What happened guys?"

R.J. huffed, folding his arms, "We had a coward on the team."

Lucky gave him a look, "Hey! We all have something that we're afraid off. And the guy is literally the smallest one here. He could've been eaten alive!"

Art shrugged, "There's a chance that he would've gotten saved. The hosts are liable if one of us dies, so it's in their best interest to help us when something dangerous occurs."

Christine groaned, "Ugh… You guys are being too hard on the little guy, as expected. It could have been _any_ of us."

Seeing their dismay, Victini chuckled, "Calm down, people. There's another challenge, so you guys could very well win the whole thing."

Mew followed, "So, let's head on back over to the main island and we'll explain the next challenge."

 **000**

All of the contestants, along with Mew and Victini, headed back to the main island. They decided to stay directly in front of the campgrounds, where they all first arrived.

Mew began to explain the next challenge, "Alright, it's time for the next challenge: building a sandcastle."

"It's as simple as it sounds," Victini explained, "Whichever team builds the most appealing sandcastle wins."

Mew floated over to two cardboard boxes, "These will be your supplies." The pink feline opened the boxes, pulling out shovels and pails.

Chip facepalmed, "Shovels and child-sized buckets… How _gracious_ of you…"

Mew argued, "Hey, these were the biggest ones they had."

Victini followed, "Anyways, you guys will have two hours to build. Each team gets a box that contains five pails and five shovels. And since the Red Team won the last challenge, they get two extra pails and two extra shovels."

Kay growled, "You're telling me that these nimrods threw me off of a cliff for a couple of lousy shovels and buckets?!"

Max sighed, "An advantage is an advantage, Kay."

Mew placed the boxes in front of each team, "Now, you guys have your supplies, and you may begin… NOW!"

Zahku picked up the box for the Blue Team, who moved to the right side of the beach, while Chip dragged the box to the left for the Red Team in a lackadaisical manner.

 **000**

The Blue Team immediately began to brainstorm ideas for the sandcastle. With the other team having more material to work with, they needed to make sure that their castle was great.

Lynn spoke up first, "Alright, this challenge seems to involve a lot of technical skill. But, I'm sure that we've all built sandcastles before, right?"

Portia giggled, "Since I spent a lot of time on beaches, it's practically in my DNA. _But_ , I'm not sure how well I'll do now that I'm fully grown."

Art added, "And considering that my limbs, and lack thereof when I was younger, are incapable of grasping, I can say that I have zero experience with this."

Christine sarcastically responded, "Oh, what a pity. Seems that you'll have to sit on the sidelines…"

Belladonna spoke up, "On the contrary. He can act as a supervisor and keep us in line. His serious nature makes him perfect for it since he can't really help us."

Christine growled to herself.

R.J. cleared his throat, "Well, now that we have a job for the guy who can't do anything, how about we actually focus on the building part!? Those guys have a huge advantage and we're just standing here!"

Hearing that, Dade decided to go ahead and take some action of his own. Shaking out of his Sandy Cloak, the Bagworm used his beak to start drawing a rectangle in the sand. The others in his team continued conversing among themselves.

Lynn was still a bit confused as to why the Beartic was so worried, "R.J. seriously, they have a couple of extra shovels and buckets. What are they gonna do with them? There's only ten of them."

 **000**

 **R.J. growled, "Kane is a fucking lumberjack** _ **and**_ **he spends his time watching construction shows and building contests online when we're at home! So I know what the hell I'm talking about when i say they have an advantage! The shovel shit doesn't even matter!"**

 **000**

Kane clasped his hands together enthusiastically, "Alright, I think I know what we can do for the-"

Chip cut him off, shoving him away, "Nope. You seized control of the first task. Not this time, bear boy. _I'm_ in charge now."

Sasha scoffed as she helped Kane regain his bearings, "Excuse you. No one is going to fucking listen to you, you fucking asshole."

"You will if you want to win the challenge!" Chip argued back. "Out of all of us here, _I'm_ the strongest and I already have experience leading. Therefore, I'm a valuable player and have reason to be a leader."

Honey giggled darkly, "Okay, no. Roid Rage, you're not the strongest one here. You got your ass handed to you by _Kay_ of all people, so I'm not sure if trusting your strength is a good idea."

Tim added, "And who cares about your stupid experience if you're acting like a cunt?"

Chip growled, hearing the insult, his arms folded. "Okay, fine! If I _stop_ acting like a 'cunt', will you let me lead you?"

Tonya replied, "Okay, now you just seem l-like you're overcompensating. Get over yourself."

Chip glowered at her, "Now you listen here, speed freak-"

"ER-HEM!"

Everyone turned to see Max holding a pail and one of the shovels with an irritated look on his face. "Can we _please_ focus on the challenge? Arguing will get us nowhere."

Kay glowered at him, "Oh shut up, Saint Dick. Do you even have an idea?"

In response, Max gave her a deadpan look and kicked a bit of sand at her, with it getting in her eyes. "AH! MY EYES! YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

The Delibird continued, ignoring the Stufful, " _Anywho…_ Can we just try to come up with an idea? We have more supplies, and we have two hours. So it should be something spectacular."

"Which is why-"

Sasha interrupted the Superpower Pokemon, " _Kane_ is going to be the lead again."

The Ursaring was fiercely clenching his fists, his own claws causing a few minor punctures in his palms. He took a deep breath.

"You're only standing up for him so much because you want him to fuck you! Shut the fuck up," Chip growled. "Now, Max and Kay, you two start filling the buckets with sand. Jessica, you fill them will water and-"

Kane sighed, "Chip, can you just-"

Chip growled, "QUIET, FATSO! THIS IS MY TIME!"

The Ursaring twitched before taking another breath, "Chip. I have some experience with architecture; _you_ are a school coach. I think I'm-"

The Superpower Pokemon was getting fed up with the bear's persistence and inability to back down. This was just the first challenge, but he was willing to use any means to get him to back off. "I said… Fuck off! If I have to tell you again, YOU'RE GONNA END UP GETTING KNOCKED OUT!"

"THEN DO IT!" Kane roared furiously, his eyes piercing straight through the Machamp.

The roar echoed, causing everyone to freeze in surprise. Chip wasn't fazed though, prompting to throw a punch at Kane, striking him right in the face. However, the Ursaring didn't budge, despite his nose beginning to bleed.

"CHIP! WHAT THE FUCK!?" Sasha exclaimed, holding Kane back, while Jessica used Psychic to hold the Machamp in place.

Chip was indifferent, a smirk on his face, "That motherfucker asked for it. And you see how he didn't even block or try to throw a punch back? He's fucking weak!"

The others were angered upon hearing that, excluding Xavier and Kay. Tim glared at him, "No, Chip. _You_ trying to instigate a fucking fight over NOTHING, makes _you_ weak!"

Honey, wanting to make the Machamp look even worse, giggled, "In addition, you're a fucking fighting-type. You landed a direct, super-effective hit on a _normal-type,_ and he's still standing. That makes you even weaker!"

Chip growled, "You all can go fuck yourselves. I'm just trying to fucking show that I'm a fucking team player, but all you fucks want to do is fucking suck bear boy off the whole time."

"Oh fo-for fuck's sake, the game just _started_ ," Tonya groaned. "There's literally no way th-that we've only been listening and doing what Kane says. He's ba-barely even told us to do anything!"

Sasha queried, "Kane, are you okay?"

The Ursaring began walking away from the group, with Sasha starting to follow, only to be blocked by Xavier. The Magnet Area Pokemon deadpanned, "He did the same thing on the night prior. He will be fine; his raise in popularity has started."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Sasha attempted to shove him out of the way.

Tim explained, "He's saying not to worry about him. Just give him some space and let's try to start this sandcastle. We're behind."

 **000**

"What the heck happened over there?" Lucky queried. "Kane's leaving again."

R.J.'s eyes never left the Ursaring as he went into the forest. He was very worried about him, and wanted to leave and go check on him. However, he knew that he needed to focus on the challenge. Once they were finished, he'd immediately go and check on him.

Art deadpanned, "Meh, who cares? Their loss, not ours. And bug boy, what the hell are you doing?"

Dade finally finished the rectangle in the sand. The others finally took note of the Burmy's behavior and grew just as perplexed as the Ferrothorn.

Dade panted in exhaustion, "Laying… Foundation for… The castle…"

Belladonna, unsure of what to make of the situation, rose a brow, "Foundation? Why do we need foundation for a sandcastle? Aren't they usually the same size?"

"Zahku confused…" the Makuhita said, holding a shovel readily.

Art, looking over the rectangle, looked at the panting Burmy with unamused eyes, "Explain yourself."

Still panting from the work he had just done, Dade groaned, "I've seen a few videos and livestreams of people building big sandcastles, so I figured that we could try something like it. We have two hours after all."

Intrigued, Lynn walked toward him, "How long do the streams last before they finish the entire project?"

Dade dug into the back of his mind. It had been a while since he last watched a video relating to the subject. "Hmm… From what I remember, the longest one I watched took like… 11 hours, but that was only because there were only four guys doing it. There was a couple of other that had an entire crew and it only took four or five hours."

R.J. gave him a dismissive look, folding his arms, "Well, we've only got _two_ hours. So I don't see this working."

Christine inspected the rectangle he had made, "Well, with the size of this rectangle he made, it _will_ take a lot of work. I say that we set our goal a bit lower so that we're at least able to get a majority of it done."

Portia spoke up, "Yeah, smaller could be good. They may say that ours is incomplete if we stick with the bigger one."

Belladonna clasped her hands together eagerly, "We'll do a smaller one." She looked down at Dade, who was rolling back onto his feet, "Alright little guy, you seem to have the most knowledge on this, so what do we do?"

Dade hummed, "Well, we need a foundation, first of all. It'll just serve as our starting point."

Lynn nodded, "Okay, and after that?"

Dade crawled toward Lucky, climbing up the Crabominable's back and standing on his head. He didn't want to literally looked down upon, so he moved to higher ground. "Okay, so once you have the foundation, you dig out as much sand as you can from the middle, and use _that_ sand to build up walls. We'll need water on standby to make sure that it sticks."

R.J. deadpanned, unable to believe that Dade knew what he was talking about. "Are we really about to take orders from a bug?"

Christine gave him a dismissive look, "Unless you have an idea of your own…"

R.J., having no such idea, grumbled before folding his arms. Dade smiled to himself upon seeing R.J.'s reaction. He cleared his throat before continuing, "Alright, so let's get this started. Anyone who's gonna do the shoveling can start and whoever's gonna gather water for us can, too."

Christine nodded affirmatively, "I'll get water."

Lucky wanted to help as well, but knowing his luck, he'd probably mess everything up inexplicably. But, seeing that nothing bad happened to him as of late, he decided to join in. "I'll get water, too."

Immediately upon hearing that, Art cut in, walking over to him. "Oh-ho no, no, no. Sorry, buddy, but you need to stay as far away from our castle is possible."

Lucky looked down with a sigh. Dade shook his head, "No. Lucky, you're gonna participate."

Art argued his point, "He's just gonna make everything worse. He already collapsed the edge of the cliff just by stepping on it, and his prior bad luck still stands. He's a hazard."

Dade shook his head, not wanting the crab to feel bad. Yes, he had bad luck, but excluding him wouldn't solve anything. "You guys are _really_ blowing things out of proportion. Lucky is just fine. Right guys?"

The Burmy turned to see that he was going back to ground level, which confused him. The others stared in shock and surprise before Dade looked down and saw that he and Lucky were _sinking_. "Uh… H-HELP!"

Portia grabbed Lucky by his hair before yanking him and Dade out of the quicksand. Lucky vomited a bunch of sand before groaning. Art, relatively unfazed by what he just witnessed, hummed. "Well, that certainly illustrates my point."

Dade, despite nearly sinking because of the Woolly Crab Pokemon, came to his defense again. "He's not being excluded."

An suggestion arose in Belladonna's head as she picked up a pail, "If anything, he needs to be near the other team so that his poor luck rubs off on them. That way he causes them trouble."

Immediately, Marley jumped up and down enthusiastically. "OH! OH! I can help with that…"

R.J. deadpanned as he folded his arms, "I'm sure that you can and will…"

"Less whining and more digging," Dade instructed haughtily as the Beartic was handed a shovel by Lynn. The polar bear glared before snatching the shovel vexedly and starting to dig with Portia, Lynn, and Zahku.

Lucky decided to speak up again, "Are you sure about this? I'm pretty sure that I'm just bad luck alone."

Art responded, "You'll be fine. Just go with monkey girl and start messing with their progress."

Lucky saw that Marley was already gone and sighed to himself as Dade hopped off of his head. The Crabominable began scuttling toward the other team.

 **000**

Following what had just transpired, Max, Tim, Tonya, Jessica, Honey, and Sasha worked on their team's sandcastle. With Kane M.I.A., Sasha decided to take charge. Chip was sitting away from the rest of the team, with Xavier watching over him, paralyzing him.

Chip, despite being paralyzed, growled in annoyance. He felt that the action was unnecessary since his only beef was with Kane. With him gone, he was ready to work. Frustrated at the fact that he couldn't move his limbs, he shouted over to them. "You guys are seriously gonna keep me from helping!? This is bullshit!"

Tim glowered at the Machamp, "No, you punching Kane in the face after practically bullying him since we got into teams is bullshit."

Tonya chimed in, "Yeah, your at-ti-titude stinks. So, stay over there."

Max just sighed as he flipped over his pail of sand and pat its bottom. He lifted it up, allowing the mound to stand up on its own. Honey, seeing it, let out an unamused sigh. "Well, it's a start…"

Sasha scratched the side of her head. "How do all of those people online do these things so well?"

Max sighed as he started scooping sand into another bucket, the entire situation demotivating him. "Probably years of practice," he responded.

Tonya turned her attention back to the others. "Let's not dwell on that and just work on what we've got."

Honey gave her a look of discouragement. "Tonya, we've literally got only one sand mound and it's been nearly twenty minutes now. We need to pick up the pace."

Tim added, "And she's the girl to do it." He looked at Tonya with a serious look. "You're the fastest one on the team, undeniably, so you can get the sand and water to us fast as all hell."

Jessica decided to chime in after a while of staring at Chip and Xavier and then looking at Kay, who was resting in the sun, uncaring about the challenge. "Though it _would_ be nice to have more hands on deck in general…"

Hearing that, Kay glared at her immediately. "FUCK OFF!" the Stufful shouted.

Honey groaned in annoyance. "At this pace, we're gonna fucking lose for sure!"

Sasha growled, holding her head as she crouched down, "We need to find Kane. He said that he had experience with architecture, so he could be great at this!"

Tim nodded in agreement, but he felt Kane still needed time. He didn't come back to the cabin until it was early in the morning. "I think that he still needs some alone time."

Honey scoffed in response. "He's a grown fucking male; he'll be fine. Plus Chip is over there paralyzed by magnet boy, so he wouldn't have to worry about being hit anymore!"

Jessica, who was spraying water into all of the pails, stopped to nod in agreement. "I don't think running away from the problem was the best thing for him to do. If he does that, he may as well be on the same level as Kay or Chip, at the moment anyway."

"Keep my name out of your mouths!" they heard the Stufful shout from the sidelines.

Sasha rose back up, folding her arms, "Well fine. Someone's gotta go get him. But, we're all actually working and Kay's being her bitchy self."

Max looked toward Chip and Xavier, an idea coming to his head. "We can make Chip go get him and apologize to him since it was his fault anyway. If he doesn't, we threaten to vote him out if we end up losing the challenge."

Honey was impressed by the Delibird's idea. "An ultimatum, huh? Didn't expect that from you."

Sasha walked over to Chip and Xavier, leaving the others to continue their work on the sandcastle. As she left, Lucky nervously approached the team. Jessica, noticing the ice crab approaching, immediately glared, her protuberance opening.

The Woolly Crab Pokemon swallowed in nervousness as the others began to notice him. Seeing this, he froze.

Brashly, Honey flew in front of him, "What do _you_ want?"

A chill went down the Crabominable's spine. He didn't really know what to do or say, as nothing was happening to him at the moment. "Um… Just… Came over to get an idea of- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The ice crab had been enveloped in a blue aura before being launched back toward the other side of the beach. The Vespiquen was surprised by the sudden occurence and looked back at the others, who were just as surprised.

Eventually, Jessica spoke up, having been the one to send the ice- and fighting-type flying back over to his team. "We don't have time for the bad luck schmuck. We need to do this stupid sandcastle."

Honey folded her arms as she flew back over. "Well, you were effective, I'll say that," she expressed.

 **-000-**

Sasha was crouched in front of Chip, a serious glare plastered on her face. She wasn't amused by his actions and actually wanted to slap him right then and there for driving Kane away. But, she kept her composure and gave him instructions, followed by the ultimatum. "Now, you listen here, muscle head. We're gonna have Xavier stop paralyzing you, _but_ , you're gonna go and look for Kane and bring him back here. _And_ you're going _apologize_ to him."

Chip scowled, "Pssh, as if. Why the hell would I apologize when he _told_ me to hit him?"

Sasha's hand reached toward the Machamp's throat in an instant, but she stopped herself. She deep a deep breath. "Kane has literally done _nothing_ to you. All you're trying to do is assert your dominance or something because you're intimidated by him."

Chip remained silent, his glare tightening toward her.

The Nidoqueen continued, "Now, I don't why your fucking ego is so massive that you think that you can boss everyone around and expect us to listen, but know that it's not going to work and you're making yourself look like a pathetic asshole."

Chip rolled his eyes. "Says you. The boys back at the gym and at the bar will disagree."

Xavier deadpanned, "You all share the same low level of popularity and lack of social skills, in that case. All muscle and no brain or sensitivity."

Chip gave the Magnezone an annoyed look, having been hearing about popularity while he was being held there. "Oh shut up, already!"

Sasha responded, "What he said is right, anyone who thinks that you're doing a good thing or think that it's fine are just as big as morons as you. Now, unless you want to find yourself being eliminated off of the show _first_ if we lose this challenge, I suggest that you drop the macho, wanna-be dominant routine and go fucking find our teammate."

The Machamp simply laughed, "Ha! As _if_ you losers will vote me out; I'm the strongest player you've got. Plus, that little bitch Kay isn't doing shit to help. I _want_ to help, but you guys are hindering me…"

Xavier replied tonelessly, "Easy solution. Vote her out if we lose again."

Sasha turned to him with a smile, "Exactly."

Chip growled, his teeth bared. "Fine! I'll find the fucking loser… Now get this asshole to un-paralyze me!"

Sasha nodded to Xavier. The Magnezone zapped some electricity at the Machamp, unlocking his joints and allowing him to move again. Chip groaned as he got to his feet, popping his back. He grumbled to himself. He glared at them, folding his arms, before taking in a sharp breath. "Where did the fucking loser go?"

Sasha tightened her glare, "Stop calling him a loser… You don't know him."

Chip, annoyed by her overprotection of the Ursaring, glared. "And again, neither do you. All you want is to be fucked by him, which ain't gonna happen!"

Sasha blushed, clenching her fists. "JUST GO!" she demanded.

The Superpower Pokemon rolled his eyes before walking away. The Nidoqueen took a breath before walking back toward the others, with Xavier in tow.

 **000**

Lucky ended up being launched into Art's side, sending him into the sand as well. Of course, the Ferrothorn was unamused as he shoved the large crab off of him. "What the hell was that?"

The Crabominable could only groan in pain.

R.J. sighed, wiping a few beads of sweat from his head, "Well, we're just lucky that he didn't wreck our progress."

So far, the Blue Team was able to dig up enough sand to form the four walls of their castle. It didn't take that long with four people digging at the same time. With enough sand on the outsides, the team ceased their digging and proceeded with building up the walls.

Dade continued, "Alright, all you guys have to do is make the walls thick enough so we can try to smooth things and get some details in."

Lynn nodded in understanding, "Okay, and… What about the inside of it that we dug out?"

Dade was clueless in that regard, as he never really saw what they did to the insides of the castles. The Burmy thought about it briefly before simply shrugging the question off. "We just leave it like it is, I guess. I don't think they're gonna focus that much on the inside of it."

The others decided to go along with it and started coming together to shape up the walls. Christine and Belladonna returned with the pails of water, all five of them now filled to the brim.

Christine, seeing the progress being made, was impressed. "Wow, nice. We're making good time."

Belladonna nodded. She looked over to the other team and smirked to herself. "Yep, and it seems like now Chip is leaving over there. Those guys are _really_ falling apart."

R.J. watched the Machamp leave, going in the same direction as Kane. He growled to himself, which Portia noticed. She rose a brow in confusion. "Uh, are you okay R.J.?"

The Beartic took a breath before focusing back on the sand. He gruffly responded, "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's just… Finish this stupid castle."

About twenty minutes went by, with the Blue Team continuing to work on the walls. Eventually, the walls got as high up as they could get.

Art stared at the sand creation blankly, unimpressed. "Okay, you guys made a hole with walls around it… What now?"

Dade responded shortly after. "Now we start the actual designing part. Creating the tops that go on the walls and doing designs and stuff."

R.J. deadpanned, "Well, I'll be going for a walk. I'm pretty much useless when it comes to that kind of junk."

"We can tell by your demeanor," Belladonna responded, causing the Beartic to give her a look before walking away.

 **000**

" **Not entirely sure what to make of R.J., in all honesty. He seems to be strong-willed and just strong in general, but he seems to get distracted and his attitude isn't that great," Belladonna commented. "If he doesn't get over himself, we'll have to cut him. He has potential, he just needs to focus."**

 **000**

Kane was slashing at a tree with his claws. A fallen tree nearby was covered in claw marks and had been taken down by him earlier. He found himself there, not because of Chip, but because of his own personal issues.

He dealt with guys like Chip on a regular basis at work, but just the fact that Chip barely knew him, yet insisted on coming at him and physically assaulting him for really no reason really irked him. After Chip punched him, he was so tempted to slash his throat, but he knew that him hurting the Machamp back would only cause him more issues.

He sighed, resting his head against the tree he was slashing. He took a deep breath, whispering to himself. " _Okay… Just focus on the game itself. Ignore him… Ignore him…"_

He heard a voice coming toward him, and immediately he growled to himself, "HEY! LOSER, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

His claws dug into the bark of the tree, his teeth bared. He walked away from the situation to _avoid_ him. Eventually, the Machamp emerged from the bushes and folded his arms. "Finally," he uttered.

Kane ignored him, starting to walk away again. Seeing this, Chip groaned in annoyance. "Hey! We don't have time for your tantrum. Grow some thicker skin and let's go back to the beach so we can help with the castle!"

The Ursaring silently growled to himself, knowing that he'd have to go back and help before the time ran out. He wasn't ready to go back just yet, though. Especially since the Machamp was in his presence as if what he had done before hadn't even happened.

He took a seat at one of the trees and folded his arms. The Superpower Pokemon groaned; he knew that the team was serious about giving him the boot if they lost. He didn't want that to happen. He took a breath before turning to the Ursaring. "Alright listen. I'm sorry for hitting you. Okay? I'm _sorry_. I've been acting like a cunt because I'm trying to make myself look reliable so that you guys will listen to me and keep me in. I'm a hardass, but I'm trying just as hard as you. There, I've aired some dirty laundry, now can you get up and come on!?"

The Ursaring only have him a look, before looking back forward. He let out a sigh. "I'll be back after a while, just… Leave me alone for a bit, alright?"

"Listen! They're saying that they're gonna vote me out if you don't bring your ass back. I'm not trying to-"

Kane interrupting him, growling. "I said GO!"

The Machamp glowered at him, but he could understand his hesitance. Without uttering another word, Chip began walking away. With him gone, Kane rested his head back against the tree, closing his eyes.

He heard the bushes rustling more and growled. "I thought I told you to GO!"

He heard a huff before opening his eyes and seeing a Beartic looking down at him with his arms folded. "We've been married for six years. I ain't goin' anywhere anytime soon…"

Kane rose a brow at R.J.'s presence; he knew that the Freezing Pokemon wasn't one to check often or be too clingy with regards to him. "Babe? What are you doing here?"

R.J. took a breath. "Well, I was initially going to just talk to you when the challenge was over, but I heard the yelling from the other team and saw you storm off."

Kane sneered, "Aww… You worried about me."

R.J. rolled his eyes, "You're my husband. Whether I like it or not, it's my job to."

Kane stood up before reaching around and picking up the Beartic, pinning him against another tree. R.J. scowled, baring his teeth at the sudden action. "You know I hate when you do this shit in public… Put me down."

Kane instead kissed his nose, which allowed R.J. to see that there was bit of dried blood on his muzzle. His eyes widened immediately. "What the fuck happened to your nose!?"

Hearing that, the Ursaring immediately put him down before taking a seat against the tree. R.J. gave him a stern look. "I'd like an answer. Why the fuck's your nose bloody?"

Kane gave him a look, "Chip punched me because he wanted to be the boss of the team and apparently he thought that everyone was just sucking me off and doing what I said. He literally left not too long ago to apologize and come and get me. Granted, it was because the others threatened him apparently, but I'll still take it."

R.J. growled before crouching down next to him. "Kane, you're strong as fuck. Why the hell didn't you just put him down then and there?"

Kane explained, "If I did that, the others would be fucking scared and they'd eliminate as soon as they can. After Kay, anyway."

R.J. took a breath, standing up fully once again. "Well, you're alright. That's all that matters. But, if that mother fucker ever tries you again, you'd better put him on the ground like I know you can."

The Ursaring stood up before locking lips with the Beartic, who promptly pushed him away. "You know how I am about this shit! For fuck's sake!"

Kane responded with narrowed eyes. The Beartic was adamantly against public displays of affection between the two. A few seconds later, the Beartic grabbed the Hibernator Pokemon's face and kissed him, contradicting himself momentarily.

Once they disconnected, Kane chuckled, "Hmm, what happened to hating PDA?"

R.J. deadpanned, "You were able to take a punch from a Machamp and keep standing. Had to give you credit for that somehow…" He pat Kane's shoulder before turning around and starting to walk away.

Kane shook his head with a smirk before following him. "Wow, you're just gonna kiss me and walk away, huh?"

 **000**

Chip returned to the beach with a disgruntled expression. The rest of Red Team was sitting around, a few of them very agitated. Seeing their lack of spunk and progress, the Machamp grew confused and annoyed.

"What the hell is going on around here? Why aren't you guys building?"

Honey gave him a look of annoyance. "We _would_ , but almost all of our fucking pails are gone!"

Chip's eyes widened, "What? How!?"

Tim answered, "We don't know. They just started to disappear somehow. We've only got two left now."

Max held up the teams' remaining pails, a disheartened look on the Delibird's face. Seeing this, Chip facepalmed before swearing to himself. "Okay, see, this is why Jessica being here is actually a good thing. She's a water-type _and_ a psychic-type, so she can manipulate the sand _and_ water."

The others were surprised to hear that idea from him, especially Sasha. However, she had another concern, "Where's Kane?"

Chip gave the Nidoqueen a look. "He's coming. Now, we need to work on this castle. How long do we even have?"

Tonya looked over to the hosts, who had been watching over them the whole time while sitting on a couple of lawn chairs. She zoomed over toward them unintentionally kicking up a dust cloud, sending sand into their faces.

Mew coughed and rubbed his eyes, while Victini just waved the sand away. The pink feline sighed, "Yes, Tonya?"

"How much time do we have left?" the Accelgor asked.

Mew and Victini exchanged looks, with Victini pulling out a digital countdown clock. "Uh… about forty minutes," he replied.

Tonya sighed, "Okay. Thanks."

She zoomed back over to her team and relayed the information to them. The others exchanged looks of annoyance and uncertainty, their time limit continuing to decrease.

Chip groaned, "Okay, Jessica, whip us up a sandcastle and make sure that it's stable. We don't have enough time to do the process with the few supplies that we have."

Xavier floated over holding a paralyzed Aipom. Seeing this, the others grew confused.

Max blinked in surprise, "Um… Xavier, why do you have a person from the other team?"

The Magnezone responded tonelessly, "She was hiding in the foliage with a lot of pails behind her. I suspect that she plans on increasing her popularity and reliability on her team by sabotaging us."

"How interesting…" Honey commented, floating toward them. She glared at the Aipom. "Mind telling us where our pails are?"

Marley hummed in thought, "Actually, I _do_ mind. My team's gotta win, and thus, yours must lose."

The team stared at her blankly before Tim posed a question to Xavier. "Hey, Xavier, where was she hiding exactly?"

The Magnezone responded, "In the foliage on the ledge behind us."

The team looked behind themselves and saw the ledge in question, along with a few bushes and trees. Chip chuckled, "And because you said that this cheeky little bitch had pails behind her, I think it's safe to assume that they're all up there."

Marley snickered. "I wouldn't believe it if I were you. I think it'd be better if you let your team lose…"

Jessica was unamused and uninterested in the purple chimp. "And I think it'd be better if you went back to your own team. So…"

The Bruxish's protuberance opened, causing the Aipom to be outlined in a blue aura. Seconds later, Marley was launched back to the other team.

Sasha sighed, "Alright, Max and Tonya, you guys go and get the pails. Jessica, like Chip said, try to do something with the sand."

The Delibird and Accelgor immediately started heading toward where Xavier said that Marley was. The team looked over to Kay, who was still pretty much sunbathing. They exchanged looks of annoyance.

 **-000-**

Tonya had sped up to the ledge in mere seconds, coming upon the area where Xavier claimed Marley was. There were five pails lying on the ground. Max eventually reached the same location. It was partially concealed by a few thorn bushes and trees.

Max nodded, "Alright, let's grab these and get back to the others."

Max flew forward to get them, with Tonya moving forward to grab a few as well. However, the Accelgor could feel a strange presence around them. She looked around, the leaves on the tree faintly shaking due to the light breeze, just as Max put a third pail onto his tail and grabbed the end.

"Got 'em."

Tonya picked up the last pail, seconds later, a click was heard. Hearing that, Tonya moved just in time to see a large, crudely made wooden cage drop down over Max.

The Delibird could only sigh, "Of course..."

Tonya groaned, "Crud… Um… Use Ice Beam and get out of there."

A light blue sphere emerged in his mouth before blasting beams of ice at the wood of the bars. The bars were encased in ice, allowing for Tonya to speed forward and strike the portion that was frozen.

Luckily, the wood wasn't that hard to break, as it was able to shatter easily. Max exited through the opening and sighed, "Alright, _now_ let's get back to the others."

 **000**

Marley, after being launched back to the Blue Team's side, explained what she had done to hinder the Red Team's progress. There was a bit of skepticism from the others, as they didn't think that she was very impactful at all.

Lucky sighed, "Are you sure that your cage will work?"

Marley tittered. "I'm not sure, but they were over there for nearly half an hour gaining no progress. So, the cage will hinder them a bit more."

Art deadpanned as he looked over to the opposite side of the beach. "Uh huh… You say that just as they come back with their pails…"

Marley, along with the others, turned to see that Tonya and Max were returning with their team's pails. They looked back to Marley, who chuckled sheepishly. "Hey, they still don't have a ton of time, _and_ we're further ahead."

The Blue Team's 'castle' was pretty much done for the most part. There were faint outlines in the sand that made the walls appear as though they were comprised of actual bricks, and a few seashells decorated the notches.

Belladonna glowered at the chimp. "You'd better hope that they don't pull something spectacular, because if we lose, you're definitely hitting the road."

Marley swallowed. "Well, since we're already done, all we really have to do is have a few people guard and the rest of us can try to sabotage them."

Lynn gave her a dismissive look. After what happened to both her and Lucky when they were discovered over there, there was no way that sabotage was going to be possible. Before she could express her concerns, Zahku grunted. "Zahku not interested in being launched."

Christine nodded, "Yeah, Zahku's right. If you and Lucky got sent back, what makes you think that all of us going will be a good idea? They may even destroy our castle!"

"Well do _you_ have any ideas?" Marley countered.

The Cricket Pokemon narrowed her eyes at the chimp. "No, but I know that if something didn't work twice, trying a third time will only prove to be a failure as well."

Marley scoffed, "Typical quitter talk."

Dade shook his head in disagreement. "No, no, Christine and Zahku have valid points," he explained. "We may want to just play it safe and wait until the time's up."

" _Lame…_ "

A few moments later, R.J. dropped down onto the beach. "Alright, I'm back. Did I miss anything important?"

Portia rose a brow. "And where'd _you_ go?"

The Beartic gave her a look. "That's none of your concern."

Art noticed that Kane was returning from the same place that R.J. had just come from. And he noticed that the Ursaring passed a grin to the Beartic as he headed back to his own team. Art immediately understood what was happening and kept the information in the back of his head.

 **000**

" **Hmm, so it would seem that there's some sort of connection between R.J. and Kane. I'll have to inspect them a bit closer, along with these others," Art reasoned.**

 **000**

Kane returned to the team, with the others gaining smiles. However, the Ursaring held a look of surprise at the fact that hardly anything was done. They had four mounds of sand and that was it.

"What the heck happened, guys?!" he asked in surprise. "Why don't we have anything?"

Chip decided to speak up. "They were more concerned about you leaving and then they paralyzed me so that I couldn't help. Then, I don't know. I guess they somehow fumbled…"

Kane sighed. "How much time do we have left?"

"5 MINUTES REMAINING CAMPERS!"

Kay walked over to her teammates, and upon seeing that they only had four sand mounds, she glowered at them. "Wow, you guys are even more pathetic than I thought. And that's a pretty high achievement."

Honey glared at the Stufful. "Kay, you were literally over there lying down the entire time! You don't get to complain!"

Kay glared back, "Shut up, Nectar of the Odd. You're nothing!"

Sasha sighed. "I'm sorry. I should've focused more on the challenge instead of making sure that Kane was okay."

Max rose a brow, "Uh, Sasha, this is all of our faults. It's a team effort."

Tim nodded in agreement, "Yeah. You don't have to put yourself down."

Chip looked over to the Blue Team's side and saw their castle. He glowered, "You know… They tried to fuck us over twice… And we have a couple of minutes to go over and fuck with them…"

Jessica realized the same thing, as did the others. She realized, "Yeah… And I think I have an idea of how Kay can actually be useful…"

Kay scoffed. "Useful? Please! All you care about is sucking and getting fucked. You're practically a slut just from how you look alone. If anyone's use _less_ , it's _you_."

In response, Kay found herself being outlined in a blue aura again. She was lifted from the ground, with her growling. "UGH! PUT ME DOWN!"

The others, seeing this, smiled. They knew where Jessica was going with this and they all approved. Xavier commented, "Fire when ready."

 **000**

"Well, we've probably got this in the bag," Portia commented.

"Uh… You might wanna rethink that," Art said, a hint of uncertainty in his voice as he eyed the other team. "Incoming!"

The others turned to see a projectile heading their way. Thinking fast, Lynn used her vines, stopping the projectile, which turned out to just be Kay.

The Stufful, upon being grabbed, immediately began flailing. "PUT ME DOWN BILLY GOAT GRUFF!"

Lynn deadpanned before dropping the Stufful in the sand from where she was in the air.

Belladonna was very confused by their choice. "Did they just throw their teammate at us?"

Marley snickered, "Yep. They're trying to take out our castle! But, it's too late because time's practically up."

"AND TIME IS UP!"

"See!"

 **000**

"Alright, let's get this judging on the road," Mew explained as he and Victini flew toward the teams. They first went to the Red Team, as they were relatively closer.

Mew rubbed his paws together, "Alright Red Team, let's see what you've got."

Tim stammered, "Uh… Well, y-y'see…"

The hosts set their sights on the four, simple castles made with the pails. They exchanged looks before looking back at the team. Victini let out a sigh, "Well. Not gonna lie. This is… Pretty pathetic."

Mew followed up with his own question, perplexed. "You guys had _two hours_ , you couldn't have done more than four small castles?"

Sasha rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Well, you see… There were…"

" _Complications_ ," Honey finished, her arms still folded.

"Uh huh…" Mew nodded. "Well, you'd better hope that the other team doesn't have a better castle, because this is just… No."

The team looked down in disappointment.

The hosts floated over to the Blue Team. Upon seeing their castle, they immediately exchanged looks.

Mew chuckled, "Well, this is definitely a win. Really impressive intricacy and smooth notches."

Victini nodded, "Yep, it's sand, and it's an actually cool castle. So, we have our winners!"

The Blue Team started cheering, signifying to the Red Team that they had lost. They sighed in defeat.

 **-000-**

Both teams were in front of the hosts, the Blue Team still holding proud smiles, while the Red Team held discouraged looks.

Victini began. "Well, congratulations to the Blue Team for winning the first challenge _despite_ not winning the advantage. You guys are safe tonight."

Mew followed him. "As for the Red Team, you guys lost _and_ had a multitude of issues within the team. So, you guys will be voting someone out tonight."

They exchanged looks, having an idea of who they're going to eliminate.

 **000**

It was dinnertime, so all of the contestants were inside of the mess hall. Due to them no longer being in the challenge, they decided to start branching out and talking to each other.

Seeing Tonya and Sasha sitting away from a few of the others, Honey saw this as a good opportunity to actually talk to them with regards to her alliance proposition.

Their dinner was once again from Greasy Al's, with it being Roast Beef, rice, and ramen. The Vespiquen carried her box over to the two girls before greeting them.

"Hello ladies…"

Tonya knew why she was here, so she simply waved to her. Sasha, on the other hand, was perplexed as to why the Beehive Pokemon was here. She didn't seem like the type to want to talk to them outside of the game. "Um… Hi, Honey. What's up?"

Honey cleared her throat, "Well, Tonya already knows why I'm here, and I assume that she _hasn't_ filled you in as I asked her to."

The Accelgor gave her a look, as Sasha turned to her in confusion. "Um… Filled me in on what?"

Tonya sighed, "She wants to make an alliance with us. And I didn't fill her in because I was still on the fence about it, myself."

Honey nodded, "You have nothing to worry about. Forming an allegiance with me will ensure that you make it to the merge, maybe even the final three. Sasha, you have your arm around our unofficial team leader, which gives us a bit of a leg up, and Tonya, you simply seem like a good, reliable player. I believe that we could work well together."

Sasha hummed in thought before posing a question to the queen bee. "Well, what does the alliance entail?"

"Oh it's nothing major. We just vote together and converse with each other about ideas that'll get us further," Honey explained. "So, what do you girls say?"

Sasha was hesitant, but figured that it'd be good to have allies. She took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm in."

Seeing that the Nidoqueen was joining, Tonya mentally facepalmed herself. However, given that they weren't really going to be able to do _much_ , Tonya decided to join as well. "I… Guess I'm in, too."

Honey smiled. "Excellent. Now, with regards to tonight's vote- I don't think we should vote for Kay"

The girls were surprised to hear her say that. Tonya responded. "But, she didn't help in the challenge _and_ she's a major bitch. Why wouldn't we eliminate her?"

"To cause a bit of a stir and place a bit of doubt on the team," Honey explained. "If we put on the pressure, there's a chance that the team may actually win. So, I say that we each vote for someone different and go from there. I'll take Tim. You girls can choose whoever you want."

Honey started flying away from them, leaving them confused. They exchanged unsure looks.

 **-000-**

Tim, sitting with Max, Lynn, and Christine, sighed, "I still can't believe we lost the first challenge. Since when did building sandcastles become so difficult?"

"Well, we've got Legendary Pokemon judging us. Maybe the pressure made it harder," Lynn suggested.

The Tropius sighed as he lied his head on the table. "I don't even know how the hell our team's gonna function anymore. Chip punched Kane in the face; Sasha has a crush on Kane; Chip has an attitude problem; Honey mainly contributes snark; Jessica is usually lusting for Chip; Xavier's kinda weird… It's just… Ugh…"

Christine sighed, "Well, just keep your head up and try to stay out of any and all drama. You'll make it through this game easier that way."

Max chimed in. "I hope…"

Lynn, finishing up her rice, asked, "So, do you know who you're eliminating first? If not, may I strongly suggest Kay?"

Tim rose his head up, "Oh, that's a no brainer. Mean, selfish, rude, and useless. We don't need that on the team."

Christine nodded in approval. "Well, we're hoping to get rid of Marley as soon as we lose. She pranked us on the first night and our cabin still smells like shit."

Max chuckled, "Wow, that's gotta stink."

The girls glowered at the Delibird, who cleared his throat and looked back down at his food.

Mew and Victini entered the mess hall a few moments later. "Alright, Red Team, it's time for you guys to vote someone out."

The members of the Red Team started getting up in order to exit. The Blue Team watched them leave, all of them having an idea of who was leaving.

 **000**

All of the members of the Red Team were sitting on metal benches in front of a campfire. They were on a different part of the beach, further away from the campground. This part of the beach was littered in stones and shells. Mew gave them all a smile, "Hello, and welcome to the first elimination ceremony of the series."

Tim rose a brow, "Uh… You seem happy about this."

"I mean, it's the _first_ elimination of the show! We've _gotta_ be excited!"

"Plus, this is gonna determine which of you is the first loser," Victini added. "Which is a great achievement in this case."

Chip folded his arms, "I don't see how being the first loser on a show is an achievement, but… Okay, I guess. Can we get on with this?"

Victini nodded, "We're about to."

Mew teleported a large bag of chips into his hands. Inside of the bag were individual other bags. Seeing these, Max grew confused. "What's with the chips?"

Victini explained, "The chips represent your safety in the game."

"Oh, so… If w-we have a bag of chips, t-that means that we're safe?" Tonya queried.

"Well, if you _receive_ one, yes," Victini explained. "Now. Let's get to these results, shall we?"

"The first bag goes to… Xavier."

Mew tossed a bag of Lay's at the Magnezone, who caught it in one of his magnets.

"Honey, Tonya, Sasha, and Kane, you guys are also safe," Victini continued as Mew tossed the bags to the four of them.

Kane let out a sigh of relief as the three girls exchanged knowing looks.

"Now, this is where things get steamy," Victini chuckled. "All of you remaining received at least one vote."

Tim's eyes widened, as did Max's, while Jessica, Chip, and Kay were nonchalant about it, as if expecting it. Tim exclaimed, "Wait, WHAT!?"

Victini nodded, "Yep. Don't quite get it myself, but luckily… Tim, Max, and Chip, you guys are safe."

Max let out a sigh of relief as he caught his bag of generic chips. Tim's bag his his chest, while Chip caught his bag with a smirk.

"Whaddya know, looks like you'll be the loser tonight…" Kay teased.

The Bruxish rolled her eyes, "Whatever."

"Alright, the last bag of chips goes to…"

Kay had her nose up, ready for her name to be called. Jessica just waited patiently for the results.

"..."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… Jessica."

Kay's eyes widened as Jessica was tossed her bag. "WHAT?!" she squealed. "You can't be serious! These fucking losers are nowhere near as perfect and fluffy as I am! How the fuck did they get to stay in!? I demand a recount!"

Mew shook his head, "Nope, all votes are final unless there's a tiebreaker."

A Lapras swam next to the section of the beach they were on. Seeing this, Victini said, "Kay, it's time for you to go…"

Kay screeched, "Fuck you! I'm not going anywhere! I deserve to win this whole game! Not these ugly losers!"

The Stufful, for the third time, found herself being lifted by a psychic force. "NO! FUCK YOU!"

She was placed on the Lapras, which promptly began to swim off. All the while, Kay shouted and called out numerous swears and slurs toward her fellow campers, which made them even happier that she was gone.

Victini turned back to the other competitors, "Alright. Red Team, you guys are free to go. Hopefully we don't see you guys back after the next challenge."

"Oh, you won't," Honey commented. "We've got rid of the most useless person, so we should be good now."

"Who the heck voted for me?!" Tim exclaimed.

He got no answer as the team began heading back to the camp, leaving Tim and Max alone. They exchanged looks, with Tim growling to himself. "We were actually helping the team! How the hell did we have votes us against us?!"

Max sighed, "I don't know and I don't like it…"

Tim insisted, "We've gotta figure out who voted for us and see why. It doesn't make any sense!"

Max nodded in agreement before they both began flying back to the campgrounds. Mew and Victini exchanged smiles before looking at the main camera.

Mew beamed, "And there we have it! The first challenge and first elimination of the show!"

Victini nodded, "Yep. Kay was a lot to handle, but now that she's heading home, maybe the Red Team will have a better chance with all hands on deck."

"So, stay tuned to find out what happens next time on our Island Challenge!"

 **000**

" **Well, majority of the team is voting for the useless Stufful bitch, so I might as well try and take care of Jessica…" Chip shuddered.**

 **000**

 **Honey giggled, "Like I said, I'm voting for Tim. If you want people to work harder, you've gotta instill a little fear in them."**

 **000**

 **Jessica deadpanned, "Kay's gone. It's no question."**

 **000**

 **Kane sighed. "I hope nobody votes for me for leaving… But, even then, I'm sure that we're good with getting rid of Kay."**

 **000**

 **Kay huffed, "If I could vote for all of them, I would. But, I'm gonna vote for the slut since she kept throwing me!"**

 **000**

 **Max took a breath, "Kay."**

 **000**

 **Sasha fiddled with her hands, "Uh… I guess I'll vote for Chip. He** _ **was**_ **acting like a tool."**

 **000**

 **Tim stated, "Kay has** _ **got**_ **to go."**

 **000**

 **Tonya shook her head, "I-I'm so tempted to just vote for Honey and get rid of her. I don't think these group things are going to work and I think she's just gonna betray or blame us for things. We still don't even know her that well."**

" **But, for now, I'll go along with her and… I guess I'll vote for Max. He seems to be a cool guy, too," she sighed.**

 **000**

 **Xavier said, "Stufful girl has no popularity. She must leave."**

 **000**

 _ **Votes:**_

 _ **Kay - 5 votes (Jessica, Kane, Max, Tim, Xavier)**_

 _ **Jessica - 2 votes (Chip, Kay)**_

 _ **Tim - 1 vote (Honey)**_

 _ **Chip - 1 vote (Sasha)**_

 _ **Max - 1 vote (Tonya)**_

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 _ **Red Team - (Chip, Honey, Jessica, Kane, Max, Sasha, Tim, Tonya, Xavier)**_

 _ **Blue Team - (Art, Belladonna, Christine, Dade, Lucky, Lynn, Marley, Portia, R.J., Zahku)**_

 **000**

 **And there we have it! The first elimination of the entire series! And of course, it was the bratty bitch, Kay. You could probably tell that she was a throwaway by her attitude and lack of care for the others. But yeah, she's the first player to ever be eliminated. And Xavier was the first one to ever get a symbol of immunity. Pretty interesting, if I do say so myself. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time on Total… Pokemon… Zero! See ya guys, BYE!**

 **000**

 _ **Elimination Order:**_

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)**_


	3. Gem-my Hendrix

**Okie**

 **000**

Following the other team's elimination, the Blue Team head back to their cabin to relish in their victory. All of the players were in the guys' side, as the girls' side still reeked due to the fart spray prank done by Marley the night prior.

Lucky spoke up first, "I still can't believe that we actually won! If Lynn hadn't caught Kay and she hit the castle, we'd have been toast!"

Belladonna nudged the Mount Pokemon, "Yeah, that was a good catch, Lynn."

The Gogoat blushed, giggling a bit. "Thanks. It was nothing really. I got lucky, that's all. If anything, we should be thanking Dade. He's the one who told us what to do."

Dade shook his head, not wanting to take the credit. "No, it was a team effort. We _all_ did great. If we hadn't, we would have lost for sure."

Zahku nodded, "Zahku also glad that the other team have issues a lot."

The team began murmuring in agreement, as the opposing team was _definitely_ having a rougher time with each other. The only teammate that they had an issue with was Marley, as none of the players on the team wanted to deal with her pranks and immature behavior.

Portia spoke up, "Yeah, it's almost like they completely hate each other over there, or at least hold some kind of animosity toward each other."

Christine giggled, "Actually, that's just Kay. She's completely rude to everyone she comes across. I think that since they got rid of her, the animosity will be decreased."

R.J. decided to speak up a bit. "Well, according to Kane, Chip punched him in the face because he wants to be the leader. So, there's that."

The others weren't surprised to hear that. Chip's behavior when he first arrived on the island served as a sign as to how he would act in the competition. Art commented on the Machamp, "If his brain was as big as his ego or his muscles, he'd probably be a threatening, useful player for his team. Instead, he's just going the stereotypical, dumbass muscleman route and making himself look bad. But, hey, the sooner he leaves, the less issues we'll have down the line."

Belladonna spoke up after a while. "If I have to give their team any credit, I'd say that they have the cuter guys. No offense to any of you guys here, of course."

R.J. twitched, having a feeling that Kane was going to be mentioned. Art, seeing this, decided to speak about it momentarily. "Hey, hey. Let's _not_ worry about cuteness and relationships, huh? There's a chance that forming a relationship in these games will hinder progress and encourage betrayal. Heck, someone could even _pretend_ to like you and just use you for your skill in the game or for sexual pleasure."

All eyes were set upon the Ferrothorn, most of them a bit skeptical and others narrowed. Christine sarcastically responded, "Wow, way to be make attraction sound awful."

The Ferrothorn rolled his eyes. "I'm not condemning anyone if they have an attraction to someone. I'm simply saying that this is a competition and we all want to win, so you want to watch yourselves."

Portia hummed, "Uh… Art, no offense, but I'm pretty sure we can handle ourselves…"

Art shrugged his vines. He had warned them of the possibilities, not much else he could do at that point.

Dade let out a breath, sitting on his bed. "Well, let's just hope that we're able to win the next challenge, too. I don't think that losing players is gonna be good for us down the line."

Lynn hummed, not entirely agreeing with that sentiment. "That's debatable; sometimes less is more. Though, I'm not saying that we need to lose nor do I want us to."

R.J. dramatically let out a breath, before sarcastically responding, "Whoa. You got me nervous there for a second… I thought you were gonna start sabotaging us!"

Lynn gave him the Beartic a look as Belladonna responded. "Hardy-har-har. You're _hilarious_."

R.J. rolled his eyes, uncaring about her sarcasm. Portia suddenly yawned before scratching her side, "Well, I'm gonna hit the hay. We don't know when they're gonna give us another challenge, so might as well get some rest early."

The Rhyperior proceeded to exit the cabin, leaving the others to exchange looks. Lucky hummed, "I guess she's not wrong… We _should_ get some sleep."

The girls began to vacate the guys' room, with Marley smirking before taking out a small spray bottle and spraying the inside of their room before running out after the girls.

The odor began to fill the room, much to the guys' chagrin as they exchanged looks. R.J. huffed, rising up from his bunk. "Well, I ain't tired, and this place now smells like shit thanks to the monkey bitch, so… I'm going for a walk."

Dade verbally gagged at the wretched odor in the air before he stopped smelling and only spoke. "You know what, that makes more sense than just sitting here in the stink. There's still a little bit of light out, anyway…"

The Freezing Pokemon growled to himself, but he decided to make something clear. "I'm not looking for a group. You guys can do whatever the hell you want, but you're not going with me? Got it?"

Dade and Lucky exchanged looks before glancing toward Art, who rolled his eyes. Lucky responded, "Um… We weren't going with you in the first place."

R.J. felt embarrassment wash over him; now he looked suspicious. Nevertheless, he walked out of the cabin without another word.

Dade sighed, "Okay, I volunteer R.J. for elimination if we lose. His attitude is just so poor _and_ he's a jerk!"

Art came to the Beartic's defense, intrigued by him. "You'd rather keep the monkey girl that just stunk up our cabin and annoys the hell out of the other girls instead of a strong guy who prefers solitude?"

Lucky put in his two cents, placing the blame on R.J. himself. "No offense to him, but if he loves solitude, he shouldn't have signed up for a show like this."

Dade nodded in agreement.

Art deadpanned, "My point still stands. He's a capable player; the only thing against him is that you guys don't like how he acts. Meanwhile, Marley has shown that she's only here to play games and mess with us. She's fart-sprayed both sides of our cabin and she wasn't much help in the challenge, now was she?"

The guys exchanged looks, with Lucky humming in thought. "Well, when you put it _that_ way, he sounds a lot better. But he still needs to change his 'tude if he wants anyone to fully like him."

Art nodded in understanding as the two males proceeded to exit. Once again, Zahku was sound asleep in his bunk, which make Art a bit puzzled. He still didn't have a good enough read on the Makuhita. He only spoke in short sentences for the most part, if at all, and seemed to only remain silent and act when necessary. He mentally added the Guts Pokemon to his list of players to watch out for.

A few moments later, the Thorn Pod Pokemon climbed out of bed to follow R.J. and see if he said or did anything that would be of use to him.

 **000**

Following their ceremony, a majority of the Red Team returned to their cabin, confused about the results. There was a near general consensus on the team that Kay was the one that needed to go, if not Chip. The fact that the Machamp only received a single vote and _Jessica_ instead received two votes rose questions that weren't likely to be answered immediately.

As the guys entered their side of the cabin, the girls watched on, with Tonya feeling a bit scummy for voting for Max. Sasha didn't necessarily regret voting for Chip, as he had assaulted Kane and constantly berated them, but she still felt that she should have voted for Kay like the others.

Honey giggled, noticing the looks of confusion plastered on Tim and Max's faces. She turned to Tonya and Sasha with a smirk. "Y'see that? Those were the faces of dread and confusion. We need them to feel that pressure so that we'll do better in challenges."

Tonya didn't express her concern earlier, but she was still rather confused about how that would even work. "Uh… How does voting for innocent people make them work harder. Wouldn't that m-make them want answers and s-strike until they get some?"

Honey's smile grew slightly. "That's the beauty of it. If they decide to ask a lot of questions, it'll distract them and we can vote them out if they end up doing nothing to help."

Sasha gaped in shock. "Wait, so… We set them up for failure?!"

Honey hummed, "Hmm, more like an insurance policy. They help the team more, they're safe. They don't, they're gone. Simple."

Tonya and Sasha exchanged skeptical looks. Couldn't that have been the case _without_ wasting votes and instilling paranoia? Sasha vocalized this point, "But, what's the point of doing that? We could've just spoken to them _if_ they weren't helping. They were actually doing well!"

Honey shrugged, "Well, they know that they can do better. Now come on, let's get some sleep."

As the Vespiquen flew into the cabin, the Accelgor and Nidoqueen exchanged looks before following her inside. Their conversation did not go unheard, as Jessica, who was behind them, listened intently.

 **000**

" **So, those three were the cause of the unnecessary votes. And it would seem that** _ **Honey**_ **is the one calling the shots, since the other two sounded hesitant and regretful," Jessica reasoned. She giggled, "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to see where this goes."**

" **If I don't think that it's going well or I get annoyed, I'll happily out them," she finished. "The fact that they didn't even see me is laughable."**

 **000**

"Alright, give it to us straight, did any of you vote for us?"

The Tropius stood before them all, in front of the door, while Max sat on his bunk with his arms folded. They were unsure of what to make of the situation, so Tim went ahead and decided to try and get some answers.

Kane, Xavier, and Chip exchanged looks, with Kane responding, "Uh… What reason do we have? You guys actually participated and tried to help us out in the challenge. I voted for Kay."

The Magnezone followed with his own explanation. "As did I. Her unpopularity was destined to rise the longer she stayed, spawning an overall negative atmosphere."

All eyes went to Chip, who was turning over in his bunk. The Machamp couldn't have cared less about the Tropius and Delibird. Just because they got votes didn't mean anything; they were still there. "Why the hell are you looking at me?"

Max responded with the question. "Did _you_ vote for one of us?"

Chip rolled his eyes, "No. I voted for Jessica. I don't even know why the hell you two are so pissy about getting a single vote. Hell, I got a vote, and you don't see me complaining about it."

Tim immediately shut his comparison down by explaining why it matters to him. "There's a difference," he explained. " _You_ had a reason that would make people want to vote for you. Max and I didn't do anything!"

Chip chuckled, "Well, you might wanna tell that to the girls, because they're the ones who voted for you."

Upon thinking about it, Tim immediately growled in annoyance. That should have been obvious, as he had no issues with the guys, and only one person in particular would have a petty reason to vote for him. "Fucking Honey…" he grumbled to himself. "She had to be the one to do it."

Kane rose a brow, "But… Why would she vote for you?"

Chip groaned, "Does it even matter!? Jeez, you act like damn near the entire team voted for you. It was _one_ lousy vote. _One_. And guess what? The person that people wanted to leave left. So, I suggest you put on your big boy pants and get over it because right now you are fine."

Despite his brash way of presenting it, Chip had a point. Kay was gone, and that was all that mattered. Maybe somes vote were just random for the sake of it, as everyone wanted the Stufful gone anyway.

However, it still didn't sit well with Max, who was twisting his tail. "And what if it keeps happening until someone else gets eliminated instead of who we wanted to go?"

Xavier hummed, "Equally fair point."

Chip shrugged his shoulders. "Then who cares? This is still a competition at the end of the day, guys. Almost everyone is going to get eliminated at some point. It's all a matter of self-preservation. If you fail, then you fail."

Kane gave the Machamp a dismissive look. "Not sure if I agree with that. Everyone deserves a fair chance."

Chip groaned, "You guys really don't listen nor understand the concept of this game, do you? We are _voting_ for each other. Bias and unfairness will come into play, meaning that not all eliminations will be 'fair'. Heck, on one of the original shows, someone got voted out _because_ they were a good person and they did well in challenges! You'll just have to take it as it is and accept it."

With that, the Superpower Pokemon rolled over in his bunk, draping his sheets over him, leaving the others to exchange wary looks toward each other.

 **000**

 **Tim took a breath, "Okay. I've come to the decision that I need to get rid of Honey so that I don't have to deal with possibly getting voted out over** _ **nothing**_ **."**

" **The only thing is, I'll have to try and convince the others, which shouldn't be too hard. At least I hope not."**

 **000**

 **Max let out a sigh of dismay. "Well, things just got real quickly. Now I don't even know who I can trust to vote correctly."**

 **000**

The next morning, the players began to wake up on their own without the unwanted aid of their hosts. In the Blue Team's cabin, in the girls' side, Lynn yawned after lifting her head up. She shivered slightly, the cabin being a lower temperature due to the weather outside.

She tugged on her sheets, bringing them up around her a bit more. She heard the creaking of a mattress as she rested her head back down. Portia had gotten out of her bunk, stretching with a yawn before scratching at her side.

She grabbed her surfboard before focusing her attention on the bunk above hers, where Belladonna was still asleep, curled into her rocky shell. Portia reached up to the Golem, rolling her back and forth, as her body resembled a rocky ball.

Not wanting to wake the others that were still asleep, the Rhyperior talked in a soft tone. "Bella… Come on, it's time for your lesson."

Getting no response, the Drill Pokemon shook the sleeping Golem again, getting the same response, which was nothing. She sighed as she picked up the Megaton Pokemon and began to carry her out of the cabin. Lynn, who had seen the entire scene, was a bit confused. However, she decided to mind her own business and finally get up.

As she rose up, a shiver when up her spine due to the early morning temperature. She sighed to herself before proceeding to exit the cabin. Stepping out, the cold breeze hit her like a truck, almost making her not want to leave at all. She softly moaned, "Hopefully, today's not a cold day."

She started heading to the mess hall, her eyes momentarily glancing toward the other team's cabin. She saw Tim begin to exit, a small smile slowly appearing on her face. The Fruit Pokemon took a breath before shivered from the cool temperature.

Seeing his reaction, she giggled while approaching him, her breath visible, "It's cold out here, right?"

Tim shook his head as he let out a breath, with it being visible as well. "No kiddin'."

As the two proceeded to walk toward the mess hall, Lynn noticed the Tropius' slightly saddened demeanor. "You okay?"

Tim continued forward, ducking his head down to enter the mess hall, before letting out a sigh. The mess hall was surprisingly toasty in comparison to the days prior. Glancing toward the left wall, they noticed that a fireplace was now sitting against the wall.

The two of them took a seat near the new structure, with Tim still not answering Lynn's question just yet. Eventually, he let out another sigh, which signalled her to respond again. "So, I take it that you're _not_ okay."

Tim looked at her with distraught eyes before looking back down at the wooden table. "No…"

Looking at him with soft eyes, she asked him, "Well, what's the matter?"

The Tropius looked down before huffing, "You'll probably think I'm overreacting. Chip already thinks I am…"

Lynn urged him, "Come on… Getting it off your chest will probably make you feel a bit at ease. And, no offense, but since when did Chip's opinion matter to anyone?"

Tim responded tonelessly, "When he actually made a bit of sense and gave an example of what he was talking about, that's when I started feeling wary. All I know is that I don't know who I'm gonna be able to trust on my team anymore."

Lynn was surprised to hear all of this so soon. She felt that it was far too early in the game for these kinds of feeling to be had. "Something affected you _this_ bad already?"

Tim groaned as he stood up, "Nevermind. Now that I think about it, it's stupid on my part. I _am_ overreacting…"

As he walked away from the Gogoat, she attempted to call him back and get him to talk to her about his problem. "Tim! Come on…" The Tropius was already gone, leaving the Mount Pokemon alone. As she sighed, the Tropis seemingly returned with a deadpan expression.

Lynn giggled slightly at his expression as he sat back in front of her. "You're back?"

Tim explained his reasoning, laying his head on the table. "It's still chilly out there, _and_ we have to wait for Mew and Victini to get here with our breakfast anyway. No use in leaving."

Lynn smiled softly, "Well, will you tell me what was eating at you, now?"

Tim sighed, "It's dumb, but I ended up getting a vote in our elimination ceremony."

The Gogoat rose a brow in confusion, as she felt that the obvious choices were Chip and Kay. "Wait, why?"

Tim's eyes widened. "That's why I was confused and worried about! The guys all confirmed their votes: Max, Xavier, Kane, and I voted for Kay, and Chip voted for Jessica. So, I'm thinking that it was Honey since she's the only one that I could think of that would make sense. I don't know if she's still not over the fact that I didn't care for her haughty attitude and that I didn't do what she said when we first got here or what, but she's the most likely suspect right now."

Lynn nodded in understanding, "Okay. Did you ask her about it? Did you tell the others?"

"Of course!" Tim replied hastily. "That's when Chip gave his spiel about how I'm overreacting and that nearly everyone is going to be voted for sooner or later regardless of the type of person they are since this is still a competition. That's what left me extremely conflicted, because now I want to just get back at Honey and vote her out. I'd tell the others, but again, I don't even know who I can trust anymore."

Lynn hummed before a small smile appeared on her face, "Well, you can trust _me,_ if you'd like."

Hearing that, Tim's face turned a faint crimson color as he rose his head up from the table. "U-Uh… I'm not entirely sure yet. We still haven't really spoken that much and… It's still kinda early. I only mention trust because, as my teammates, they should be the ones that I can trust."

Lynn was slightly saddened, but nodding in understanding. "Okay…"

 **000**

Kane popped his back as he walked toward the doorway of the cabin. He proceeded to do a couple of pull-ups on the frame of the door and dropped down after Chip pushed past him to get out of the door. "Trying to get all of that body fat off of you, I see. Decent start, but it's gonna take a lot more than a few pathetic pull-ups," the Machamp said as he walked down the steps and headed toward the mess hall.

The Ursaring rolled his eyes and proceeded after him. He noticed R.J. staggering out, a smile creeping up on his face. The Beartic, once again, was unable to really get any sleep. He let out a yawn as he continued his trek to the mess hall.

The brown bear walked toward him, which R.J. noticed. He rolled his eyes, though a smile crept onto his face. Suddenly, the creaking of a door was heard, followed by a familiar voice.

Sasha, seeing the Ursaring walking, greeted him with a smile and eager wave. "Morning, Kane!"

The Hibernator Pokemon turned back, waving back to the Nidoqueen as she descended the stairs and grabbed hold of his arm. Seeing that, R.J. decided to simply walk away, his eyes furrowed in a glare. Kane saw R.J.'s reaction as he walked away and let out a soft breath. Sasha took notice and grew concerned.

Sasha queried, "You okay?"

Kane hummed questioningly before giving her a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Uh… Let's just get to the mess hall."

Sasha smiled before escorting him to the mess hall. Kane mentally sighed to himself as they walked to the building.

 **000**

On the beach, Belladonna yawned as Portia laid her board in the sand. The Rhyperior had been explaining to the Golem that the techniques that were taught to her were tedious and would seem unnecessary to some. The Megaton Pokemon, still groggy, yawned and waved her concerns away, telling her, "I'll be fine."

So, after watching the Rhyperior stretch, do twenty cartwheels, perform a _split_ , and jog in place rather goofily, as her arms were flailing at her sides, the Golem yawned, still partially asleep. Now, with her board in the sand, Portia lied down upon it before pretending to surf on it, moving her arms to emulate how it looks.

Belladonna yawned once again as she watched the Rhyperior. "So, what was the point of all of the calisthenics if you're just gonna do this?"

"My uncle told me that you gotta keep your body graceful, flexible, and strong when you're surfing. It's also a lot of patience, courage, and calmness," Portia explained while continuing to move her arms. Eventually, she picked herself up and started making surfing movements.

Belladonna, while still tired, yet impressed and intrigued, found herself getting fixated at what the Drill Pokemon had done prior. "How the heck were you able to perform a split so easily? Usually big girls have trouble, and rock-types in general have a poor rep for that kind of thing."

Portia giggled, "Just a lot of training and practice. My uncle told me that the ultimate way to test your flexibility is to do a split."

Belladonna grew a bit confused, "Wait, I thought flexibility is just something some people are born with and others aren't."

The Rhyperior giggled at this, "Nope. You can get flexible through a lot of training, exercise, stretching, and relaxation."

She performed the split again, making Belladonna nod, impressed. "And how does it help you with surfing?"

The Drill Pokemon explained, "Well, splits in particular don't do anything, but being flexible allows you to perform tricks in a more fluid way, as well as move a bit more freely on the board while you're riding a wave. At least that's what I was told."

The Golem teased with a giggle, "Well, I bet you turn guys out when _you_ get dirty."

Portia blushed immediately, not expecting that comment. Well, it was _true_ , but it was still a rather awkward subject for her to talk about due to her species. She chuckled sheepishly, before clearing her throat and stepping off of her board. "Okay, that's enough lessons for today."

Belladonna rose a brow at her sudden reaction. She was confused, but she accepted it. "Uh, alright then. Let's... Head to the mess hall, I guess."

"ALL CONTESTANTS REPORT TO THE MESS HALL FOR BREAKFAST AND MORNING INSTRUCTION!"

As the Golem proceeded toward the building, she chuckled to herself. "Perfect timing."

Watching her leave, Portia could only sigh as she picked up her board and headed back toward the cabin in order to put it away.

 **000**

" **Talks like those always just make me uncomfortable and nervous. Yes, I've had sex before, but it's always so weird and awkward for me to hear how frequently people do, how rough people are, their kinks, their pleasure points…" Portia explained with a slight shudder.**

 **She let out a sigh. "Hopefully situations like that don't arise often."**

 **000**

Portia was the final player to enter the mess hall, with everyone else sitting with their breakfast boxes, once again from Greasy Al's. This time, the boxes contained a stack of either pancakes or waffles, a bowl of grits, two pieces of bacon, and a small container of grapes. The Rhyperior grabbed her plate, getting eyed by the others, including the hosts, before taking a seat near Belladonna and Jessica.

Mew let out a breath. "Alright. I hope that you all slept well last night, because today is challenge day number two!"

Art deadpanned, "Is there going to be a regular break day anytime soon?"

Victini nodded his head affirmatively. "Yes, there will be break days. However, today isn't one of them."

The Ferrothorn rolled his eyes. He was hoping that there would be a day of relaxation so that he would be able to watch his fellow competitors and see what they truly had to offer.

Mew continued on, explaining where they would be heading for that day's challenge. "Okay. Today's challenge will be held at the mountains. So, in half an hour, meet us at the base and we'll explain more when you all get there."

Victini followed up with a question. "Everyone clear?"

The contestants nodded. The two hosts exited the mess hall, leaving the contestants to talk amongst themselves.

 **-000-**

Marley found herself sitting next to Dade, Lucky, and Zahku. She didn't really have much of an opinion on any of the guys. At most, the only things that were identifiable to her were that Dade was a typical nerdy guy, Lucky had poor luck, and Zahku was just completely weird.

As they conversed amongst themselves, Marley found herself tuning them out, uninterested in what they were talking about. Eventually though, she heard herself being brought up in the conversation.

Lucky queried, "So, Marley, what got you into pranking in the first place?"

The Aipom, upon hearing that, giggled. "Well, I was inspired by clowns and a bit by prank shows I saw on television. The reactions were hilarious, so I decided to try things out for myself. My first one was when I hid my dad's pornos in my mom's purse. She was so mad that they ended up getting a divorce!"

The three guys stared blankly at her, surprised and confused at how cheerful she was when discussing it. Dade cleared his throat. "Uh… How are you so happy about that?"

Marley shrugged, "I was upset at first and I realized that I had screwed up, but it turned out that my mom had been cheating and was looking for a reason to divorce him anyway. So, I just got over it."

Dade chuckled sheepishly. "Alright then…" he said, nibbling on one of the two strips of bacon.

 **-000-**

Max put a spoonful of grits into his mouth, only to shudder at the blandness of it. He let out a sigh, "This has no taste."

Art responded to the Delibird's complaint. "Well, it doesn't look like there's any butter or cheese in it, so, that's to be expected. It's probably better not to eat that junk anyway."

Christine gave the Ferrothorn a dismissive look, scoffing at his statement. "Then what are we supposed to eat? The air?"

Art deadpanned, "I said it's better not to, not that you couldn't. Seriously, learn to listen better."

Christine simply rolled her eyes, not wanting to waste her breath on the Ferrothorn much longer. She turned her attention back to her breakfast, stabbing one of the grapes and putting it into her mouth.

Max could only sigh to himself.

 **-000-**

Tonya, using one of the syrup packets to drizzle her stack of waffles, noticed that Honey was giggling with a sneer on her face. The Accelgor rose a brow in confusion. "What're you giggling about?"

She gestured to another table. Looking behind her, she saw Tim glowering at their table. Tonya sweatdropped, his eyes piercing her like a sharp dagger. She turned away rather quickly, a look of worry on her face.

Tonya replied. "He's glaring at us."

Honey responded with a smirk, "Yep; I think he knows about the voting situation. But, nothing is going to happen as a result. There's no reason to. Plus, I can just say that I did it to mess with his pathetic head."

Tonya sighed, "He's in the cabin with the other guys. They probably told him that they didn't vote for him, so he put two and two together."

Honey shrugged, "Who cares? It's not like I'm messing with the challenges. He's the one obsessing over a single vote. And, like I said yesterday, if he's obsessed over it and doesn't offer help in the challenges, we can take him out for real."

Tonya looked back at him with uncertainty, but saw that he was no longer looking at them. She looked over to Sasha, only to see that she was leaning against Kane, with R.J. sitting across from them. She took a breath, understanding why the Nidoqueen wasn't sitting with them, but also feeling a bit cheated since she wasn't feeling the same nervousness as her.

 **-000-**

Sasha had already finished her breakfast and was just sitting next to Kane. R.J., sitting across from them, had to hold in his anger. Kane, noticing this, could only sweatdrop. Eventually, R.J. decided to start a conversation with a question. "Why the heck are you always holding onto his arm?"

The Nidoqueen shrugged her shoulders, still holding onto the Ursaring's arm. "His fur is so soft and I can just tell that he's a good guy. Plus… He's cute."

Kane blushed slightly in response, causing Sasha to giggle. R.J. twitched before clearing his throat, "Uh… Aren't you married or something?"

The Hibernator Pokemon gave him a look. "Yeah. And I love my partner."

Sasha, remembering that Kane _was_ married, twitched. She took a deep breath and nuzzled his arm again. "Well… I doubt that she'd mind sharing you…"

Kane's eyes widened as R.J. had to suppress his urge to reach across the table and strangle the Drill Pokemon. "Well, I'd disagree. Some spouses _hate_ seeing their significant others with people all over them. So, I suggest that you be careful. You never know."

He rose up, taking his box with him as he exited the mess hall. Watching him go, Kane felt slightly distraught. However, he kept himself calm and rose to his own feet. He took a breath as he popped his back. "Well, we might as well head to the mountains, too. No use in keeping them waiting…"

Sasha mimicked his actions, standing up as well. "Oh, yeah… Well, let's go."

Watching them exit, Art grew more interested, walking away from the table and leaving his box behind.

 **000**

 **Art hummed, "Looks like Sasha is causing issues between the two bears. Interesting…"**

 **000**

Once finished with breakfast, all of the contestants made their way to the mountain, as instructed. There, they saw Mew and Victini waiting next to an opening in the large landform. This particular opening wasn't identified when they were first given a tour of the island, making its sudden presence bewildering.

Nevertheless, they remained silent as they all gathered in front of the two hosts. Mew eagerly rubbed his paws together before beginning his explanation of their challenge.

He greeted them, "Hello, and welcome to the site of your second challenge!" The feline gestured to the large cave entrance.

Max expressed his confusion. "Uh… This cave wasn't here before."

Victini nodded, "No, it wasn't. However, there were other openings leading into the mountains, so we decided to add our own and connect them all."

Mew continued with the explanation. "Now, your challenge is as follows. Both teams will head into the cave in order to search for six of these." The pink feline held up a medium-sized green diamond for them to see. "Elemental Gems."

A few of the contestants marveled at the shininess of the gem. Mew resumed, "Now, some of you may already know of these gems. Depending on what type they are, they will increase the attack power of one of your moves."

"Yeah, those stupid things are like $300," R.J. commented, folding his arms.

Art posed a question to the hosts, feeling that their statements held inconsistencies. "Uh… If you don't mind me asking. How are you able to afford $3,600 worth of gems, but not decent food or living and eating arrangements for us?"

Victini chuckled, "Who said that we paid for these? We just _borrowed_ a few from one of our fellow legendaries."

Art deadpanned, "Fair enough."

Mew got back on track. "Okay, now as I've said before, each team will be required to enter the caves and make their way around in search of six gems. Now, be warned, there are a few obstacles, including mountain dwelling Pokemon, that will hinder your progress."

Christine sighed, " _Great…_ "

Victini explained, "The team that brings all of their gems back out of the mountain first wins. The losing team is sending someone home tonight."

The teams exchanged competitive glances, with Chip exclaiming, "Well, since we're a useless bitch down, there's no doubt that our team will win."

Marley tittered, "Well, looks like you've jinxed yourself. Congratulations..."

Mew continued, "Alright, alright, save the trash talk for when the challenge begins… Which is now." He took out a bullhorn before saying, "GO!"

The teams rushed into the cave entrance, leaving the hosts outside. The hosts exchanged looks, with Mew commenting, "This'll be interesting."

 **000**

Inside of the cave, the contestants gaped in astonishment. What they thought would be a dark, cold, and depressing environment turned out to be quite the opposite. Excluding the obvious drop in temperature, the cave was actually quite beautiful and well lit.

Embedded in the walls were minerals of green, yellow, and blue. They were of various sizes and shapes, and each of them were glowing brightly, lighting the way for the contestants as they walked down the paths. It was similar to having a strobe light inside of the cave. The floor of the cave was craggy and rough, making it uncomfortable to walk on for some of the competitors.

The teams eventually reached a fork in the path that they were going down. Lynn smacked her lips, looking down both paths. The main difference between the paths was that the left one was full of minerals that were predominantly cyan, and the right side had minerals that were predominantly red. In addition to the two paths, there were also openings that were higher up, reachable from ledges. However, the main areas of focus were the two paths before them.

Lynn hummed in uncertainty as she looked over the two paths. She looked back at her teammates, "What do you guys think? Left or right?"

Art sighed, "It doesn't matter. Both of our teams have to do the same thing anyway. Let's just go to the right."

The Blue Team went down the right path, leaving the Red Team at the fork. Tim let out a sigh. "Well, looks like we're going down _this_ path," he said, gesturing to the left path.

Chip punched one of his palms while staring down the right path. " _Or_ we go after those losers, kick the crap out of them, and steal their gems when they get them."

Kane deadpanned, "Somehow I don't think that would go well for any of us."

Honey rose a brow. "How are you so sure about that? We may be down a player and, not trying to boost his already inflated ego, Chip _is_ probably capable of pummeling a few of them."

The Machamp's proud smile faded with her choice of words. "A few?! I could pummel all of them with three of my arms tied down!"

Xavier spoke up. "Reminder that you punched Kane square in the face and he was able to continue standing with only a bloody nose as evidence of the strike."

Chip groaned in annoyance. "That doesn't mean shit! Plus, uh..." he trailed off, attempting to come up with a reason as to why his hard strike did barely anything to the normal-type. He snapped his fingers, thinking that he had the reasoning. "Yeah, he's a lumberjack. Those guys are always large, tough and durable from carrying huge ass trees and junk."

Jessica rolled her eyes, " _Sure_ , his occupation _totally_ negates the fact that you, a fighting-type, didn't K.O. him, a normal-type, with one hard punch."

Chip, growing annoyed by the comments and reminders, growled in agitation. "Okay, if you assholes are just gonna keep trying to belittle me, then I might as well just go off on my own."

Sasha giggled at his behavior, "Oh, so it's different when _we're_ the ones talking shit and treating you like you're worthless, huh?"

Chip defended himself, explaining, "I said that I was gonna try to stop doing that! You doing it now is only gonna set us back more!"

Kane sighed, growing tired of the conversation and noticing that the Blue Team was no longer in their sights. "Alright, that's enough. We're wasting time. Let's just go down the left path and get on with this. Chip, if _you_ want to go and try to steal from the other team, be my guest. The rest of us will just go."

The Ursaring began walking down the left path, the others on the team slowly following suit. Eventually, Chip was left alone, watching as his teammates went on without him. He took a breath before going down the right path, following the Blue Team.

 **000**

The members of the Blue Team continued to marvel at the scenery, an ominous feeling circulating throughout the cave. The pulsation of light emitted by the minerals made Dade rather suspicious as to what they were getting themselves into.

The Burmy, sitting atop Lucky's head, let out a small whimper as the red lights continued to flash around them. "I don't like this…"

R.J. scoffed, his arms folded. "Pssh. Don't be a wimp. What's there to even be scared of? This stuff in the wall is just glowing. Big deal."

"We all can't be 'manly' and 'fearless' like _you,_ R.J.," Christine sarcastically responded, resulting in the Beartic giving her a look of vexation.

A few moments later, a light was seen glowing from an opening near the roof of the path they were on. "Zahku sees light," the Makuhita said, pointing toward the medium-sized opening.

Portia rose a brow. "Huh… I wonder if that's another way that we could go."

R.J. rolled his eyes in disbelief. "If it was , how would they expect us to make it in there? What would even be the point?"

Lucky stammered, "Uh… Maybe there's gems in places like those."

Art spoke up, feeling the most comfortable in their current environment. Using his vines, he climbed along the walls, moving toward the opening. "Yes, there is a possibility of that, but there's also a possibility of it being a trap. Remember, they said that there would be obstacles."

He peered inside, but the light already inside made it difficult for him to get a good view inside. He hummed.

Lynn queried, "See anything?"

Art responded with a grunt as he climbed off of the wall. "Naw. It's too bright. But, like I said, it could be a trap anyway."

Christine hummed to herself, looking at the opening. "In that case, we shouldn't really risk it. But for all we know, there _could_ be a gem through there."

Belladonna added some input, a small smirk on his face. "I say we sacrifice Marley. If she comes back, she can just let us know what was back there. If she doesn't. Oh well."

Marley deadpanned, "Wow, thanks for that. Good to know that this team is open-minded and can take jokes."

Portia responded, "You should know by now that your pranks haven't gotten you on anyone's good side, dudette."

Marley scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Yeah, that makes it okay, then, huh?"

Belladonna responded, "Basically Marley… You're expendable. Just as simple as that. So, you may as well just take one for the team."

"Or maybe we can just say fuck it and just keep moving," Marley countered as she started walking forward.

Seeing this, Lynn groaned and used her vines to grab hold of her and bring her back. An argument began, with the others unsure about whether or not they should try to enter the hole and scope it out.

Zahku, Portia, Lucky and Dade were the only ones not involved, being a bit more ahead of their team. Zahku looked at the hole in interest. "Zahku go check out bright hole."

Hearing that, Portia, Dade and Lucky were very surprised as they watched the Makuhita begin climbing up the wall, using the ledges and minerals, that were sticking out, as steps. They watched as the Guts Pokemon made it up and entered the tunnel.

Amidst their arguing, none of the others seemed to notice, causing the other three to sigh.

 **-000-**

Crawling through the tunnel, Zahku felt his feet and hands be pinched and stabbed by the jagged stones that lined the narrow pathway. The light coming from the other side of the tunnel was also extremely bright, nearly blinding him as he continued forward. "Well, Zahku knows heaven doesn't exist, so this is strange," he said to himself as he squinted.

Eventually, he found himself unknowingly crawling directly out of the tunnel, entering a cavern. Zahku could feel a tremendous amount of heat against his face as he identified the source of the bright light. There was a large clump of colorless crystals in the center of the cavern that were flashing every so often.

The light dimmed down after a while, allowing the Guts Pokemon to approach it. He inspected it, grabbing onto one of them, only to jerk his arm back from the high temperature of it. "Hmm… Zahku not impressed by hot, glowing crystals."

He moved away from the crystals before beginning to look around the cavern he was currently in. There was only one other way that he could exit, and it was in the ceiling. He hummed, continuing to look around.

Unlike where he just came from, the only minerals identifiable were the crystals in the middle. The walls were rather clear, but still craggy. He started heading back toward the entrance he had just emerged from. Climbing back through the tunnel, he heard others' voices from the other side.

He heard Belladonna shout, "Zahku! Come back out! We don't need you getting stuck!"

The Makuhita rolled his eyes before entering tunnel once again. As he began moving, a whirring noise filled his turned back around to see what was going on, only to see the crystals blinking. He rolled his eyes before seeing a Pokemon descend from the tunnel on the ceiling.

The Pokemon resembled a bunch of interlocking gears, a spiked ring surrounding them. Zahku immediately identified it, "Klinklang…?"

The Gear Pokemon floated close to the crystals to inspect them. That is when Zahku noticed something taped onto its back: a blue, diamond-shaped gem. His eyes widened.

While the steel-type's back was still turned, Zahku charged up a ball of energy, which he prepared to launch at it. However, just before he could unleash the Focus Blast-

"ZAHKU! BRING YOUR ASS BACK HERE!"

The sudden exclamation from the Beartic on the other side startled the fighting-type, causing him to lose the move. Not only that, but the Klinklang was alerted. Its ring spun quickly as a yellow orb with a red core formed in front of it.

Zahku paled. "Uh-oh." He leapt back into the tunnel and began crawling quickly. The Klinklang floated toward the tunnel and fired the Zap Cannon inside behind him.

 **-000-**

On the other side of the tunnel, the others waited for the fighting-type's return, if he was even going to. Art eyed Dade, Lucky, and Portia irritatedly. "Why the hell did you let him go in there?"

Lucky retorted, "Hey, you can't blame us. He went on his own. Plus, you guys were arguing and we weren't making any progress."

R.J. growled, holding his head. "Yeah, but if he's actually trapped or whatever, we're probably hosed!"

A mere moments later, Zahku leapt out of the tunnel, landing on the ground with a thud. The orb of electricity shot out of the tunnel, hitting the opposite wall.

The others were surprised at what just happened and numerous questions began to form. Lynn queried, "What the heck was that, Zahku!?"

R.J. scoffed, "Who cares about what that was? Did you _find_ anything?"

Zahku huffed as he stood up and dusted himself off before glowering at the Freezing Pokemon. "Zahku _would_ have come back with gem, but foolish yelling Beartic alerted enemy!"

R.J. growled, clenching his fists. "What!? Who the hell are you calling foolish?!"

Christine de-escalated the situation with quick haste. "R.J., your attitude isn't helping anything right now."

R.J. folded his arms, turning away from them in a huff. His dislike of his team was steadily growing, and with Sasha and Kane running through his mind, he just felt the urge to punch or yell at something _or_ someone. However, he had a feeling that if this persisted, he'd end up eliminated. He was gonna have to calm himself down and _not_ think about the fact that Sasha was perfectly fine with disrupting his and Kane's relationship. He clenched his fists just thinking about it.

"Wait, so there was a gem on a Klinklang's back, and R.J.'s yelling distracted you from knocking it out?" he heard Lynn restate. He turned his head back around toward his teammates, who were leering at him with narrowed eyes.

Immediately, he rolled his eyes at the looks he was getting. "Oh come _on_ , how was I supposed to know that he actually found a gem? It could have literally been anyone's fault. Plus, if he was able to hear me, he should have been able to hear Belladonna calling out to him earlier and _responded_ so that I didn't _have_ to yell."

Dade rose a brow, feeling rather nervous about what he was about to say. "But… You didn't have to yell to begin with."

R.J. glowered at the Burmy, who ducked behind Lucky's sprigs of hair.

Art groaned at the lack of progress. The senseless arguing and blaming was giving him a migraine. "Okay, so we can either stand around like a bunch of morons and pass the blame, _or_ we can move ahead and get on with this challenge. I suggest that we forge ahead."

The Ferrothorn climbed on the roof of the path, walking over all of his teammates' heads, before dropping back down and continuing ahead. The others exchanged looks before following him down the path.

 **000**

 **Art took a breath, "Well, looks like I'm taking the reins for this challenge. These guys have no fucking idea what they're doing…"**

" **Also, it seems that R.J. has a pretty big target on his back right now, aside from Marley. I'll have to change that… I may end up needing him. Plus, it gives me a change to actually overlook him more."**

 **000**

" **I hate my team," R.J. stated boldly, folding his arms. "They're just a bunch of annoying, boring, wimpy… UGH. It I was on the other at least I'd get some more time with Kane, I'd get to keep Sasha away from him, and at least I'd have some conflict or entertainment or** _ **something**_ **because of Chip, Jessica, and Honey."**

" **But… These are the cards I've been dealt and I have to** _ **try**_ **to stay on their good side so that they don't vote me out too soon."**

 **000**

Max was kicking a single stone forward with a deadpan expression as he and the others continued down their narrowing pathway. The brightly colored minerals continued to pulsate, bathing them in radiant, colored lights. The members of the team were rather silent as they continued walking. The continued silence was working Honey's nerves, finding it pointless to be this quiet during a challenge.

Honey groaned, "Okay, can you people speak or something. This is a challenge, not a movie theater. We're supposed to be working together, remember?"

Tim glared at her. "Yeah, but there's nothing to really say. We're just looking for small gems; we have to be focused."

Honey rolled her eyes. "Sure, and being quiet will surely move the process along. Seriously, _communication_!"

Eventually, Max spoke up, having stopped in the middle of the pathway after kicking his stone forward and seeing it drop. "Uh… I think I found an obstacle…"

The others moved forward behind him before looking over their shoulders and seeing that there was a large chasm that stretched approximately twenty feet forward. There was a pink gem hung over the pit with a rope. Tim whistled upon looking down into the pit and seeing how far the drop was.

Kane expressed his disbelief as he looked into the chasm. "Jeez. I hope they don't expect us to jump across."

Jessica gave him a rather sultry look, "Uh… big daddy, I don't think that's necessary."

Upon hearing that, Sasha growled to herself, slightly tightening her grip around Kane's arm. The Ursaring ignored the nickname, instead choosing to respond to her statement following it. "What do you mean?"

The Bruxish giggled, "What I mean is that _I_ am a psychic-type, Xavier floats, and Tim, Honey, and Max can all fly. There's no real trouble."

As she proceeded to float forward, minerals that were situated across from each other began to glow before creating numerous bright laser that extended across the chasm at different heights. Everyone gaped in shock at the display.

 **000**

" **Okay, so I'm looking at these lasers and I'm thinking… What the heck did I sign up for?" Max expressed, twisting his tail.**

 **000**

Max swallowed in fear as he looked at the lasers, twisting his tail anxiously. Tim let out a sigh of dismay before groaning, "Great… We're screwed."

Tonya studied the lasers intently, identifying places on the walls where she could and couldn't leap. She could see that it was mostly the larger minerals that were acting as the laser bases, so she continued looking back and forth.

Sasha noticed that the Accelgor wasn't saying much and was staring intently at the lasers. The Nidoqueen nudged her, "You alright, Tonya?"

The Accelgor, having lost her concentration, let out a sigh. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just looking for the best path that'd allow us to make it through the lasers safely."

Kane rose a brow, "Wait, you think you can find a way through for us?"

Tonya hopped forward. She hummed, looking at the walls. "I was _really_ speaking for myself, as I could possibly make it across with minimal injuries."

"And what about the rest of us?" Tim queried. "And there's still the situation with us having to get the gem, too."

Jessica's protuberance opened up, with the orb inside glowing blue. The pink gem was surrounded in a blue aura before being navigated past the lasers. The gem was given to Kane, as Honey giggled. "Well, that was easy."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "There's always a simple solution to one problem, but a complex solution to another."

An idea suddenly emerged in Tim's heard as he looked at the Delibird beside him and at the walls. "Uh… Can't Max just freeze rocks that're producing the lasers? Shouldn't that help?"

Honey rolled her eyes, "I doubt it. Lasers are known to be hot, so they'd just melt the ice away. We'd be better off if Jessica just teleported us on the opposite side."

Everyone turned to the Gnash Teeth Pokemon, who sighed at the simplicity of their solution. "Sometimes even psychic-types forget the simple solutions…"

Her protuberance opened once again, glowing blue. Everyone there found themselves being enveloped in a blue aura before being teleported to the opposite side of the pit.

Now on the other side, Kane chuckled. "Alright, so we've got one down and five more to go."

Sasha, who had been given the gem, handed it to Xavier, who was confused as to why he was being given it. The Magnezone gave her a look of unsurety. "Uh, I am not sure that giving these to me is a perfect idea. My magnets cannot attract them. I can assure that either my or your popularity will decrease tremendously if the gems are lost."

Sasha shrugged in indifference. "Well, you haven't really been contributing to the conversations, so… _This_ is your job now."

Max spoke up almost instantly. "Uh… Actually, _I_ can take that job if you don't mind. I can just hold the gems in my tail."

Xavier agreed wholeheartedly. "That would prove much more effective." The Magnezone hovered over to Max, dropping the gem onto his tail. "Popularity increase: ten percent."

Honey huffed, "Okay, seriously, what's with the popularity crap you keep spewing out? It's getting a bit annoying."

The Magnet Area Pokemon explained. "It is my job to report popularity levels and assure people that they will either be safe or unsafe due to it."

The Vespiquen scoffed. Who exactly did this guy think he was? "And who are you to dictate if we're popular or not?"

Xavier deadpanned, not answering her question. Instead, he replied, "For example, I can tell that _your_ popularity is in a neutral territory leaning toward negative."

"What?!"

"OKAY!" Kane interrupted, getting everyone's attention. The Ursaring took a breath. "We don't have time to argue. We've got one gem; we need five more. Let's keep moving and try _not_ to bicker like children."

Honey tightened her glare at the Magnezone before folding her arms and flying forward. Tim glared at the Vespiquen as she flew forward and leaned his head down to Kane's level. He whispered, "After the challenge, I want to talk to you about her…"

Kane rose a brow at the sudden request, but nodded in agreement. Being in such a close proximity, Sasha's eyes widened slightly. She had a feeling that the Tropius was going to talk about Honey. In the back of her mind, she was perfectly fine, but on the other hand, she was unsure of what to make of it.

 **000**

 **Sasha sighed, "Okay, so Tim is** _ **probably**_ **gonna be talking to kane about Honey after the challenge. I don't know if I should do something about it or not. On one hand, I don't really like what her methods are going to involve, and on the other hand, she's trying to keep Tonya and I in the game…"**

 **She let out yet another sigh. "Hmm… Well, this** _ **is**_ **a competition. Maybe a little… 'betrayal' couldn't really hurt."**

 **000**

Chip was walking down the path after the Blue Team, determined to find and pummel them in order to retrieve any and all gems that they were able to retrieve. The arrogant gym teacher had a history of unorthodox methods of teaching and achieving his goals. He had been nearly fired on six different occasions due to harassment, the children being hurt, or teasing. And, he was able to avoid all of it due to him having an affair with the _male_ principal of the school, only getting paid days off.

So, the Machamp was no stranger to this kind of behavior, though it was obvious given his behavior in the previous challenge. Walking down the pathway, he came upon the same area that the Blue Team found themselves waiting for Zahku to return.

He looked around, noticing a dent in the wall directly across from the tunnel. Curious, Chip climbed up and peered into the tunnel. He swore to himself. Had he been smaller, he would have been able to get inside. And, thinking about it, since there was a small crater in the wall across from the tunnel, it probably wasn't in his best interest to be looking down the small, bright tunnel.

He growled to himself as he got back down and looked forward, continuing down the path. The Machamp was in this game to simply win and assert himself, and he would do what he needed to in order to win. However, given who his competition was, he knew that he needed to act like a team player and avoid causing further irritation in order to keep him in the game.

That was partially the reason why he went alone. Not only did he prefer being alone at times, he needed to get his head straight and come up with a better game plan if he wanted to have a chance. He took a deep breath, rubbing his face. He clasped his hands together, "Okay… Continue helping the team; don't speak so much; get rid of freaky Jessica…"

He groaned, punching the wall and leaving another crater in it. He took in a sharp breath as he held his head, locking his fingers on top of it. "Arceus, what the fuck. Why is my fate in this game determined by a bunch of pansies?!"

He proceeded down the cave, continuing to talk to himself. Eventually, as he walked past an unusually large rock jutting from the ground, he heard voices up ahead. He quickly ducked down behind the rock, watching the Blue Team as they continued forward.

 **000**

The Blue Team had come across numerous cavern entrances, including more miniature wall cracks and tunnels. They looked around in confusion, unsure of where they should go next. Each passageway looked like a suitable way for them to go.

Lynn sighed as they all looked around, "Alright, we've been walking for nearly thirty minutes and have seen no sign of a gem of than the one Zahku claims was on the back of a Klinklang. I think we should split up and check these caverns out."

Art sarcastically drawled, "Ah yes, and possibly deal with the obstacles that are scattered throughout this cave alone. Great idea."

Christine glowered at the Ferrothorn, responding, "Splitting up doesn't automatically mean going completely alone, asshole. We can split up into groups of two to three and just do it that way. There are four different caverns here, and smaller tunnels and crevices that can checked right at this moment."

Art, in his same monotonous tone, retorted, "I'm pretty sure the only one of us that'd be able to fit into or have a _part_ of our bodies fit into those places is Dade, and with his timidness… Yeah I don't see that happening."

The Burmy, still sitting atop Lucky's head, frowned, feeling somewhat embarrassed and offended by the assumption. "Hey!"

Portia sighed, "Okay, can we not call anyone out? I'd rather we finish this challenge so that we don't end up losing."

Belladonna nodded in agreement. "Right, so let's get searching. Portia and I will check the far left one, Lucky, Dade, and Zahku can check the far right one. Art and R.J. can take the middle left, and Christine and Lynn can take the middle right one."

R.J. rose a brow, impressed. "Huh… That actually sounds like it could work…" he complimented, his arms folded.

Marley cleared her throat, waving her hand as everyone looked down at her. "Uh… You neglected to tell me what group _I_ was going with."

Belladonna rolled her eyes. The monkey's pranks had completely soured the Golem's opinion of her, leading to her not even wanting to mention her as a member of the team. "You can just do whatever you want as long as you're not in our way,"

Hearing that, Marley sighed as the different groups separated and went into the different caverns.

 **000**

 **Marley was very disheartened and annoyed. "Okay, now this is just stupid. What? They've just given up on me entirely because I played a few pranks on them? That's the dumbest reason ever! I'm still willing to put my best foot forward to help the team, but because I had fun messing with them, it's a problem?"**

 **She sighed. "If they're all gonna just be sourpusses, maybe I** _ **should**_ **just get out of here…"**

 **000**

Marley began walking back from where her team had just come from. If they didn't want her there, then what was the point of following one of the groups? On the way back, she noticed Chip hiding behind the large rock, causing her eyes to widen. She quickly tried to run back and warn her teammates, but the Machamp was able to grab her and cover her mouth as she struggled in his grasp.

She attempted to bite at his hand, but was unable to. Using his other pair of arms, he picked up the large stone and rushed back down the path.

 **-000-**

Chip returned to the area from earlier, tossing Marley into the bright tunnel before smashing the rock into the tunnel, blocking the way.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" she exclaimed from inside as she banged on the rock. "LET ME OUT!"

The Superpower Pokemon chuckled, "Not until the challenge is over and _my_ team wins! You have fun in there, though." The Machamp began rushing forward once again, leaving the Aipom trapped in the tunnel.

She began beating on the rock with her tail, but it didn't budge at all. "HELP! SOMEBODY!"

Knowing that her team was too far ahead to hear her cries, she sighed to herself. She squinted as she turned toward the area where the bright light was coming from. Zahku _did_ mention that he found another place by going down the tunnel.

Crawling down the path, the Aipom found herself flinching from the rough, rugged stones that lined it. Eventually, she crawled directly out of the tunnel, landing on the ground face-first. She sat up, rubbing her forehead in pain before looking forward and seeing that the light had dimmed down.

She looked around in amazement at the place. "Whoa… This is pretty cool."

However, she didn't notice a familiar steel-type quietly hovering behind her.

 **000**

Being partnered with R.J., Art decided that this was the perfect time to extend his possible aid. Knowing of the Beartic's relationship _and_ sour attitude, he knew that he was going to need a lot of help if he was going to last in this game.

The two of them were rather silent as they walked down the path they were given. Eventually, he decided to be blunt and start their interaction. "So, do you top or bottom?"

R.J. froze immediately before raising a brow. He was a bit skeptical about the question, but was unsure about whether Art knew what he was talking about or not. He tried to suppress a blush, but his white body made it completely noticeable. "What are you talking about?"

Art, seeing the blush on the Beartic's face, knew that he had him pegged. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

R.J. had seen a few shows that had characters interact like this. He didn't want to fall for it and reveal his relationship, so instead, he asked for clarity. "No, I don't," he growled. "Mind being specific?"

The Ferrothorn was surprised that he countered his statement. "So, he decided to continue with their exchange of words. "Oh, so you're still a virgin. Huh. Well, I would have expected you to have had sex before, but-"

R.J. bared his teeth, "What th- I'm not a fucking virgin!"

Hearing that, Art repeated his question. "Okay, so do you top or bottom? Simple question."

The Freezing Pokemon glowered at him, finding his sudden interest very suspicious. His position during sex didn't even pertain to the challenge, so why was he interested? "Why do you care? I'm not gonna have sex with you if that's what you're about to ask."

Art exclaimed, "What? NO! Ugh. Okay, screw this. I know that you and Kane are in a relationship. There."

R.J. clenched his fists, glaring daggers at the Thorn Pod Pokemon. "I swear to Arceus, I will fucking end you if you tell _anyone_."

Art chuckled at his threat, not worried about the Beartic in the slightest, "Don't worry. Your little secret is safe with me… As long as you and I are clear about certain things." He continued walking forward.

R.J. gave him a look, "The fuck are you on about?"

Art explained. "Well, if I'm going to be keeping your relationship between you and your boyfriend under wraps, I feel like we need to have a mutual agreement."

R.J. folded his arms. "First of all, he's my _husband_. Second of all, why the hell would I even want-"

Art interrupted him with a stern tone, "Look, right now you're in a pretty shitty spot on the team. If you don't fix yourself and get help _or_ if this little thing between you and your husband comes out, you're gonna be gone soon. Unlike the others, I think you'll be a useful ally, which is why I'm offering you aid. I'm undoubtedly one of the most logical thinkers on the team, so I believe that if we stick together, we can stay in the game longer."

R.J. wasn't sure if he could trust the steel- and grass-type. There was just something about him that made him seem untrustworthy in the Beartic's eyes. However, the offer of help was able to sway him, especially because what he said seemed to be very true.

He growled, "Fine. What the hell do you want?"

Art chuckled, "Simple. You just vote with me and prove yourself useful to me _and_ the team. Right now you're mostly in the background or half-and-half. You need to make yourself very useful and not just be the belittling asshole you've been acting as."

R.J. groaned. "I was already planning on doing that."

Art hummed in response. "Good, you've got a head start. Now come on, I think-"

The Ferrothorn stopped in his tracks as he looked forward and saw what was ahead of the path. R.J. noticed him stop and grew confused. As he caught up, he finally saw why the Thorn Pod Pokemon stopped. There was a long pit lined with spikes ahead of them. On the opposite side of the pit, was a floating yellow gem. R.J. expressed how both of them were feeling, irritatedly shouting, "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?"

 **000**

The Red Team had continued down the path they were already going down. Unlike the Blue Team, they hadn't found other passageways, nor any other crevices or holes that could possibly hold the gems. A few of the members of the team were growing very impatient and annoyed as they traversed the cramped pathways.

Honey groaned, stopping mid-flight as the others continued walking. "Okay, this is getting really fucking annoying. We've been walking for nearly an hour now and we still only have one stupid gem."

Tim, his tone oozing sarcasming, responded, "She's right guys. In this _challenge_ , taking place in an _enormous mountain_ , finding all of the gems should only take us twenty minutes, tops!"

Honey rolled her eyes at his immaturity. "Okay, your stupid sarcasm was unneeded. I'm just saying that the hosts mentioned that a lot of obstacles will be in the way when we try to get these gems. So far, we've only gotten one gem and have dealt with nothing else but boredom."

Jessica let out a sigh. "That's true, but we need to keep going so that we can actually have a chance to _find_ the other gems, and the obstacles that go along with them."

Max's voice suddenly rang out, as everyone looked around and saw that the Delibird was no longer with them. He had apparently gone further ahead. "Uh… Guys, I think we have a bit of a problem, here."

Following the sound of the Delibird's voice, the rest of the team made their way straight down the path until they found Max staring at a wall, with three large, flashing minerals flashing around him.

Kane, seeing the flashing minerals, queried, "Uh… Max, what's going on?"

Max turned back, a similar confused look on his face. "I don't know. This is a dead end. There's just these three minerals."

Honey scoffed, "Great, a dead end. What the heck are we supposed to do now? Go all the way back while the other team bathes in a vast amount of gems?!"

"Honey, your negativity isn't helping us," Kane responded, giving her a look. "Pessimism only begets more pessimism."

The Vespiquen glared, folding her arms in annoyance. "Then what the hell do you expect us to do, Mr. Unofficial Team Leader?"

Tim deadpanned, "Maybe shutting your trap will make it easier for us to think of possible solutions."

Jessica floated toward the three minerals, her protuberance open. She closed her eyes as she used her protuberance to sense if there were any other pathways around. Much to her surprise, she could sense openings behind each mineral.

The Bruxish turned back to the others, relaying the information to them. "There's a path behind each of these walls. We need to break them or something, though."

Xavier was intrigued. "I believed that only Lucario had that type of ability."

Jessica turned to the Magnezone, fluttering her eyelashes, "Well, you believed wrong~."

Tim inspected one of the minerals on the walls and noticed a few faint cracks around it. He grew curious before pressing his head against the mineral, feeling a bit of weakness against it. This was rather unusual to him, but due to Jessica's explanation, Tim came to the conclusion that she was correct.

Gesturing to the left wall, he expressed, "Okay. Maybe we should start with _this_ wall. Or split up or something."

Honey reminded, "We still need to find a way to get the supposed pathways to _open,_ first."

Tim pressed his head against the large, flashing orange mineral. It appeared to be pushed inwards, with a _click_ soon following the action. A soft rumbling was heard as the wall slowly descended into the ground, revealing a brand new path lined with icy blue minerals. A cool breeze wafted from the new path, sending shivers down nearly everyone's spine who felt it.

Seeing the new path, Sasha commented, "Well, this is interesting. Weird, but interesting."

Kane hummed, "So it looks like there _are_ more paths than we thought. Nice job bringing it to light, Jess."

The Bruxish giggled, kissing his cheek. "It was my pleasure, big boy~."

Kane could only sigh in irritation, while Sasha twitched once again, as the Gnash Teeth Pokemon burst into flames in her mind.

Tonya, ignoring the interaction, focused on the opposite wall. She pushed against the pink mineral that was pulsating on the opposite side. The wall buckled before doing the same thing as the other one, lowering into the ground. There was a large Pokemon standing in way. It was a large, dinosaur-like Pokemon covered in armor. It glared down at them all, with some of them taking a few steps back.

Max swallowed in fear, slowly turning back to the others. "W-Well, looks like we've found our next obstacle…"

The Aggron let out a screeching roar, causing them all to run into the opposing path. Jessica sighed, being the only one who remained. She couldn't help but feel that her teammates lacked sense, or rather reflexes. She caught the Aggron just as it charged toward her, holding it suspended in the air before throwing it against the final wall.

The wall opened up, revealing that it was an exit. As such, Jessica effortlessly tossed the Iron Armor Pokemon out of the doorway before bringing the wall back up. Seeing that her teammates were still in the wind, she shook her head before following them.

 **000**

As Belladonna and Portia walked together, Belladonna was still a bit perplexed as to why the Rhyperior ended their lessons so abruptly. She actually felt that she was learning some interesting things.

The Golem brought it up to the Drill Pokemon, asking, "So what was up with the sudden shift this morning?"

Portia, knowing where this conversation was going to go, immediately tried to dodge the question, insisting, "Maybe we should focus on finding more of these gems."

She sheepishly giggled as she started lifting rocks in order to look. Belladonna immediately knew that something was up. The Rhyperior just oozed anxiousness.

Belladonna approached her, rather confused by her actions. "Uh… Are you okay?"

Portia shot back up, her blush a bit noticeable, "Yep. Totally fine. Nothing wrong at all. Let's just keep looking, huh?"

Belladonna gave her a look of disbelief, narrowing her eyes at the Rhyperior. "Portia, I've been around enough people to know when they're lying. Plus, I can read someone's anxiety like an open book since I do a lot of extreme activities. Someone's bothering you; no point in denying it. Better to just get it out in the open than to have it continue to eat at you."

Hearing that, Portia looked down. Belladonna was right, she _did_ have a tendency to let things eat at her after a while, often distracting her when she's out surfing and resulting in her wiping out. She let out a long, drawn out sigh as she plopped on the ground, causing a miniscule tremor.

Belladonna folded her arms as she proceeded to listen to what the Rhyperior had to say. Eventually, after taking a deep breath, Portia explained her issue.

"It shouldn't be that big of a deal, but..." she began. "...I don't like talking about sexual things or really even hearing that much about it. It just makes me feel awkward and I don't want to have any mental images of anyone I know in my head."

Belladonna rose a brow. That didn't seem like that big of a deal; everyone was uncomfortable with _something_. "Portia, that's perfectly fine. We have all insecurities and things that we don't like to see or hear. Though, I gotta ask. Does that mean you're a-"

Portia covered her face in embarrassment, shaking her head, "No, I'm not a virgin, but can we just not talk about this anymore and move on? I just really don't want to think or talk about this anymore."

Belladonna nodded in understanding. She wasn't one to be persistent if someone was feeling uneasy about something. "It's okay. We don't have to talk about it anymore if you don't want to."

Portia sighed in relief, getting back to her feet. "Thanks. It's just… It's none of _my_ business, and it's none of anyone else's business…"

Belladonna nodded once again, "Understandable. Now, let's see if we can find another-"

The Golem stopped mid-sentence upon seeing a sign in the middle of the path they were walking down. They both approached it curiously, with Portia ripping it from the ground in order to get a better view of it.

" _You will find a gem among the falling rocks.. Be quick and try not to be hit_ ," the Rhyperior read as Belladonna looked forward in confusion.

Portia put the sign back down as Belladonna scratched her head, "Uh… I don't see any falling ro-"

A large stone suddenly fell from the ceiling before phasing into the ground, interrupting her. "Nevermind…"

Suddenly, numerous rocks began falling from the roof of the before phasing into the ground. It was the equivalent of a continuous Rock Slide. "So… A gem is falling among these rocks?" Portia queried, watching as the rocks continuously fell and re-emerged.

A smile spread across Belladonna's face. "Well, this should be pretty easy, then." She rushed toward the avalanche of rocks before curling up and rolling into the fray. She began rolling back and forth, knocking rocks out of the way.

The rocks still phased into the ground and continued to fall as Belladonna only succeeded in knocking them around. The Golem's actions caused numerous rocks to launch toward Portia, who took a couple of steps back, allowing the rocks to land on the ground and disappear without a hitch.

Among the sounds of her hitting the stones as they rained down, Portia called out to the Megaton Pokemon. "Bella, I don't think this is working!"

Hearing that, the Golem stopped, letting out a sigh. Seeing that nothing different was happening and that a gem still hadn't surfaced, she walked to the opposite side of the section. Portia started walking through the section, using her drill to shatter rocks that came into contact with her.

In doing so, the stones actually stopped phasing into the ground. Instead, the gravel remained on the ground, confusing Belladonna as she watched. "Wait, wait… Portia… the rocks aren't phasing into the ground anymore."

The Rhyperior rose a brow. "They're not?" she asked, turning around. She noticed that the pebbles that she had created from destroying the larger rocks were still there, while the stones that she had avoided continued falling. "Huh. That's weird."

Belladonna noticed that there weren't as many rocks falling anymore and her eyes widened with a smile. "Portia, I think that we _have_ to smash the rocks until we find the gem!"

The Rhyperior was confused by her prediction. "What makes you think that?"

Belladonna explained, "Because look! As soon as you break the stones, the ones falling from that particular area completely stop, but the others keep going. Quick, break them all!"

Portia didn't really have a reason to disagree, so she walked back over to the rest of the falling stones, using her drill to decimate them. Much to her surprise, a purple gem fell out among the rubble. "Yes! We got our first gem!" Portia cheered as she leaned down to pick it up.

Belladonna waved her back over, enthusiastically. "Come on, let's see if there are more 'obstacles' like this! If so, we'll win this challenge in no time!"

The two of them proceeded down the path, with Portia marveling at the gem in their possession.

 **000**

After trapping Marley in the tunnel from before, Chip had returned to area with numerous paths. He decided to go after the weakest targets: Dade, Lucky, and Zahku. He strolled into the far right path, cracking his knuckles with a no-nonsense expression on his face.

 **-000-**

Lucky, Dade and Zahku were still wandering around their path. They hadn't come across any obstacles, leaving them pretty bored. Instead of remaining silent, they decided to engage in casual conversation.

Dade, still on Lucky's head, asked, "So, what's you guys' stories?"

Zahku responded, "Zahku confused by what you mean."

Dade clarified, "I mean like… What do you usually do at home and stuff? Where're you from and all that."

Lucky admitted, "I honestly don't get out much… With my luck and all. I don't even know where it came from, but I think I heard my grandparents tell my dad that he shouldn't have made enemies with a Ninetales..."

Zahku rose a brow in interest, while Dade was unsure of what to do with that information. He was able to piece two and two together, at least. "Well, that's probably why you're having bad luck. Ninetales curse people who make them angry. And maybe because your dad made enemies with one, it decided to curse _you_ in order to get back at him."

Lucky let out a sigh. "Great, so even _before_ I started getting bad luck, I had bad luck…"

Dade attempted to comfort him. "Aw… Don't get yourself down, dude. I mean, look around. We're in a rocky mountain cave and nothing bad has happened to you."

Suddenly, the Crabominable fell off of a ledge, having not been paying attention to the ground beneath him. He landed flat on his face, with Dade safely hopping off of his head. He chuckled sheepishly. "Okay… That probably jinxed it."

Zahku didn't offer much help to the cause, as he simply walked over Lucky's back to get to the lower level. Dade looked at him with narrowed eyes as he stood beside him. The Makuhita simply shrugged in response, causing the Burmy to sigh. "We really need to find a gem. I don't think it'll be a good look for us to have gone this far and accomplished nothing at all."

Zahku looked around the vicinity before noticing another small tunnel, this time in the right wall. He pointed up to it. "Zahku sees another tunnel…"

Dade looked up before humming, "I'm not sure if I trust these things. You said that a Klinklang fired at you after R.J. alerted it, right?"

Zahku nodded in response as Lucky got back up. The Woolly Crab Pokemon expressed his thoughts on the subject, "Well, what if there are more gems in there? We shouldn't just brush past it if there's a possibility that there's stuff inside."

Dade sighed to himself. "I guess you're right."

The Makuhita rose an arm. "Zahku will go again. Redeem himself."

The Burmy was confused by what he meant, as he didn't really think that the fighting-type did anything wrong. "Redeem yourself from what? R.J. yelling?"

The Makuhita insisted. "Zahku could have still fought and earned gem. This will be redo."

Dade and Lucky exchanged looks as Zahku approached the right wall. Seeing this, Lucky extended his arm. "Grab on."

Zahku grabbed onto the Crabominable's arm before being hoisted up toward the tunnel entrance. "Zahku appreciate friend help."

The Guts Pokemon began crawling through the tunnel. However, unlike the previous one, there was no light beaming from the opposite end. Also different from the other tunnel was the fact that the rocks that lined the tunnel were much smoother.

He continued crawling through the tunnel, eventually seeing that it was a dead end. There was nothing even there. He sighed as he started turning around. As he did so, he heard a clicking sound. He looked back to the wall and saw a few drops of water begin leaking from it.

He rose a brow before an intense torrent of water burst from the wall, carrying him toward the exit. He was flushed out of the tunnel, landing on the ground as the water poured out onto all three of them.

"Aww, what the heck!?" Dade exclaimed as his sandy cloak was washed off, leaving him bare. "Where'd the water come from?"

Zahku groaned as he got to his feet. "Well, Zahku found nothing. Water was just surprising."

Lucky sighed. "Well, let's just keep moving then… We have to find another gem eventually."

" _Not before I do…_ " A voice said before Lucky and Dade were shocked. The two of them fell forward, unconscious. Them falling over revealed Chip, whose fists were emitting electricity. Zahku deadpanned, "Four-armed man is pathetic."

Chip growled at him, "Shut the fuck up, Sackboy." He charged up another punch and threw it toward the Guts Pokemon, only for him to dodge it and spit out a purple glob of poison in his face.

The Machamp recoiled, staggering back. "YOU MOTHER FUCKER!"

Zahku followed up with a Poison Jab, hitting the Machamp right in the chin. This blow sent the Superpower Pokemon straight to the ground. Poisoned and in pain, Chip growled as he slowly got back onto his feet. He held his stomach, feeling queasy as he glowered at Zahku, who was still unimpressed by him.

He threatened the Guts Pokemon, ready to pummel him. "I'll fucking end you…"

Zahku punched his fists together, causing a large wave of water to appear. Chip growled as he attempted to tackle the Makuhita. The water overcame him, soaking him. Zahku followed up the attack with another one, the same one that Chip used moments before.

His fists became enveloped in electricity before he struck the Machamp while he was down. And while it wasn't enough to knock the bodybuilding coach out completely, it _was_ enough to keep him down for a while.

Zahku dusted his hands off before picking up Dade, slinging him over his shoulder, before grabbing hold of Lucky's hair and pulling him along behind him.

 **000**

" **Zahku has trained in woods and in caves for over decade. Angry four-arm man has no skill or character. Easy to take down," Zahku explained.**

 **000**

Jessica had followed her teammates before stopping them and turning them back around. She had noticed another path in the area where the Aggron had come from and figured that it would be a good idea to split up and see what they can accomplish.

They made it back to the area with the flashing minerals, with Tim looking around hesitantly. "So uh… When you said that you took care of the Aggron… What did you mean by that?"

Honey deadpanned, "You didn't suck it off and tell it to leave did you?"

Xavier responded with an annoyed look toward the Vespiquen. "Even if she did, her popularity would be significantly higher than all of ours put together."

Jessica decided not to dignify that with a verbal response. She pressed against the mineral that was on the back wall, revealing the pathway that led outside. "I threw it out here… Feel free to check for verification. I can't promise that you'll be let back in, though," she stated with a serious glare.

Honey, seeing the glare, huffed and folded her arms. Seeing that she was seemingly done hurling insults in her direction, Jessica explained. "Now, if you're done talking crap, I'd like to make progress. We still only have one gem and we've likely been here for about an hour or so now. I think it's about time that we split up."

Max paled before beginning to twist his tail again. "Um… Are we sure that we want to do that? After the Aggron surprise, who knows what else is hidden around here?"

Tonya assured the Delibird, patting him on the back. "Max, I'm sure that we can handle ourselves."

Jessica, giving them all dismissive looks, deadpanned, "Oh yes, I can tell from the way that you all ran away from the Aggron."

Tim, hearing this, frowned. "Hey, if you're doubting our skills, why would you mention splitting up?"

Jessica simply responded, "Because it's still a valid strategy, and I want to get things done. Now, since there are eight of us here, we're gonna need to do this fairly. So... Kane, Tim, Honey, and I will go into the right side, and the rest of you can go to the left side."

Sasha clenched her fists, but she took a breath. " _It's just for the challenge. It's just for a fucking challenge…"_ she whispered to herself.

Apparently her anger was evident, as Kane turned to her, "You okay, Sasha?"

The Nidoqueen's expression softened as she turned to the Hibernator Pokemon. Giggling sheepishly, she responded, "Yep, perfectly fine. No need to worry."

Kane nodded as he started walking into the right passageway. Tim and Honey exchanged displeased expressions, but followed the Ursaring inside. Jessica flashed a smirk at Sasha, whose glare tightened as the fish followed them. The remaining four exchanged looks before Tonya cleared her throat. "Well, let's get going, guys."

Tonya started slinking back into the left path, with Max and Xavier following suit. Max noticed that Sasha was staring at the right path, anger in her eyes. He was hesitant to get her attention, but he decided to try anyway. "Uh… Sasha?"

The Nidoqueen snapped out of her malevolent thoughts before turning to the Delibird. Her intense glare softening, turning into a faint blush. "I-I'm coming."

Max nodded before continuing forward. Sasha looked back at the opposite path, tempted to follow them and make sure that Jessica didn't try anything with Kane. However, she didn't want to be seen as clingy or anything, so she decided against it. She went into the left path.

 **000**

" **Kane is** _ **mine**_ **. That fucking bitch had better not try anything!" Sasha snarled.**

 **000**

The four that went down the right pathway were pretty silent, as they looked around the dark path. Jessica cleared her throat as she floated close to the Ursaring. "So big boy~. What's your type of girl?"

Kane deadpanned, "Again, I'm happily married."

Jessica giggled, "Yes, but who's to say that it'll last forever?"

Kane gave her a look, "I've been with my spouse for six years. I'm not looking for anyone else. Now, can we please focus on the challenge?"

Jessica, seeing his adamance, licked her lips. "Mmm… Eager to only share that meaty pole of yours with one person. So selfish…"

Honey cut in, growing annoyed at her persistence, "Hey, horny slut." She saw Jessica glare daggers at her, but she continued with her statement. "The guy is _married_ , so technically, his 'meaty pole' belongs to _him_ and whoever he's married to. I doubt either them want your disgusting fish lips on it, anyway."

Jessica gave her a look of disinterest. She deadpanned, "Why don't you and Tim just make out already and mind your own business?"

"Hey!" Tim exclaimed. "Can we cut the uncomfortable chatter and pick up the pace! We still have gems to find!"

The Tropius proceeded forward once again, accidentally triggering a tripwire, causing a ton of rocks to fall on him. Kane cursed in surprise as he rushed forward, "Shit, Tim!"

The Tropius groaned in pain as the Ursaring began throwing the rocks off of him. Jessica and Honey looked on with blank expressions. Seeing them stand idly by, Kane growled, "A little _help_ would be appreciated."

Honey huffed, "I don't know what you expect me to do. _You're_ the big strong man here."

Jessica giggled in response, fluttering her eyelashes. "I'll help… But it'll cost you big boy…"

Kane threw another rock off of the Tropius before turning back to the girls. "Seriously? You're not gonna help a teammate unless _I_ give _you_ something!? That's fucking sick."

Hearing his sternness, Jessica groaned, rolling her eyes. "Fine."

All of the remaining rocks that were on top of Tim were suddenly lifted up and thrown over their heads. The Tropius let out another pained groan as Kane started helping him up. The Fruit Pokemon grunted as he got back onto his feet. "Arceus, I hate my life…"

Honey snorted as she flew forward, "I'm sure I'd hate my life, too, if I looked like you."

Despite the pain in his back and neck, Tim responded, "Too bad you're ugly on the outside _and_ inside…"

Honey turned back to him with a glare. Kane, growing annoyed by the childish behavior of his group, simply began moving forward without saying a word. Jessica followed him without hesitation, leaving Tim and Honey alone momentarily. Eventually, after exchanging looks of unpleasantry, Honey followed the two of them. Tim followed a few seconds later.

 **000**

Lynn and Christine continued down their designated path. Climbing onto a higher ledge, Lynn posed a question to the Kricketune. "So, do you do anything else besides play violin?"

The Gogoat aided the Cricket Pokemon as she moved her arms up to the ledge. Vines wrapped around her skinny arms as she was hoisted onto the higher ledge. She answered, "Hmm… I garden sometimes. Other than that, I just focus on practicing my violin."

She giggled briefly, "My hubby has to _hide_ my violin sometimes just so we can spend time together. I get distracted pretty easily when it comes to my violin."

Lynn smiled softly at her response before looking forward, prompting Christine to ask a question of her own. "What about you?"

"Hmm?"

The Kricketune queried, "What do _you_ do in your spare time?"

Lynn stammered a bit, "Um, uh… Nothing much. I just work at a store. I thought that it'd be nice to have a bit more money, so I decided to sign up and maybe find some friends."

Christine nodded in understanding. "So, you're not married or dating anyone?"

Lynn shook her head. "No, but it'll happen eventually… I'm not in a rush."

"That's a good thing," the Kricketune responded. "Rushing into relationships never bode well. At least from what I've seen."

Lynn grew curious as they continued walking. "What have you seen?"

Christine sighed, "Well, one of my friends tried online dating before. She found someone that she thought was amazing. They met, and immediately she wanted to marry him. Then when the time came, the guy stole all of the money and ran off."

Lynn visibly cringed, "Ouch." She didn't really believe in love at first sight. She had seen dozens of shows and movies that show the protagonist looking at an attractive person one time and deciding that 'he/she will be theirs'. She needed actual substance; she needed to actually get to know the person first before decided that she wanted to start a relationship. "I feel sorry for her."

Christine shrugged as they approached a pit that was situated in front of a large, stone staircase. "We told her a dozen times not to go for it, but she was convinced that it was true love. Not much we could do after that."

Lynn shrugged before letting out a breath as her attention went back to the pit and staircase. "Alright, so what are we doing here? Is there no sign or anything?"

Christine hummed, "Doesn't look like it. But I feel like we still need to be careful going up the steps. They probably set something up to make us slip or fall into this pit."

A smile grew on Lynn's face. "Well, let's bypass this then."

"What?"

"Hop on," Lynn urged, gesturing to her back. Christine was unsure about what the Mount Pokemon was planning, but she obliged, climbing onto her back. Lynn used Vine Whip, extending her vines and having them wrap around a stalagmite that she saw at the top of the staircase.

She retracted her vines, pulling her and Christine up the flight of stairs, which turned into a ramp on contact. Large boulders suddenly rained from above, tumbling down the ramp and into the pit. The girls looked back down in astonishment. Christine swallowed in nervousness as she got off of Lynn's back. "Okay, the fact that we could have been crushed by those things worries me."

Lynn suggested that they keep moving, turning away from the ramp. "Well, let's not dwell on that possibility and keep moving. Hopefully we'll find an actual gem down the line."

Seeing her leave, the Kricketune had a thought emerge in her head. "Wait. Don't you think there should be a gem around here? That _was_ an obstacle of sorts."

Lynn paused before turning back towards her. "Well, if it hasn't been presented to us by now, I don't think it will be."

Christine understood her point and started going forward before noticing a shine coming from the stalagmite. Upon closer inspection, she saw that there was a gray gem embedded in it. She giggled as she yanked out the gem, "Well, I guess you'd be wrong."

Lynn cheered, "Nice! C'mon, let's see if there are more."

Christine nodded as she followed the goat forward.

 **000**

Sasha was still fixated on the fact that Jessica was with Kane. There was no way that Kane would even be remotely attracted to her… Right? But, then again she was a psychic-type, so attraction didn't matter. She felt herself being tapped, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She turned to who it was. Seeing that it was Tonya, her gaze softened. Xavier and Max were a bit ahead of them, giving them time to talk. "You okay, Sasha?"

The Nidoqueen let out a sigh."Yeah, I'm okay. Just pissed about Jessica putting herself with Kane."

Tonya groaned to herself. She still didn't understand why Sasha was so adamant about being with Kane. "Sasha, Kane's married. I don't think he's that interested in you as anything more than a friend or teammate."

Sasha explained, "I know, I just… He… He makes me feel things that I haven't felt about a man since I was just _dating_ my now-husband. The fact that he's already married just makes me…" She growled in frustration as she punched the wall, causing Tonya to jump back in shock.

The Nidoqueen panted heavily as she slowly retracted her arm from the wall, seeing that she created a hole. Tonya looked forward and saw that Xavier and Max had stopped and were looking back at them in concern.

She heard Max ask a question, "Everything okay back there?"

Sasha felt her eyes begin to water a bit, but Tonya quickly answered, "Uh, yeah. Things are fine. Don't worry."

"Um… Okay?" the Delibird responded as he continued walking forward, with Xavier nonchalantly following him.

Tonya sighed in relief as Sasha sniffled and wiped the tears away from her eyes. The Accelgor was extremely confused and concerned. How was she so adamant and passionate about a guy that she only met a few days ago? "Sasha, where is all of this coming from? We hardly really know anyone here. Plus, again, you guys are literally _both_ married. It's just not right. And no offense to him, but I don't see what's so spectacular about him. He doesn't even seem to think he's that great."

Sasha sighed as she took a seat against the wall, "He just has the kind of vibe and attitude that I like in a man…"

Tonya rubbed her shoulder, "I'm sure you'll find a man like Kane sooner or later. Hmm… Maybe R.J.?"

Sasha huffed, "R.J.? I'm sorry, but he doesn't seem like he'd be _anyone's_ type. He seems like he's just more interested in starting arguments or something..."

 **000**

A close up of a white, furry backside was seen before a claw came around to scratch it. R.J. groaned in irritation as he scratched his tush, "This damn challenge is gonna make me lose my fucking sanity… And your fucking vines are making me itchy back here."

Art scoffed. "Oh shut up. Mind you, I was the one who had to tote your fat ass across the damn pit so that we could get the damned gem! I'm sure you can handle a few minutes of itchiness."

R.J. rolled his eyes, but he immediately growled upon hearing the Ferrothorn's next comment: "How the hell does Kane even tote you so easily?"

The Beartic seethed. Through grit teeth, he stated, "I'd appreciate it if you _didn't_ fucking mention him or our relationship."

Art rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Now, I think we should focus on who we think the biggest threats are right now. On our team at the very least."

R.J. rose a brow. "And why would I care about that?"

Art gave him a look. "Because, unless you want to get your ass handed to you in this competition, I suggest that you show a little bit of care. I've been looking over a few of you since I've been here, and so far, I've come to the conclusion that most of you have particular strengths that can carry you further in this game."

R.J. scoffed, refusing to believe that nearly everyone in this game was strong enough to make it far. "Pfft. I sincerely doubt that. And you say that you've been looking over us? When? While we slept? Or just during the challenges? I doubt a couple of days here allowed you to make reasonable judgments."

Art rose a brow as they continued walking, climbing up onto a higher ledge. R.J. followed, listening for a response. Eventually he got one, with Art explaining his findings. "Let's see… Dade is an intellectual who can bring good ideas despite his small size. Lucky is strong as shit if he's been cursed his entire life and is still living. Belladonna is practically a daredevil and isn't afraid of danger. Portia is a surfer, so she has no real weakness to water despite being at a disadvantage both type-wise and size wise. Marley has the capabilities to sabotage if need be. _You_ are lucky enough to have your spouse in the game with you, plus you're strong. And finally, I'm analytical and have the intelligence and capability to come up with a possible working strategy."

R.J. blinked in shock, unable to believe that he was able to learn that much in such a brief period of time. Then again, most of this information could be procured using common sense since most of it was practically revealed by their teammates themselves. R.J. didn't really care to remember most of the stuff they said about themselves, though, so it was still rather shocking. The Freezing Pokemon folded his arms in a huff before realizing something. "You didn't mention the cricket or the goat. Does that mean they're the weakest links?"

Art shook his body. "No, it means that they're so uninteresting thus far that I haven't had a chance to get a proper read on them. All I've got on them is that Christine loves her violin and Lynn is… Middle-of-the-road. Nothing outstanding. Though Christine _has_ been getting on my nerves."

R.J. rose a brow. "Well, then maybe after we get rid of Marley, you convince the others to toss her. If something or someone was giving me grief, I'd want to take care of it as soon as possible."

Art explained his thought process in regards to that situation. "Well, this is only the second challenge. Depending on if we lose or not, that's when I'll decide. Right now, Marley is a nuisance to all of us. If we lose, we get rid of her. If we win, she gets another chance to possibly change our minds. If she manages to do so, and someone else has made it known that they're dead weight, we can toss them instead. And based on my information, either Lynn or Christine fit that category."

R.J. shrugged as he suddenly fell off of a ledge, with Art moving over him and continuing forward. He growled as he got back to his feet, "A little help would've been appreciated!"

Art deadpanned, "You're a grown bear; you're fine. Now come on, I think I see something up ahead."

The Beartic dusted himself off as he followed the Thorn Pod Pokemon forward. As they walked forward, a voice was heard, getting their attention. R.J. looked behind himself before asking Art, "Did you hear that?"

The voice was heard once again, this time sounding much closer. Art hummed, "Yeah. Let's just keep moving. They mentioned that there were other Pokemon in this mountain as well that serve as hindrances."

R.J. tightened his glare toward the way that they had just come from before turning back around and walking a few steps forward. Not looking down, Art accidentally released a trip wire, causing a few slabs of the walls behind them to fall down, revealing two Magmar and a Magmortar. Hearing the loud slams of the rock, Art and R.J. turned around to see the Spitfire and Blast Pokemon advancing toward them.

R.J. cursed as he started backing away. "Shit… We need to go…"

"No shit," Art responded as he clung to the ceiling and started heading away. R.J. looked back at the fire-types before running away from them.

 **000**

" **Well, Art actually seems to have a good amount of info on nearly everyone on the team," R.J. expressed. "Not sure if I should talk to the others about it, or let him help me…"**

 **000**

Chip groaned as he held his head, getting back onto his feet. Clenching his fists, the Superpower Pokemon rose to his feet. He growled in agitation as he held his stomach, "That mother fucker…" he groaned as he stumbled forward, puking on the ground. "I'm gonna tear him a new one… Or... _Maybe I could let him split me..._ "

He shook his head as he smacked himself. "No, he may have beaten me, but he's an unfit piece of shit. No way I'd let him fuck me…"

He continued forward, knowing that Zahku had taken Lucky and Dade along with him. He was going to have to knock them right back out if they came back to their senses. However, with him being poisoned, it might not be so easy this time.

He continued stumbling through the cave before eventually passing out once again.

 **-000-**

Dade groaned as he opened his eyes and found himself slung over Zahku's shoulder. He looked around before noticing that Lucky was being dragged behind them. The bug-type, among all of this, saw that he was naked and immediately paled.

He wriggled out of the Makuhita's grip before burrowing into the ground. He emerged a few seconds later, once again in a Sandy Cloak. He let out a sigh of relief.

"What happened?" Dade queried. "All I remember was suddenly being unconscious."

Zahku stopped moving, releasing Lucky's hair just as the Woolly Crab Pokemon woke up. "Pathetic four-armed coach man knocked you out."

"Four-armed coach man?" Dade queried before thinking about who could fit in that category. "Wait, Chip? Chip was here?!"

Zahku nodded. "He used electric fists to knock out friends. He tried to knock out Zahku, too, but Zahku poisoned him."

Lucky groaned as he slowly got to his feet. "Wait, who got poisoned?"

Dade cheered, "Hey, you're up! Nice!"

Lucky queried. "What happened?"

Dade explained, "Apparently Chip knocked us out, Zahku poisoned him and got us away, and now here we are… Wait, where _are_ we?"

Looking around, Dade saw that the three of them were standing in a circular section of the cave, minerals on the curving walls around them. Suddenly, the floor underneath them crumbled. Lucky, hearing the cracking sound, looked down, seeing the cracks forming. His eyes widened. "Oh no…"

Dade looked down and paled, "Uh… I think it'd be in our best interests to-"

The floor underneath them finally caved in before he could finish, causing them all to plummet to the ground below. They landed conveniently in a small pool. Well, Dade and Zahku did, anyway.

Dade emerged from the water, completely naked once again, as Zahku emerged as well, taking a deep breath. "Zahku was going to take bath in ocean later tonight…"

Dade groaned in frustration as he crawled out of the pool. "Why the heck am I losing my cloak every five minutes!?"

The Burmy then looked over and saw that Lucky was face down once again, he groaned as he walked over to him. Zahku got out of the water before walking over to him as well. Dade pecked at him, "Luck, you okay?"

The Crabominable mumbled, his face still down, "I hate my life…"

Zahku soon spoke up, pointing toward something ahead of them. "Zahku sees shiny thing."

Dade looked forward and saw that there was a hill with a brown gem jutting out of the top of it. He gasped, "A gem! Yes!"

As he started scurrying toward it, lasers emerged from the walls, fired by the orange minerals there. Dade groaned, "You've gotta be kidding me!"

 **000**

Marley tossed a blue gem up and down in her tail, an unconscious Klinklang laying nearby. She was currently attempting to figure out how to get out of the cavern she was in. She looked up at the exit on the roof, and concluded that the Klinklang could actually help her out.

Moving over to its unconscious form, Marley picked up a nearby rock and started knocking on its face with it.

The Gear Pokemon rose up, looking at Marley with fear in its eyes. "Alright gearhead, I want you to lift me up to that exit up there. If you don't, I'll pummel you again."

Immediately, the Gear Pokemon lifted her onto it before rising toward the roof.

 **-000-**

The Gear Pokemon allowed Marley to hop into the hole. Once she was inside, she looked back and forth, seeing two different ways that she could go. She decided to go to the right, as her team had decided to go to the right side.

On her way there, she heard chatter coming from the direction she was going. Eventually, she made it to the end, seeing another large cavern with numerous monitors in it. She rose a brow in surprise and confusion. She dropped into the area and approached the monitors. "What the heck is this? I thought they said they had a low budget…"

Looking at the monitors, Marley saw her teammates, as well as the other team, though they were all still split up. She hummed, intrigued, before walking back to the tunnel and climbing back inside. She was heading back to the opposite side to see what the left had to offer. As she continued crawling, she saw that there was nothing there. It was a dead end.

"Ugh… So the only way back out is through that stupid exit that Chip blocked off!?"

The Aipom started heading back to the hole and, seeing how far the drop was, sighed. "Gearhead get me down from here!"

The Klinklang floated back up to her, with her grabbing onto its ring of spikes and spinning slowly as she hung on. Once she was put down, she stumbled around a bit, dizzy. Once she had her head straight again, she looked toward the tunnel she was forced into.

Marley cleared her throat. "Alright, I know that you want me out of your teeth, and I'm happy to oblige. However, I need you to get me out of here. A jackass trapped me in here by putting a huge rock in the exit down this way," she explained, pointing down the tunnel. "So, I need you to smash the rock so that I can get out. Deal?"

Immediately, the Klinklang floated into the tunnel. Marley hopped into the tunnel after it, chasing it down until she reached the end, where she saw its eyes glowing purple. A similar shade of purple surrounded the stone embedded in the wall as it was seemingly forced out of the exit.

"Whoa…" she said as she started exiting it. "Thanks!"

The Klinklang sighed in relief before retreating back to the cavern.

 **000**

Kane, Honey, Tim, and Jessica were still heading down their path, with Tim next to Kane in order to avoid interaction with the two girls that were with them.

Honey let out an annoyed groan. "I hate this so much… Can't we just get fish lips here to use her psychic-type stuff to get the gems to come to us?"

Jessica gave her a look, "You really think the hosts will allow me to do that? That's practically cheating…"

Honey scoffed, "They didn't say that it was frowned upon, so technically we are allowed to do that."

Kane sighed, hearing her reasoning. "That is a fair point, but I'd rather not risk it. Just… Try to preoccupy yourselves."

Honey glowered at him, folding her arms. "Fine, then we'll continue to be bored for who knows how long."

Tim suddenly exclaimed, "Barrel!"

Kane looked back only to be sent to the ground by a barrel thrown at his feet. He groaned in pain as Jessica floated forward. "Where the heck did that think come fr-"

She narrowly moved out of the way as another barrel flew past her face. "Whoa, what the hell!?"

"Look!" Tim exclaimed, gesturing forward.

Up ahead, there was a bunch of barrels falling from the roof, rolling down a slope, and being launched off of a curved edge and across a small pit.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Honey deadpanned.

Kane got back to his feet as he jumped over another barrel that rolled toward them. "Okay, I think this means that there's a gem ahead."

Jessica stopped the barrels, causing a blue aura to surround each of them. "Well then, let's get going."

The four of them started heading in that direction, moving out of the way of the barrels. They started climbing up the incline, eventually making it up and over it. Making it to the top, they were faced with a sign pointing to two holes directly across from each other. Tim read, "One hole holds the gem that you desire; the other sets your arm on fire."

Honey giggled, "Well looks like the bear is taking one for the team."

Tim huffed, "Yeah. Meanwhile your perfectly functional arms lie motionless as they sit there folded."

The Vespiquen tightened her glare toward her. "I don't see _you_ volunteering to do anything, banana throat," she spat venomously.

"Can you _stop_ acting like children!?" Kane snapped with a glare. "Jeez…"

He approached the left hole first, deciding to just get it over with. He had a rather decent pain tolerance, so the 'setting your arm on fire' part of the sign didn't worry him that much. Upon sticking his paw inside, he immediately felt something point and squirmy around his arm.

The strange feeling caused him mild discomfort, but he was relieved since his arm wasn't burning. However, the feeling still irked him a bit. "What the hell is this?!"

He stuffed his arm fully into the craggy hole, feeling around for anything that was possibly inside. Eventually he felt something hard inside of the box. It felt small and diamond-like, so he pulled his arm out of the whole, revealing it covered in a slimy, clear substance. Kane shook his arm off and glanced at the object in his hand. He smirked. It was a green gem, similar to the one Mew held up at the beginning of the challenge. "Yes! Finally we got a gem!"

"Great," Jessica said as she used Water Gun on Kane's arm to rinse it off. "Let's keep going and see if we can find another one."

 **000**

"What kind of mountain has random ladders inside of it?" Belladonna queried as she and Portia climbed up a red ladder in order to get up to a higher level.

On the higher level, there weren't as many minerals embedded in the walls as there were on the lower level. Belladonna hummed as she gazed around the new level. "Well, there's no doubt that there are more obstacles…"

Portia sighed, "How many gems do you think we're at?"

Belladonna sighed, "I hope that the others have at least gotten three by now. But then again, this mountain is huge, so we're probably still at two or something…"

"Actually, you guys are at five and the other team is at a measly two," the two of them heard. They turned around and saw a monitor descending from the ceiling.

Seeing this, Belladonna folded her arms. "Are you guys sure that you don't have a big budget?"

Victini replied on the screen. "This is just one of two screens that we have. This mountain was already like this when we got here, besides the obstacles and new paths, of course…"

Portia rose a brow as she looked around. "Sounds really convenient, don't you think? How'd you know that it was sort of like a maze in here?"

"We looked around for a bit after you guys went to sleep," Mew explained. "And like we said earlier, there were numerous other openings, but _we_ made the main entrance. We decided to connect all of the openings and paths to give you guys a bit more difficulty."

Belladonna sighed, "Okay. So, you said that we need one more, right?"

"Yep, but then you need to gather all of your teammates and make it out," Victini added. "So, good luck with that."

The screen disappeared, causing the Golem to groan. "Great… Now we've got to somehow find everyone and get back out of here."

Portia rose a brow before pointing to her horn. "Uh… I can just drill and dig our way back out. And as for the others, we just have to go down the other paths or hope that they're already heading back."

Belladonna sighed. "Let's just see if we can find another gem before we worry about this. I mean, they should at least make an announcement so we know what to-"

Suddenly, a loud voice echoed throughout the mountain. "AND THE BLUE TEAM HAS PROCURED THEIR FINAL GEM! BETTER HURRY UP AND GET OUT BEFORE THE RED TEAM CATCHES UP!"

Belladonna was confused, but let out a sigh. "If they were going to do that in the first place, then what was the point of… Forget it. You said that you can get us out by drilling, right?"

Portia nodded, "Yeah, but we can just go back the way that we came instead. There weren't that many obstacles in our way. And the ones that _were_ in the way are avoidable."

"True, but which way would be faster?" Belladonna queried. "I know they said that the other team only has two, but random luck is a thing and I don't want to risk it."

Portia hummed, "Well, we're on a higher level, so I'd probably end up falling a few times. Maybe we should just walk or run back normally."

Belladonna shrugged. "Whatever…"

 **000**

Upon hearing that the Blue Team was already finished, a still poisoned Chip staggered back toward the area where the four paths met. He growled, still holding his stomach; as soon as he saw someone, he was going to throttle them and take their gem.

 **000**

" **I had to try to do** _ **something**_ **!" Chip exclaimed.**

 **000**

After about ten minutes of waiting, Lynn and Christine emerged, with Chip glaring daggers at them. Seeing him, they immediately stopped.

Christine rose a brow, uncomfortable with his appearance and threatening glare. "Uh… Chip, what are you doing here?"

He responded gruffly, "I'm here for your fucking gems." He stood up, his fists clenched. "Now, hand them over… Or I'll _force_ you to give them up."

Upon hearing that threat, Lynn looked at him dismissively. "Come on, he's not gonna do anything."

She started walking forward, only for Chip to slide in front of her and grab her the horns. Growling, she brought out two vines, whipping the Machamp's legs. He winced from the stinging sensation, but hoisted the Gogoat up into the air.

"PUT ME DOWN!" she snapped.

Christine rushed toward Chip, her body becoming surrounded in white streaks. She tackled Chip, sending him against the wall. Lynn was released, and she growled before using Vine Whip. She picked up the still poisoned fighting-type before slamming him into the walls numerous times before finally slamming him to the ground.

"Come on, Lynn. He's down," Christine urged, seeing the fury in the Gogoat's eyes.

Lynn retracted her vines before running back toward the exit.

 **000**

 **Lynn huffed, "Sorry, but I don't like being grabbed unless I consent. And I don't know if that prick was going to slam me or what, but I'm glad that Christine helped me out."**

 **000**

"Come on, Max! We need to hurry before the other team makes it out of here!" Sasha urged as she peered down a hole, with Tonya and Xavier nearby.

At the moment, Max had to navigate his way down a hole as rocky spikes occasionally popped out unexpectedly. Needless to say, the penguin was completely nervous as he went down. There was a gem situated at the very bottom, on a pedestal. "Oh… Crud. WHY COULDN'T XAVIER DO THIS?!"

Xavier explained, "Your popularity level is lower than mine at this point in time. You must act in order to raise it higher."

Tonya sighed, "Okay, seriously Xavier, the popularity thing is getting a _tad_ bit annoying. You haven't even done anything to help us today."

Xavier gave her a look. "I don't believe that it is necessary. I do not expect to win anyhow. I am here to aid in popularity."

Sasha groaned, "But, there's no point in that! Just go down and help Max if you're only concerned about popularity. You might as well try to raise yours, too."

Xavier stayed still momentarily before floating down the hole in order to help Max. Sasha tapped her foot impatiently. "Ugh… The other team is probably near the exit by now…"

Tonya sighed. "Well, at least if we lose we have a few ideas on who to vote for."

 **000**

"Wh-Whoa!" Dade exclaimed as he and Zahku made it out of the huge hole. Lucky used Avalanche to create an enormous hill of snow so that they all could get out.

"We did it!" Lucky cheered as he climbed out. "Now let's hurry up and make it back out of here. They haven't said anything about the other team as of late, so maybe they haven't found everything yet."

Zahku faced the way that they had come from. "Zahku thinks we should just run for it. No take risk."

Lucky was a bit hesitant, as with _his_ luck, he could end up costing them the game. But, he decided to not let the possibility sour his mood. "Well, what are we waiting for?!"

The three of them immediately started heading back in the direction that they came from, both wondering and hoping that their other teammates were already outside or close to being.

They reached the area where they initially split off into sections, and saw a familiar Machamp getting onto his feet, having had to deal with two other sets of players prior to them. Seeing them, the Superpower Pokemon grinned. "Well, well, well look at who we have here…"

"Chip, we seriously don't have time for-"

"SHUT UP!" he shouted, interrupting the Burmy. "The only thing you need to- Ugh… Be saying… Is that your gem belongs to me now…"

Zahku yawned. "Stand close friends."

Lucky and Dade exchanged looks as Dade hopped off of the Makuhita's shoulder. Zahku formed a blue sphere before throwing it on the ground, causing an enormous wave to form, lifting him, Dade, and Lucky off of the ground.

Chip gaped before being engulfed in the drink, with the three guys riding the wave out of the mountain.

 **-000-**

Outside, the rest of the Blue Team were waiting, along with Mew and Victini. R.J. was impatiently tapping his feet with his arms folded. Seeing this, Art rolled his eyes. "Oh calm down, Richie, the other team is far behind."

R.J. growled, "One, don't fucking call me Richie. Two, that doesn't fucking matter. Shit luck happens…"

Lynn groaned, rolling her eyes. "Maybe try to be positive and _not_ possibly jinx the team…"

Suddenly, the sound of rushing water slowly increased until eventually water poured out of the entrance, bringing the three guys along with it, as well as an unconscious Chip.

"And… the Blue Team wins once again!"

The team cheered for the most part, with R.J. and Art simply exchanging glances and nodding. Lynn glared at the unconscious Machamp. "Hopefully his team tosses his sorry ass for trying to steal our gems…"

Marley added, " _And_ trapping me in the cavern with the Klinklang!"

Portia deadpanned, "Nah, mainly the attempt at gem thievery…"

"Well, we'll see after tonight now won't we?" Victini queried. "But first, let's get these guys out of here. You all head down to the mess hall for dinner."

Portia rose a brow, "Dinner? How long were we in there?"

Mew responded a few seconds later, "Six hours. It's nearing five o'clock now."

Art exclaimed, "WHAT!?"

Victini nodded, "Yep. So, head on down to the mess hall."

The Blue Team started heading toward the mess hall, as instructed. Once they were all out of the vicinity, the Red Team was brought out of the mountain. Expressions of confusion were etched on a couple of the players' faces, but they eventually understood.

Victini began. "Red Team… It looks like you guys will be heading to elimination once again."

Honey scoffed, "Come on! The path that we went down had us walking for nearly half an hour with _nothing_. The other team _clearly_ had the advantage!"

Mew shook his head. "No… Each path had a fair amount of obstacles. You guys passed by numerous obstacles and hidden doors, pressure pads, and wires that would have opened new paths for you. And that's _before_ you made it to the opposite side of the mountain and encountered the Aggron."

Victini added, "You could have very well won if you hadn't passed them."

A few members of the team gaped and exchanged looks of frustration.

Sasha looked around before noticing that Chip was slowly getting onto his feet, completely drenched in water. She glared at him. "And what happened to you?"

Mew explained. "He attempted to steal gems from the other team, but as you can see, it didn't go so well. He was kinda close though, we'll give them that."

Chip growled as he rubbed his head.

Victini took a breath as the Red Team exchanged looks before looking back toward him and Mew. "Well, you guys head on to the mess hall for dinner, and like last time, we'll alert you when it's time for your elimination."

 **000**

In the mess hall, the contestants were conversing and devouring their meal of the day. This time, their dinner was from Bob's Soul Shack. It consisted of Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes, and corn.

Kane was prodding at his steak and potatoes with his plastic spork, his elbow on the table, propping up his chin. R.J., initially sitting near Art, noticed his irritated demeanor and gazed at him in concern. Noticing this, Art rose a brow. Since they were a good distance away from the others, the Ferrothorn decided to toy with the Beartic a bit.

The Thorn Pod Pokemon queried. "Worried about your hubby?"

R.J. turned back to him with a growl. "Fuck… Off."

Art responded, giving him a look, "Hey, it was a simple question. You're the one looking at him worried…"

He was right in that regard. Despite his gruff and irritable demeanor, the Beartic really cared for Kane and wanted to see what was wrong. R.J. began to rise up in order to check on him, but he saw Sasha approaching, and he immediately growled furiously before sitting back down.

Art, confused about the display, asked him, "Uh… What was _that_?"

R.J. spat venomously, "That fucking homewrecking wench is over there. I can't fucking talking to him because she'd pick up the signs."

The Ferrothorn responded with a question. "And… Why would that be a bad thing? If she knew, then she'd stop being so clingy towards him and just move on."

"No, she practically said that a spouse wouldn't stop her from pursuing him this morning when I brought up his marriage," R.J. explained. "She said that his spouse probably wouldn't mind sharing. Plus, if word gets around, they'll vote him out the first chance they get! I just know it."

Art chuckled, "Well, looks like you're just gonna be facing trouble, then. Talk to him afterwards."

R.J. glanced back over at the table they were sitting at and sighed softly.

 **000**

" **I love him, but dealing with that bitch Sasha around him at almost all times just makes me want to … UGH!" R.J. growled.**

 **000**

 **Kane punched the wall of the confessional. "Twice in a fucking row," he groaned. "I'm really trying to keep myself from just putting them all in their places and calling myself the leader, but if we keep losing like this, I may as well!"**

 **000**

Chip was sitting far away from the others, knowing that he wasn't really going to be welcome near anyone. He knew that his team was likely gonna be giving him the shaft now. As he finished up the last of his potatoes, he closed his box and tossed it into a nearby trash can.

He started to leave the mess hall, but Honey approached him quickly. "Chip, we need to talk."

The Machamp let out a sigh. "Look, I already know you guys are gonna just vote me out. I don't need you rubbing it in."

"Will you be quiet, idiot?!" she whisper-shouted. "I'm trying to _help_ you."

Chip rose a brow in confusion. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"I convinced Sasha and Tonya to vote for Xavier, and I'm telling you that if you want to stay in the game, you'd do the same," the Vespiquen explained.

Chip folded his arms, "Why the hell are you voting for Xavier? I mean, I don't really care, but I'd expect it to be Tim since you guys are usually arguing and complaining about each other."

Honey rolled her eyes. "That loser will have his turn eventually. Xavier doesn't seem to be much of use to us since he's usually just 'gauging our popularity'. And apparently he told Sasha and Tonya that he doesn't expect to win and that he wouldn't really help in the challenge because of that popularity crud. So, what do you say?"

Chip smirked, "As long as it saves my ass…"

"RED TEAM! HEAD ON DOWN TO THE ELIMINATION AREA. IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO VOTE!"

 **000**

The Red Team returned to the area of the beach, taking a seat on the benches once again. They weren't pleased that they were back, but Mew and Victini kept their usual smirks.

Mew let out a sigh. "Alright, second elimination in a row, Red Team. You guys need to actually start working better as a team."

Victini offered. "And pay attention to your surroundings. Use whatever you think will be advantageous to you."

Honey glowered at Jessica, who rolled her eyes.

The same bag of chips appeared in Mew's hands. "Alright, as we said previously, if you get a bag of chips, you're safe for another day."

The contestants exchanged looks as their names were called and they were thrown their bags.

"Alright. Kane-"

The Ursaring caught his bag as it flew toward him.

"Sasha, Tonya, Max-"

The three of them caught their bags as well, exchanging smiles.

"Jessica, Tim, and Honey- Well done. You guys are also safe."

Tim was surprised that he didn't get a vote. He would have expected Honey to do it again to mess with him, so he was pleasantly surprised. Jessica caught her bag via kinesis, and Honey caught hers effortlessly. Only Chip and Xavier were remaining, and while Xavier looked rather surprised, Chip couldn't help but chuckle.

Victini let out a dramatic sigh, "Chip and Xavier. I can say that there's no real surprise as to why the two of you are at the bottom. Chip, you've been acting like a prick to your teammates, you got beaten by the other team, and you didn't get any gems."

Chip grumbled to himself, folding his arms.

"And Xavier. You barely helped the team this time around and you constantly went on about people's popularity, which…. Frankly no one cares about."

Xavier sighed.

"So… The second player eliminated is…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… Xavier. Chip, you're safe.

The Machamp caught his bag of chips with a smile, as Xavier looked on in shock. He let out a sigh. "Well, I suppose I should have seen this coming. My reasoning probably soured my _own_ reputation."

"Yep," Honey said. "And if you had actually helped in the challenge instead of complaining and bringing up that pointless crap, it probably _would_ have been Chip going."

"Hey!" the Machamp bellowed.

A Lapras swam up next to that section of the beach in order to pick up Xavier. Victini stated, "Alright Xavier, it's time for you to go."

The Magnezone groaned as he floated to the Lapras, sitting on its back. As it swam away from the island, Victini turned to the others. "Alright, you guys are free to go."

Mew added, "Try not to lose next time, okay?"

The Red Team gave him a look before walking away. As they left, the two hosts looked to the main camera. Mew explained, "And there you have it folks, it looks like the Red Team is keeping Chip around after all."

Victini nodded, "Yep, Xavier's gone. So now we'll never know about our popularity levels ever again. But who cares when you're fine in your own skin, right?"

Mew nodded in agreement. "Yep. Who will be the next one eliminated? Will R.J. and Sasha have to fight for Kane's love? Will Lucky have better luck? And what will be the next challenge? Find out next time on our Island Challenge!"

 **000**

" **I'm voting for Xavier, but that bee bitch had better not be fucking me over!" Chip exclaimed.**

 **000**

 **Honey giggled, "I'd vote for Tim again now that I've got my lackeys voting Xavier, but… I think that confusing him will be better. So, I'll vote normally this time around."**

 **000**

" **I'll just vote for Chip this time around. Kane's a much better hunk of feet anyway, now that I think about it~" Jessica giggled.**

 **000**

 **Kane sighed, "Sasha insisted that I vote for Xavier since he didn't do much in the challenge. I'm tempted to vote Chip, but I guess being a jackass is better than being useless…"**

 **000**

 **Max groaned, "Xavier… He could have been doing more."**

 **000**

 **Sasha shrugged, "Xavier needs to go if he's not gonna do anything useful."**

 **000**

 **Tim glared, "As much as I'd like to vote for Honey, I'm voting for Chip. Lynn told me that he picked her up by her horns. Not. Fucking. Cool."**

 **He blushed upon realizing the implications, "Oh, uh… and he fucked up the challenge and was a dickhead!"**

 **000**

 **Tonya shrugged, "We told Honey about Xavier not helping out and it turns out she was already on board, so… Bye Xavier."**

 **000**

 **Xavier said, "Chip's time is up."**

 **000**

 _ **Votes:**_

 _ **Xavier - 6 votes (Chip, Honey, Kane, Max, Sasha, Tonya)**_

 _ **Chip - 3 votes (Jessica, Tim, Xavier)**_

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 _ **Red Team - (Chip, Honey, Jessica, Kane, Max, Sasha, Tim, Tonya)**_

 _ **Blue Team - (Art, Belladonna, Christine, Dade, Lucky, Lynn, Marley, Portia, R.J., Zahku)**_

 **000**

 **And there. Xavier is the second one eliminated. Basically, Xavier was meant to just try and spout random advice about popularity while not doing anything to really do anything. Essentially an attempt at being a SQUIP. He wasn't going to be that manipulative or anything, but he felt it necessary to try and help people out even though no one really cares. And since he wasn't really planned to do anything major, we bid him farewell. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you next time on Total… Pokemon… Zero! See ya guys, BYE!**

 **000**

 _ **Elimination Order:**_

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitst)**_

 _ **19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)**_


	4. I Guess

**I did a thing**

 **000**

Following their second elimination ceremony, the Red Team headed back to the cabins. While the guys went into their cabin without a second thought, the girls, specifically Honey, Sasha, and Tonya gathered on the side of the cabin.

Honey tittered, pleased with their work. "Well, that's another nuisance taken care of." She let out an amused sigh, "If we keep this up, we'll take over the entire team, which is perfectly fine by me."

Sasha and Tonya exchanged looks of unsurety upon hearing that statement. Tonya posed a question, "Uh, shouldn't we actually try to get along with the team? Maybe if we do, we won't lose as often. I mean, Mew _did_ say that we should try working better as a team."

Sasha nodded in agreement, adding, "Yeah. Plus, why do we need to take over the team? If we keep losing, we'll just keep eliminating everyone until only one person is left on it. It's kind of counterproductive."

Hearing all of this, Honey groaned, "Fine. Poor choice of words on my part. What I _mean_ is that whenever we lose challenges, we'll automatically have the deciding votes. Therefore, we're in control."

After that explanation, Sasha shrugged, "Hmm… I guess that's more reasonable."

Tonya hummed to herself. "I suppose so… But I-I still feel that we should focus on actual teamwork. That's a necessity."

Honey inhaled sharply before letting out a breath, annoyed by the Accelgor's insistence. She knew that there was a chance that Tonya wouldn't let up about it unless they actually made an attempt. So, despite her reluctance, she decided to appease the Shell Out Pokemon.

The Vespiquen huffed, "Okay, fine. We'll try to 'get along' or whatever when it comes time for us to actually do a challenge. Happy?"

Tonya nodded in response, though she still had her doubts that Honey would go through with it.

The Beehive Pokemon responded, "Good. Now, let's get in the cabin before someone sees us. We don't want to give off any signs."

The three of them climbed up the steps leading to their cabin before entering their side. Jessica, who had been listening in on them, hummed to herself in interest. She thought about their plan from earlier, involving voting for their innocent players and shook her head.

 **000**

 **Jessica smacked her lips. "Hmm… I'm not sure what to make of those three in regards to their little alliance, now. Honey's little plan to unnecessarily vote for good guys to scare them into working harder is already pretty stupid in and of itself."**

 **She continued, "Now, she's talking about controlling the entire team due to having the majority of votes. Sasha is just going along with it, but Tonya is actually trying to do things that will** _ **benefit**_ **the team. And the only way that they'd even have the majority vote is if they're able to convince Chip, since Kane is already wrapped around Sasha's finger."**

" **Though, I've been trying to work on that," she admitted. "He's a hunk, which is wonderful for me, and since his relationship with Sasha is pretty one-sided, I think I should be able to** _ **convince**_ **him to stop giving in to her requests."**

 **000**

The next day, Max woke up to the sound of the cabin door creaking open. With a soft groan, he sat up, his eyes flickering open as he saw Tim exiting the cabin. There was a bit of light outside, meaning that it was morning time, but the Delibird groaned to himself as he placed a pillow over his face for a few moments.

Within a few seconds of the door closing, signalling Tim's exit, Max let out a sigh before removing the pillow from his face. He sat up, scratching at his head before flying from the top bunk of his and Tim's bunk bed. He popped his back before glancing at Chip, who was facing the wall, still asleep, and looking toward the back wall, where Kane was spooning a set of pillows.

He decided to go ahead and try to catch up with Tim. He headed toward the door, slowly opening it up so that he didn't accidentally wake anyone. Exiting, he slowly closed it behind him before looking around the campgrounds. He took in a breath of air before his stomach started to rumble. He started heading toward the mess hall.

Entering, he gazed over toward the fireplace, seeing Lynn and Tim conversing with one another. He rose a brow at this, a small smile creeping on his face. He wasn't one to enter another person's conversation, as he usually felt awkward, so he decided to keep to himself. Or, at least he _wanted_ to.

"Hey Max." He heard his name be called, identifying the voice as Tim's, causing him to turn his head toward the pair. He responded with a wave, "Hey."

He saw the Tropius gesture for him to come over, causing him to sigh momentarily. He rose up from his original spot before waddling over to the two, taking another seat next to Tim.

Lynn greeted the Delibird, "Hey there, Max."

The ice- and flying-type gave a sheepish smile, "Uh… Hi. Um… So, what're you guys talking about over here?"

The two grass-types exchanged looks, with Tim humming. "Nothing major. Just getting to know each other a bit."

Lynn nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it's… Nothing too big." She awkwardly looked to the side, a faint blush starting to form on her cheeks.

Max chuckled sheepishly, "Well, uh… I'll just leave you two to it, then. I don't think I'll have much to really add to the conversation-."

Tim cut him off with a scoff. "Dude, you work as a Santa in a mall, you've gotta have _some_ stories of what you've seen and heard."

Max hummed. "Sorta…"

Hearing that, Lynn giggled, interested in the possible tales. "Well, spill it. What's the weirdest thing you've ever seen working there?"

Max let out a soft breath before looking up at the ceiling. "Um… Well, there was one time where an Aggron and a Kangaskhan got into an argument near the Lego Store. I think they were married or dating or something. But, they ended up making out and eventually going at it right outside of the store. A lot of the parents had to cover their kids' eyes. It was pretty funny, albeit disturbing."

Hearing that, Lynn and Tim shared a laugh before Lynn realized something. "Wait… They started going at it… Don't Kangaskhan have their babies in their pouches most of the time?"

The Delibird shrugged, "Apparently, the kid was already in the store. So no worries about _that_."

Lynn let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, that's good to hear. The thought of a Kangaskhan somehow having sex isn't that pleasant considering the child is in the pouch."

Tim chuckled, "Why would that thought be pleasant in the first place? Well, unless you're into porn or whatever, I guess."

Lynn scoffed, a blush appearing on her face. "No way. I'd rather go out and get the real thing instead of watching some other girl or guy take it. It feels much better having something inside of yourself than just watching someone else have all of the fun."

Tim and Max both blushed at that statement, despite both of them agreeing with that sentiment. Lynn, realizing what she had said, blushed an even deeper crimson.

 **000**

 **Max groaned, "Okay, is this a family show or not?"**

 **000**

Tim cleared his throat, still taken a bit aback by her honesty. "Well, I didn't expect to hear _that_ from you," he chuckled sheepishly. "If my friends were here, they'd call you a 'freak in the sheets'."

Lynn was still blushing, before giggling in embarrassment. She cleared her throat, "Just… Forget I ever said that, please. I didn't mean for it to come out that way."

Max nodded immediately, "No problem." The Delibird did not really care for sexual scenarios or thoughts in general, so he'd happily forget about that statement.

Tim also nodded, though he was still a bit shocked at the suddenness of her statement. In an attempt to change the subject, the Tropius cleared his throat. "So, how do _you_ feel about your team? Well, considering that you guys have won the first two challenges thus far?"

Lynn hummed to herself. "Well… It's okay, I suppose. There are disputes every now and then, but I guess they're decent people. I don't really know their full life stories or anything. We're not _that_ close. But, I'm glad that we've been able to win the challenges. And I have to say, if I hadn't caught Kay and she landed on our castle in the first challenge, we'd have definitely lost. Whose idea was it to throw her, anyway?"

Tim chuckled, "Well, Kay wasn't really helping us. She was just complaining, so Jessica decided to make her useful and throw her."

Lynn smiled in amusement, "Well, thanks one way to handle a nuisance, I suppose…"

Tim nodded, as Max slowly started to scoot away from the pair, feeling like he was just a third wheel in what he saw as a 'Maybe Mistletoe Moment'.

 **000**

" **I may be thinking too much into it, but I feel like those two are gonna end up becoming good friends, but then end up dating or something. That's usually how those types of conversations and interactions go," Max explained. "Again, I may just be thinking too deep."**

 **000**

Belladonna had her arms folded as she stood on a surfboard on the beach. Once again, she and Portia were on the beach in order for her to learn how to surf. She made it a major point not to mention anything sexual or promiscuous in the Rhyperior's presence, not wanting things to end prematurely again.

Portia, who was sitting on the sandy ground, watched the Golem. "Alright, dudette. Limber up like I did yesterday."

The Megaton Pokemon rose a brow. "You want me to do all of the stuff that you did? I'm not entirely sure if I'm physically able to do some of them."

The Drill Pokemon hummed in response, realizing that the Golem was right. She didn't seem able to do a cartwheel, sit ups, or anything really regarding flexibility. The Rhyperior nodded, "Okay, I can understand that. So, I guess you can just hop right on and see what happens."

Belladonna nodded as she got into a typical surfer stance, turning to the Rhyperior, she asked, "How's this look?"

Giggling in response, Portia stated, "You look alright; just be sure to keep yourself balanced. You're gonna have to ride the waves; you can't fight against them."

Nodding affirmatively, Belladonna responded with a hearty, "Got it." She turned to the water, "So, when do we go out into the water to try this out?"

Suddenly, water was splashed onto the Golem, surprising her. She heard laughter coming from behind her and turned around to see Marley cackling with a bucket in her hands. The dripping Golem growled, "Fuck off, Marley! This is why no one here fucking likes you!"

The Aipom's laughing slowly calmed down as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh lighten up will ya? You were just asking about going to the water, so I decided to bring it to _you_."

Annoyed, but curious, Portia asked the Long Tail Pokemon, "Where did you even come from?"

Marley cleared her throat, "Well, when a man and a woman love each other, or don't have the appropriate protection, they-"

Portia immediately cut her off, a blush forming on her face, "NO! I mean where'd you come from to get here! I didn't see you come around or anything."

Marley shrugged, "You were focusing on _her_ the whole time, so you didn't see me come around. Be more observant."

Portia gave her a look, as Belladonna groaned. "Just fucking leave! You're a nuisance! I'm trying to learn something fun and you being here isn't helping!"

Marley waved off her complaint, rolling her eyes. "Please. If standing on a surfboard in the sand is what you consider fun, then you need to reevaluate your life."

The Golem glared at her. "Just… Go."

Marley rolled her eyes, deciding to allow the two rock- and ground-types to have their private lesson. She walked away, waving, "Have fun with your lame lessons."

Portia sighed, looking down. Belladonna, seeing her demeanor change, stepped off of the surfboard and walked toward her. Rubbing her shoulder, the Golem stated, "Ignore her, Portia; she doesn't matter. All she does is pull pranks and insist that she deserves to be here. The lessons aren't lame."

The Rhyperior took a breath. "I guess you're right. It's a lot more fun when you're actually out there. I said that the lessons would _seem_ a bit unnecessary anyway."

Belladonna nodded, "So, you up to keep going?"

Portia smiled back at her, "Yeah." The Rhyperior stood up with a grunt, "Let's get you in the water."

Belladonna fist pumped enthusiastically. "Awesome!"

 **000**

R.J., who was still lying in bed while hugging his own pillow, softly groaned in annoyance. For the third time in a row, he hadn't been able to get a full night of sleep. He had no idea why he couldn't sleep that well. He groaned in annoyance as he rolled onto his back. "Ugh… Sleeping is impossible for me here!"

Art rolled his eyes at his complaint, stating, "Then may I suggest that you start going on walks until you get tired. Maybe then you'll actually be able to sleep and stop complaining about not being able to."

The Beartic glared at him as he watched the Ferrothorn climb down from the bunk over him. "Yeah, I don't remember asking for your suggestion."

Art shrugged, "Eh, take it or leave it." The Thorn Pod Pokemon proceeded to exit the room, with R.J. rolling his eyes.

He was going to be aiding the Ferrothorn in the votes in return for longevity in the game, but that didn't mean that their interactions were always going to be pleasant. He turned to the remaining three in the cabin, who were looking at him. He glared at them in irritation, "What are you looking at?"

Zahku deadpanned, "Cranky polar bear man."

R.J. growled as he rolled back over on his side, annoyed at their presence. "Just fucking leave. Maybe I can't sleep because I'm surrounded by all of _you_ schmucks…"

The trio exchanged looks, before obliging. They didn't really care for to be in the Freezing Pokemon's presence anyway. As they left, Dade muttered, "Maybe he'll get more sleep when he's the first one off the team and back at home."

Hearing that, R.J.'s eyes widened as he sat up with a snarl. "MIND SPEAKING UP, BAGWORM BOY?!"

The door slammed shut immediately, eliciting a low growl from him. He lied back down, folding his arms in a huff.

 **-000-**

Kane, doing a few pull ups in the doorway again, glanced over at the opposite cabin. The Ursaring saw Art exit the cabin, closing the door behind him. He dropped down, folding his arms. He had made up in his mind that he was definitely going to be talking to R.J. and spending a bit of time with him before they were called into the mess hall for breakfast and the challenge briefing.

As he watched Zahku exit the cabin next, followed by Lucky and Dade, the Hibernator Pokemon began making his way toward the opposite cabin. However, his trek over was interrupted by a familiar, enthusiastic voice. Kane sighed to himself before turning around to face the Nidoqueen coming up behind him.

The Drill Pokemon chirped in greeting, "Hi Kane!" She immediately latched onto his left arm, giving him a smile. "Ready for what today has to offer?"

Kane knew that he would have to convince her to leave him alone, but also didn't want to raise any suspicions. He cleared his throat, "Sure."

Sasha giggled, tugging on his arm, "Well, let's get down to the mess hall and-"

The brown bear interrupted her, "Actually, Sasha... I think I want to just hang out with a few other people for a while… If you understand?"

Sasha flinched at his words, mentally screaming in protest. However, not wanting to be seen as 'creepy' or 'clingy', she took a deep breath before calmly replying, "U-Uh, okay. T-That's fine. I'll see you in t-the challenge."

Kane nodded before starting to walk toward the beach, knowing that she was more than likely still watching him. This was true, as Sasha watched him walk away from her, her right eye twitching a bit. She took a deep breath before turning around and sulkily walking toward the mess hall.

 **000**

 **Sasha took a deep breath before repeating to herself, "It's okay Sasha. It's okay Sasha. It's okay Sasha. H-He just needs some time with other people. Right? We all need to expand our horizons at times, heh heh. He's not gonna completely abandon you…"**

 **She froze. "W-What if I'm pushing him away? A-Am I being too clingy? I mean, I haven't annoyed him have I?! I-It's just the fourth day, I can't be losing him already! I CAN'T! HE'S TOO FUCKING GOOD! I DON'T CARE IF HE'S MARRIED, THE BITCH CAN SHARE HIM!"**

 **000**

Once the Nidoqueen was out of view, Kane sighed in relief. He turned back around, heading toward the Blue Team's cabin. He approached the door of the guys' side, only for it to swing open, revealing R.J., who jumped back in surprise upon seeing him.

The Beartic glowered at his husband, folding his arms like a scorned wife. "What are you doing here?" he asked with a huff. "And where's your cheap floozy accessory, she seems to be missing from your arm."

Kane was unamused by his attitude, narrowing his eyes at him. "Are you really going to do this now? I literally just told her to leave me alone so that I can come and spend time with you," he deadpanned.

Hearing that, R.J. admittedly felt a bit immature and wrong for what he said. However, instead of apologizing, he let out a whiff, saying, "Really?"

In response, Kane pushed the Beartic back into the cabin, shutting the door behind them. Once inside, he brought the ice-type closer to him. "You're damn right~", he muttered huskily, looking into the Beartic's eyes.

R.J. could only growl, annoyed at the fact that Kane was trying to be sexy and playful in a rather public setting. "Boy… You know how I feel about-"

Not wanting to here him complain and groan, the Ursaring threw him onto his bunk before climbing over him and planting a kiss on his lips.

 **000**

 **R.J.'s entire face was as red as a Tamato Berry as he awkwardly glanced at the camera, his mouth covered by his hand.**

 **000**

Shortly after waking up, Chip decided to take a jog around the island. The Machamp didn't care too much for beauty of nature or the odd, yet unique structures created by the Earth, though. No, he was jogging to get his legs in a better condition than they already were.

He continued his jog, panting heavily, until he made it back to the beach. There, he popped his back as he turned toward the water. He saw Portia helping Belladonna keep her balance on a surfboard. He stifled a laugh at their actions, deeming it nonsensical.

He thought about questioning them about why they were deciding to weaken themselves by going into the water. However, he decided against it, as he honestly didn't care that much anyway. He decided to head toward the mess hall.

On his way to the building, he heard his name be called. He groaned in annoyance at who it was. The lecherous fish floated toward him with her signature seductive grin. She cleared her throat, "Now, I understand that you don't like me in the manner in which I'd like. _However_ , I would like to offer you a bit of advice and possible allegiance."

Chip scoffed in disbelief, folding his arms, "What advice could you _possibly_ give me? And why would I want an alliance with you anyway?"

Jessica, expecting this response, giggled to herself. His ignorance was very amusing. With a sigh, she explained, "Well, considering that there is already an alliance on the team that plans on trying to gain control under the guise of 'teamwork', I'd think that you would want to know."

Chip's eyes immediately widened; his curiosity was piqued, but he was also very worried if what she had just told him was true. Taking a step back, he responded, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. What the hell are you on about?"

Jessica deadpanned, "I just told you. There's an alliance formed that may end up controlling the entire team if we're not careful."

Chip huffed, "And who exactly is in this alliance that you _just so happen_ to know of?"

The Bruxish rolled her eyes before revealing the names. "Honey, Sasha, and Tonya," she stated. She noticed that Chip's eyes widened a bit upon being told those names. She rose a brow. "Is… There something wrong?"

The Machamp gave her a look. "Well, it just so happens that Honey came to me last night before our elimination ceremony telling me that she wants me to stay in the game and that I needed to vote for Xavier in order to have a chance."

Hearing that, Jessica groaned to herself before giving the Machamp a look of annoyance. "Well, now that she's saved you, I imagine that she will be expecting you to aid her in every consecutive vote. And while she may not have told you this, it will more than likely be the case."

Doing a bit of math in his head, Chip posed a question to the Gnash Teeth Pokemon, an unamused expression etched on his face. "I thought you said that they were planning on controlling the team. How can they do that if there are three of them and five of us not in that dumb alliance?"

Jessica stared blankly at the Superpower Pokemon before mentally smacking him, causing him to yelp out in pain. "OW!" he exclaimed, holding his cheek.

"Didn't you just say that Honey _convinced_ you to vote with them in order to save your own ass?!" Jessica responded with a serious glare. "All they have to do is threaten to vote you out and you'll be putty in their hands. I'm pretty sure that Tim, Max, and Kane have no problem voting you out, either, despite them not really seeing eye-to-eye with Honey."

Still rubbing his cheek, Chip growled to himself. She was definitely right; he definitely wasn't the most popular on his team right now, making him an easy out if they lost another challenge.

Jessica continued, "Not to mention that Sasha is doughy-eyed for Kane, and he's so nice that he'd help anyone who asked. That's why I think we need to try and separate them somehow."

Chip scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Trying to get her to stop bothering him will be like trying to pry a Mimikyu out of its disguise."

Jessica agreed, nodding her head, "Which is why I think we just need to keep separating the two… Or at the very least make one of them annoyed or upset with the other."

Suddenly, a familiar voice exclaimed, "CONTESTANTS! REPORT TO THE MESS HALL FOR BREAKFAST AND MORNING INSTRUCTION!"

Jessica sighed, "We'll talk more later. Just play along with Honey's plan for now." The Bruxish proceeded to the mess hall, with Chip humming to himself before following suit.

 **000**

" **There's no way in hell that I'm letting anyone have control of this team," Chip stated. "It's a good thing Jessica decided to let me know about that shit. Though, now that I know about it… There's nothing stopping me from actually joining in their alliance. I mean, with five votes, we can take out the other losers like Max, Tim, and… Even Jessica. Hmm… But then the problem becomes bigger when they may decide to get rid of me."**

" **I guess I'll just play along for a while like Jessica said."**

 **000**

Inside of the mess hall, a majority of the contestants were already conversing amongst themselves with their usual breakfast boxes in front of them. Today, their breakfast consisted of breakfast burritos and grapes, a rather lackluster meal in comparison to the one they had yesterday.

Looking at the contents of his box, Art commented, "Did you two blow your budget on yesterday's breakfast or something?"

Hearing his complain, Victini gave him a look. "No, we're doing different things. We're not gonna serve you the same exact thing every day. Well, unless we feel like it or can't think of anything new for you guys. So, eat or don't eat. It's up to you."

Art rolled his eyes as Mew began to speak. The pink feline cleared his throat before stating, "Now, your next challenge will begin in half an hour, so finish up your breakfast and meet us at the forest clearing."

He and Victini exited the mess hall, leaving the eighteen remaining contestants to talk as per usual.

 **-000-**

As Dade pecked at his burrito, Zahku and Lucky watched him with pity in their eyes. Eventually, Lucky spoke up, "Uh… Bro, maybe you should stick to eating the grapes. The burrito is as big as you."

The Burmy looked up at him, "I'm fine. You guys have seen me eat like this before."

Zahku nodded, "Yes, but Zahku does not think that way is very efficient or healthy for bug blanket friend. You no finish."

Lucky nodded in agreement, "Yeah. Maybe you should just eat the insides of the burrito instead of the entire thing?"

Dade gave them both a look, "Again, I'll be fine. I think we should worry more about the game at hand. And I've gotta say… We've been doing great!"

Zahku simply nodded in response, while Lucky chuckled sheepishly. The Crabominable awkwardly stated, "Y-Yeah, I actually feel a bit better since my bad luck hasn't been screwing us over like I thought it would."

He took a bite of his burrito following that statement, only to bite onto something hard. The Woolly Crab Pokemon groaned as he slowly opened his mouth, only to spit out a tooth. He looked at his burrito and saw a rock inside of it, among the eggs, cheese, and bacon. He let out a depressed sigh, "Of course…"

The Makuhita beside him let out a sigh. "Zahku pity crab friend."

Lucky smacked his lips, his tongue massaging the part of his gum where his tooth had just come out of. He let out a breath, "Maybe I should've just kept my mouth shut…"

Dade, despite feeling bad for Lucky, ignored his statement, saying, "Well, we all know that all good things come to an end, so we may end up losing today or tomorrow's challenge. And in case we do, I think we should come to a conclusion on who we want gone."

Lucky rose a brow, "I thought we were set on R.J. since he's been a dick."

Dade nodded, "Yes. _We_ are set on R.J., but we'll have to convince the others to vote for him, too."

Zahku hummed, "Zahku doesn't think that is a good idea. R.J., while unpleasant person, is still considered strong and useful to team. Trying to eliminate will result in suspicion on us. Zahku think we should go with annoying monkey girl like others."

Hearing that, Dade sighed as the Makuhita had a point. R.J., despite being a jerk to them, was still relatively useful, so the others _would_ likely be hesitant. "I guess you're right about that. _But,_ I still think R.J. should be a priority to go. At least _after_ Marley."

Zahku shrugged.

 **000**

Sasha was rocking back and forth in her seat, her right eye still twitching. She was sitting with Honey and Tonya, who were very perturbed by her condition. They both knew that the Nidoqueen was infatuated with Kane, but this was still very disturbing to see.

Tonya rose a brow, "Uh… Sasha, hon, are you okay?"

The Nidoqueen giggled with a blush, "Y-Yeah, I'm perfectly fine… Heh heh heh…"

Honey deadpanned, "Well, we both know that's a lie considering that you're rocking back and forth and twitching."

Sasha moaned, resting her face in her hands. "I just… Kane is the type of guy I'd love to have as a husband. He's everything that my _actual_ husband isn't. Charming, sexy, strong, dominant, sensible…" The Drill Pokemon let out a sigh, holding her head, "Why does he already have to be married?!"

Honey rolled her eyes, "Look Sasha, you're gonna have to pull yourself together. Being obsessive over Kane is only going to cause you trouble. He's married, and I'm pretty sure he's a loyal guy, so unless he suddenly decides that he wants you, I suggest you give it up…"

Sasha groaned, putting her head down on the table. She depressedly muttered, "I just want a good man…"

Tonya spoke up, "Sasha, what's the deal with your husband anyway? You told me that Kane made you feel emotions that you haven't felt since you were just dating. Why is he so bad in your eyes, now?"

Sasha huffed as she sat back up. "Well, he was originally a great guy. Passionate, friendly, dominant… But, as time went on, I think we just… Started growing apart. He works for twelve hours nearly every day. He hardly ever says 'Hi' to me anymore and just falls asleep on the couch as soon as he gets home. I cook, clean, and care for him, only to get nothing in return but complaints…" she explained, her volume slowly rising out of anger.

She continued, "We haven't had sex in over four months because he always says that he's 'tired', and he says that us having kids will ruin what we already have established! I've told his ass three times that I wanted a divorce, but did he listen? NO! He just cries and says that he'll try to get less hours, oh, but guess what? It's been months and it _still_ hasn't been done! So, I'm completely done with him and everything he stands for! Married for five years and absolutely nothing has changed to make it better!"

Her exclamation ended up getting everyone's attention, as all eyes fell upon her. The Nidoqueen, panting heavily and teary-eyed, rose up and exited the mess hall, leaving Tonya and Honey to exchange looks of surprise.

 **000**

 **Honey smacked her lips, "Okay, note to self… Get rid of Kane and make Sasha focus…"**

 **000**

Portia rose a brow as she sat with Belladonna and Art. Looking at the Ferrothorn across from them, she asked, "So… You're saying that we should focus on eliminating Christine after Marley instead of R.J.?"

Art nodded, "Exactly."

Belladonna scoffed at this, "And why would we want to keep a jerk over someone that's actually nice?"

The Ferrothorn gave her a look, "Because what has Christine even done for the team? And what do we even know about her? She just complains when people do things she doesn't like or agree with and she doesn't seem to have any strength. Strategically, R.J. is the better choice to keep."

Belladonna scoffed, "Please. What does R.J. do that makes him any better? Strength doesn't matter as long as we have Portia, Lynn, and Zahku, so who cares?"

Art countered, "More strength is better than more passiveness. And Lynn? Strong? Really? Where'd you procure this information?"

Portia popped a grab into her mouth before stating, "The fact that she and Christine kicked Chip's ass for trying to steal their gems in the last challenge."

Art stifled a laugh upon hearing this. "I'm sorry, but if you use _Chip_ as a gauge of strength, then you have a very warped perspective of what strength really is. A muscle-bound meathead like Chip may _look_ and _act_ strong, but he's actually a weakling. I'm pretty sure anyone here could kick his ass. Even Dade!"

Portia awkwardly looked down at her breakfast box, as he actually had a point. However, Belladonna folded her arms with a stern expression. "You mind explaining why you care so much about protecting R.J.?"

Art rose a brow. "What?"

The Golem pushed, tightening her glare, "You heard me. Why do you care about keeping _him_ in the game so much?"

Art rolled his eyes, "I see him as a valuable competitor, unlike you guys who only want him gone because you think he's a 'meanie-head'. Maybe think strategically instead of emotionally. It'll end up screwing you over in the long run."

The Ferrothorn, having finished his food, began making his exit, leaving the girls alone. They exchanged looks of unsurety.

 **000**

 **Belladonna hummed, "I don't know what that guy is planning, but I just know that if R.J. is a part of it, he's** _ **definitely**_ **getting the boot once we take care of Marley."**

 **000**

Chip, sitting at a table by himself, looked over to the table where Lynn, Christine, Max, and Tim were sitting and conversing. Given his actions in the previous challenge, he felt that it made sense to at least apologize. They were both strong enough to take him out, or at the very least knock him around, so he had a bit of respect for them.

Swallowing the last bit of his burrito, he burped to himself before slowly standing up and taking a deep breath. He walked toward the table where the four of them were sitting before slamming his hands down on the opposite end of their table.

This got their attention, as they turned to face him. Max and Tim were unbothered, while Christine and Lynn each gave the Machamp a glare of annoyance. Seeing this, the Superpower Pokemon sighed, facing the two girls.

Before he could speak, Christine posed a question, her tone annoyed. "What do you want, Chip? I don't think you have the right to speak to us after what you did yesterday."

Chip gave her a look. "That's… Actually why I'm here. I want to apologize for that. So… Sorry."

He started walking out of the mess hall shortly after, with the four of them watching him as he exited. Max started, "Uhh…. Well, that came out of nowhere."

Lynn huffed, "That asshole can kiss my ass. I'm not accepting that half-assed apology."

The Tropius chortled, "That's a lot of ass…"

A faint blush grew on Lynn's face before she awkwardly giggled. "Yeah, sorry about that. I just…" she let out a sigh. "I don't forgive that easily, and even then, it takes a while for me to warm up to the _idea_ of forgiveness."

Christine nodded, "That's understandable. I have a pretty low tolerance for half-assed stuff and reprehensible behavior in general."

Max rose a brow, "I think that most reasonable people have a low tolerance for stuff like that, too."

Christine shrugged, "I suppose so. But give how the world is going, it seems that those type of people are decreasing in number."

Tim let out a sigh, clearing his throat, "Well, I'm gonna get a move on to the clearing." The Tropius moved from the table before starting to walk toward the exit.

Lynn, watching the Fruit Pokemon leave, stood up as well. "Oh, I'll go with you. There's not much else to do around here anyway."

The two exited the mess hall together, causing Christine and Max to exchange knowing looks. A few moments later, they decided to exit the mess hall as well.

 **000**

" **I think it's pretty obvious at this point that Lynn has a thing for Tim. The way that they're talking, I'm just waiting for one of them to ask the other out," Christine shrugged. "However, given that they're on opposing teams, I doubt that it'd actually work out."**

 **000**

After half of an hour went by, majority of the contestants made their way to the forest clearing, as instructed. As they entered the vicinity, they immediately noticed that there were two podiums sitting in front of of a large, wooden stage. On the large, wooden stage, sat a large white screen, resembling the screen in a movie theater.

The podiums were rectangular, with curved edges. The one on the left was colored red, while the one on the right was blue. Each one had a white button in the middle of it, as well as a thin microphone extending from their fronts. To the left of the red podium was a set of bleachers with a red flag beside them and to the right of the blue podium was an identical set of bleachers with a blue flag beside them.

Mew and Victini floated onto the stage with smiles on their faces. The pink feline greeted their competitors, stating, "Welcome to you guys' next challenge! Guess… That… 'Blank'!"

The contestants exchanged looks, as Victini followed up with further explanation, "One at a time, a player from each team will approach the podium. We will play audio from either a movie, a television show, or a song. The first player to hit their buzzer and give us the name of the movie, show, or song will earn their team a point. The first team to earn ten points wins the challenge. Got it?"

Art rolled his eyes before stating, "So… We just have to hope that we all watch the shows and movies that you choose and listen to the music that you listen to."

Victini chortled, shaking his head, "No, no. We made sure that the movies, shows, and music are pretty modern or memorable and that you all would have a chance to know."

Once this was explained, Mew noticed something about the teams. "And… Both teams appear to be missing a player. Better find them if you want a fair chance."

Both teams turned and realized that Kane was missing from the Red Team, and R.J. was missing from the Blue Team. Seeing this, Art groaned to himself, "I think I know where I can find them. Those two idiots have started to actually form some kind of friendship."

Sasha scoffed, "Oh-ho no. We do _not_ want Kane to act like a fucking jackass like R.J.. You go get them away from each other!"

Art responded bluntly as he was turning away, "I was going to! Jeez, calm your tits, lady."

The Ferrothorn left the vicinity as the teams separated and headed to their respective bleachers.

 **-000-**

Art emerged from the foliage, re-entering the campsite. The last time he had seen R.J., the Beartic was still just lying in bed inside of their team's cabin. It was more than likely that he was still there. And if Kane was nowhere to be found, it was likely that the two of them were together.

He was unsure if the Ursaring would have gotten the Beartic out of the cabin, so he immediately went to the cabin to check. Lo and behold, upon pushing the door open, he saw the two bears lying together in R.J.'s bunk. The Beartic was lying atop the Ursaring, seemingly fast asleep as he was snuggling against him. Meanwhile, Kane eyed the Ferrothorn momentarily before looking back at the bottom of the bunk overhead, all the while rubbing the Freezing Pokemon's back.

Art cleared his throat, knowing that the Ursaring saw him standing there. He was a bit perplexed as to why he was so relax, but then he realized that R.J. likely spilled the beans about him already knowing about them. He stated, "Er-hem! Gay one and gay two, I don't think you've realized it, but we're starting the next challenge. So, I suggest that you both get up."

Upon hearing that, Kane's eyes widened. He swore to himself as he sat up, still holding R.J., who groaned and shifted a bit. R.J. grumbled, "Stop moving, asshole..."

Kane rolled his eyes at this complaint before shaking him awake. "Get up, Rich. We gotta go to the challenge."

The Beartic groaned in annoyance as he slowly opened his eyes. Kane kissed R.J. once again, causing him to shove him away with a blush. He wiped his mouth before glaring at him. "I hate you, sometimes…"

Art deadpanned, "Less talking, more moving. We don't have time for this…"

R.J. glowered at the Ferrothorn as Kane moved off of the bed, deciding to go ahead and head outside. Art decided to do the same, leaving R.J. alone momentarily as he forced himself to get out of bed.

As he headed outside, he heard Art pose a question to Kane, "What do you even see in him?"

The Beartic snarled in response as he stepped out between the two. He turned to Art with a glare, "Mind not talking to my husband about me while I'm not around? I thought you were trying to get us to hurry."

Art gave him a look, "We were waiting for you to bring your ass out. Now come on. Let's get going."

The Ferrothorn started walking back to the challenge site, as the two bears exchanged looks before following him.

 **000**

 **Kane shrugged, "Well, Art was able to figure us out. As long as he keeps his mouth shut, we should be fine."**

 **000**

Once they were back at the forest clearing, all eyes fell upon them. R.J. and Art headed to the right, while Kane headed to the left. Upon sitting down with his team, Kane was immediately hugged by Sasha. Jessica, Tonya, Tim, and Max were unbothered, while Honey and Chip simply gave him looks.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the other members of the Blue Team didn't really care. Now that R.J. was there, they could just start the challenge.

Seeing them arrive,Mew and Victini proceeded with the challenge. Mew made the situation known to the two bears. "Alright, Kane and R.J., we're not repeating ourselves, so just get the jist of the challenge from them."

Victini followed, stating, " _Or_ just watch and use your context clues to infer what the challenge is."

Mew nodded before deciding to start the challenge. "Alright, let's get this challenge started. Let's start with Tonya and Christine."

Surprised, both bug-types looked at their teammates before heading off of the bleachers and heading to the podiums. They stood behind their podiums, staring at the screen.

Mew began, clasping his hands together. "Alright, let's get this challenge started with a song." The pink feline gestured to his co-host, who took out a remote and pressed one of the buttons. Sound began being emitted from the speakers located behind the screen as words appeared on the screen.

" _It was a long and dark December_

 _From the rooftops I remember_

 _There was snow, white snow…"_

Tonya was more into electronic dance music, so this type of music wasn't that familiar to her in the slightest. Christine, on the other hand, being a musician, heard this song before. She was pretty open minded with regards to music, so she was a bit excited to see if there would be any new music that she _hadn't_ heard before.

The Kricketune asked, "Wait, so do we press the button as soon as we know it? Or do we have to wait until it's completely done?"

Mew responded, "You just press it when you know it. It's who presses the button and answers the fastest, remember?"

In response, Christine immediately pressed the button in front of her, letting out a buzzing sound. She answered, "'Violet Hill' by Coldplay."

Victini nodded affirmatively, "That is correct! Christine earns the Blue Team their first point."

The members of the Blue Team all smiled as Christine returned to the bleachers. As she sat back down, Lynn pat her back with a vine. As Tonya returned, she let out a sigh as she plopped back in her seat, "Sorry guys, I don't listen to sad sounding music."

Honey rolled her eyes, "It's fine, Tonya." She wasn't that surprised that she was beat out by the Kricketune, considering that she brought a violin with her. "She's obviously a musician, so you probably wouldn't have done excellently unless you knew the song. You're the fastest person on the island anyway."

Tonya nodded in understanding as the hosts proceeded with the challenge. Mew stated, "Alright, next up: Tim and Belladonna."

Hearing their names called, Tim sighed, "Well, here I go." Belladonna, on the other hand, rubbed her hands together eagerly.

The two of them approached the podiums, though there was a bit of an issue regarding how Tim was supposed to participate. Surprisingly, Honey was the one bring up the problem. "Uh… Hosts, how the heck is Tim supposed to participate if he can't quickly hit his button due to his legs being… Y'know… All the way on the ground?"

Victini chuckled. "He has a long enough neck. He can just use his head..." the Victory Pokemon stated before turning to the Tropius, "...just be careful with it."

Tim let out a sigh as the hosts went on with the challenge. Mew started, "Alright, let's keep going with the challenge. This time, it's gonna be a quote from a movie." He gestured to Victini once again; the Victory Pokemon pressed the button of the remote.

Like the song before, the words from the movie quote appeared on the screen as it was heard from the speakers.

" _I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti…"_

Tim rose a brow upon hearing this quote. He could have sworn that he had heard it before, but he couldn't remember the movie where he had heard it from. On the other hand, Belladonna was confused. She hadn't heard of the quote, nor did she know any movies that would have anything to do with the quote.

Getting no answer from either of them, Victini chuckled. "Alright, do you two need to hear it again?"

Tim nodded affirmatively, "Yeah, I've heard it before, I just can't remember the name of the movie."

Belladonna huffed, folding her arms. "Well, this is probably gonna be yours, then. I haven't even heard that before. Or if I did, I sure as hell don't remember it."

Victini rewinded the audio before playing it back again. Tim groaned to himself; it sounded so familiar, but he just couldn't remember the name of the movie. Belladonna was still rather lost overall. Both teams were rather unamused at their teammate's struggle.

Art groaned in annoyance from the sidelines. "Are you fucking kidding me right now? This is from one of the most memorable movies ever."

Sasha spoke up, raising a paw, "Uh… Are they allowed to ask for help?"

Mew explained, "When neither player knows it, we will allow a ten second interval in which they can ask their teammates for assistance. _However_ , they have to return to the bleachers for the information. Once time's up, they must return, we'll play the audio once more, and then it resumes normally."

Tim, confused by the sudden information, questioned, "Wait, so… We go now?"

Mew turned to Victini, who looked at a clock. "Your ten seconds start now!"

Flustered, both Belladonna and Tim exchanged looks before rushing back over to their respective teams.

 **-000-**

Belladonna queried. "Any ideas on what the movie is? I literally have no idea."

Hearing this, the Ferrothorn groaned in annoyance. "It's _Silence of the Lambs_ , you dense-"

Portia immediately covered Art's mouth as everyone glanced at him with narrowed eyes. The Ferrothorn glared at the Rhyperior as Belladonna rolled her eyes.

 **-000-**

Tim looked at his teammates with a confused look. "I think I know it, but-"

Honey answered swiftly, " _Silence of the Lambs_ , there. Sound familiar? Useless..."

The Tropius nodded, though he was still annoyed with Honey in general. The Vespiquen was still on his hit list from her stupid voting from a few nights ago, and in general, due to her annoying and pushy attitude.

Their interaction was interrupted by the hosts exclaiming, "TIME'S UP!"

 **000**

Tim and Belladonna returned to their respective podiums, both looking much more confident than before. Now that they both had the presumed correct answer, it was all up to who hit their buzzer the fastest.

"Alright," Victini started. "Listen to the quote one more time and just hit the buzzer."

He pressed the 'play' button on the remote, allowing the audio to repeat for a third time. Before it could fully loop, Tim slammed his head on the buzzer, causing him to yell out in pain. He groaned, slowly raising his head back up. "Ugh… _Silence of the Lambs_."

Mew responded with nod, "That is correct. Tim scores the Red Team their first point. It's already tied up."

Victini chuckled, "Well, that probably won't last long. Let's have Max and Lucky come up next."

The Crabominable groaned in dismay, feeling nervous about his turn. Max, on the other hand, simply sighed. Both of them got off of the bleachers, moving to the podiums.

Mew began, "Alright, now we're at the television show quotes. Let's see how well you guys know television." He nodded to Victini, who pressed the 'play' button on the remote once again, playing a new sound file.

" _This is my own private domicile and I will not be harassed…. Bitch!"_

Lucky attempted to hit the buzzer, but was hit on the head with a rock, causing him to yell out in pain, allowing Max to jump up and hit the buzzer in front of him. He answered, " _Breaking Bad_."

Mew responded with a smile, "And the Red Team is up to two points!"

The members of the Red Team cheered, as the Blue Team remained indifferent, though annoyed. They looked up and saw a bird flying away in the distance. Lucky sighed as he walked back over to his team's bleachers.

He looked down as he plopped back on the edge of the bleachers. "Sorry guys. My stupid luck messed me up…"

Dade let out a sigh. "It's fine, bro. It's out of your control."

R.J. huffed, his arms folded, "Let's just hope that your shitty luck decides to spare us next time."

Zahku punched the Beartic's arm, causing him to flinch and growl at him. The Blue Team focused back on the challenge, as they realized that they were getting looks from the hosts, as well as the opposite team.

Mew cleared his throat, wanting to get things back on track. " _Anyways…_ Let's get back on track, shall we? Sasha and Portia, you two are up."

The Nidoqueen sighed in annoyance, as she had to move away from Kane momentarily. While she was vexed, Kane let out a sigh of relief. Portia moved off of the bleachers rather easily.

Moving behind their respective podiums, Sasha glanced over to Kane with flirtatious eyes. The Ursaring held his head, irked by the incessant affection from the Nidoqueen. If he was straight and single, then he wouldn't have minded. Admittedly, she was an attractive woman, R.J. was the one he loved.

Mew chuckled. "Okay, we're back to music. Let's get this fourth round started. Victini?"

The Victory Pokemon nodded before playing the next piece of audio.

" _So needless to say  
I'm odds and ends  
I'll be stumbling away  
Slowly learning that life is OK"_

The audio ended there, with Sasha having an idea of what the song was. However, Portia hit the button swiftly. The beat, flow, and the lyrics of the song were immediately recognizable to her.

The Rhyperior answered, "'Take on Me' by a-ha."

Mew chuckled, "And the teams are tied once again. This is pretty fun."

Both girls returned to their respective bleachers, with Honey looking very dissatisfied with Sasha's performance and behavior. It seemed like she didn't even care, as she simply snuggled back up to Kane once she was back on the bleachers.

On the other side, Portia was posed a question by Lynn. The Gogoat queried, "You responded awfully quick. How'd you know it so well?"

Smiling, Portia responded with a giggle, "That's one of the songs my uncle had me train to. It's pretty much stuck in my head now."

Art huffed, "Well, we're lucky that your uncle has a lackluster taste in music…"

Belladonna groaned, rolling her eyes, "Do you ever shut up? Seriously, you aren't better than any of us. Well, aside from Marley."

Using her tail, Marley gave Belladonna the 'one finger salute' with an annoyed expression on her face. The Golem rolled her eyes in response.

Art rolled his eyes, "Pssh. Be lucky that I only called it lackluster. That song has been overplayed and ruined by countless unfunny jokes and videos. Wanna grill me for an opinion? Bite me."

A whistle got the members of the Blue Team's attention as they turned back to the stage, where the hosts were looking at them with smirks.

Victini chuckled, "Wow. And here we thought the _Red Team_ had its issues. Looks like some problems are starting to arise on the opposite side."

Lynn let out a sigh, not wanting the team to be known in that light. "Well, it won't be happening for long. Rest assured."

Mew chortled, "No, no, keep it going. It'll be great for ratings. Having one team be completely perfect and devoid of problems would be… Admittedly boring. But, anyways, let's get back to the challenge at hand. Jessica and Art, you two are up next."

Jessica scoffed, her eager smile turning into an unenthused frown, " _Wonderful_. I'm up against such an _enthusiastic_ ray of sunshine…"

Art replied with a scoff of his own as he made his way toward his team's podium. "As if I'm enthused to be up against a girl whose lips have probably touched every penis within a 100-foot radius of where she lives…"

Jessica gave him a cocky look, "200 foot radius. Don't sell me that short…"

Art pretended to retch, "You act like that's something to be proud of…"

Jessica giggled, "Well, when there's a bunch of gorgeous hunks that live around you that only get action every other day… There's… _A lot_ of things that can keep you entertained and _satisfied_."

Hearing that tone, nearly every male shuddered in disgust. Victini cleared his throat, interrupting the brief conversation, as he was disturbed as well, "Let's move on to more movie quotes."

He pressed the button on the remote, causing a different audio clip to play.

" _Matt Damon!"_

Upon hearing that, both Pokemon stared at them with unamused expressions, while their teammates exchanged looks of unsurety and annoyance.

Art deadpanned, "Is this a fucking joke? Just someone saying a fucking actor's name?!"

Jessica let out a sigh. "That could, quite literally, come from any movie in which teenagers are discussing or going to a movie. So, this isn't really much help."

Mew responded, "Listen closely to the tone used in the delivery of the line. That'd be a dead giveaway to what type of movie this is."

Victini played the audio once again, allowing the line to be delivered once again. This time, they paid attention to the delivery, as they were instructed to. However, there was still nothing outstanding to them.

Art groaned, "Yeah, this still doesn't really do anything. So, can we just move on to the 'ask the teammate' part?"

The hosts exchanged looks, with Mew shrugging. "Alright. Victini, start the clock."

Both Art and Jessica went back over to their respective team bleachers, hoping that at least one of their teammates had an idea.

It would seem that Max and Kane had some intel, as they each knew of a movie where that exclamation would have been uttered. The Ursaring popped his back, "Alright, my spouse and I watched this movie called _Team Unova_ that had a bunch of puppets and one of them was a puppet of Matt Damon that just kept saying his name the entire time. Maybe that's where it's from."

Max nodded, "I was gonna that, too. It's the first thing I thought of."

Jessica licked her lips in response. "If it ends up being correct, I'll be willing to _reward_ you boys."

Immediately, Max jumped behind Chip. "No need," he responded sheepishly.

Kane sweatdropped, but Sasha growled, glaring daggers at the Bruxish. Sternly, the Nidoqueen stated, "Your filthy lips aren't going anywhere near him!"

Jessica rolled her eyes, "That's up for _him_ to decide, now isn't it?"

Sasha bared her teeth with a soft growl, making Kane a bit uncomfortable.

 **000**

 **Kane smacked his lips. "Okay… Sasha was just a little bit weird about me in the past few days… Now she's acting like I'm her property like I'm a piece of meat."**

" **It's very unnerving…"**

 **000**

At the same time, Art was talking to a brick wall. It seemed like none of his teammates had a clue as to what movie the quote was from. It was just a name to them.

Art deadpanned, "Seriously? None of you are gonna say anything?"

Marley stifled a laugh, "I mean, _I_ know the name of the movie, but… I'm afraid that I'm too useless and threatened to say…"

Christine gave the Long Tail Pokemon an annoyed look. "Marley, that would actually be helpful. Not telling us will only result in making your elimination happen even sooner."

Marley rolled her eyes. "Oh well, looks like time's pretty much u-"

R.J. suddenly stated, "It's called _Team Unova_."

They heard Victini's exclamation shortly after. "TIME'S UP!" Art gave R.J. a suspicious look, but the Beartic's face remained stiff as he returned back to the podium.

 **000**

Victini played the audio once again, with Jessica kinetically pressing the button. The Bruxish giggled, giving the Ferrothorn beside her a toothy grin. "That'd be from _Team Unova_."

Mew cheered, "And the Red Team charges ahead with another point!"

Art groaned in annoyance, "Beaten by a slut. _Great_ …"

Jessica giggled in response, "Well, if it makes you feel better, I'd never work my magic on you in a million years…"

Art huffed as he started moving back to his team's bleachers, "Well, that's great news…"

Jessica giggled as she floated back over to her own team's bleachers, floating next to Kane, who twitched to himself as he held his head.

Seeing this, R.J. grew a bit concerned, thinking that the girls were starting to annoy him. However, he shook his head, getting the thoughts out of his head before clearing his throat, his arms still folded.

Mew hummed, "Alright, let's have the bear buddies, Kane and R.J., come up next."

Hearing that, Kane rose a brow, hiding a small smile that was forming on his lips. R.J., on the other hand, kept an unbothered expression, but let out a sigh. He stood up, popping his back as he approached the podium.

Once both bears were up to their podiums, Mew nodded, "Okay, now we're back to TV show quotes. Hit it, Victini."

Victini pressed the button on the remote, playing the audio.

" _You know nothing, Jon Snow!"_

Immediately, both of them slammed their paws onto the button, with Kane exclaiming, " _Game of Thrones_!" before R.J. could. The Beartic growled, glaring at the Ursaring.

Mew announced, "And the Red Team is up to four points! Will the Blue Team catch up?! Let's keep it going and find out."

Kane winked at R.J. with a smirk, making the Beartic blush faintly with his teeth bared as they each returned to their respective bleachers.

Once he walked back over, the blush was immediately noticed by Marley, who stifled a laugh. "What's with the blush, tough guy? Embarrassed that you got beat by your better looking cousin?"

The Beartic glowered at her. "Go fuck yourself, monkey bitch."

Mew spoke up, getting everyone's attention once again, "Alright. If the Red Team makes it to five points, we're gonna give you guys a twenty minute break to compose yourselves and think. If they don't, we just continue until one of the teams makes it to five. Sound good?"

The contestants exchanged looks before looking back to their hosts and nodding.

Mew nodded affirmatively, "Okay. Let's have Honey and Lynn come up next."

Hearing their names, both Honey and Lynn heading toward their podiums without a word. Honey was actually focused, though Sasha's behavior was still annoying her. Meanwhile, the Gogoat beside her had a stern look etched on her face, not wanting her team to start losing.

The New Species Pokemon smiled upon seeing this. "Nice. It's good to see that both of you girls are wearing your game faces. Victini, the next song."

At this point, Victini gave him a look. "Y'know, you don't have to announce it ever time. Just nod to me or something because that's getting a bit annoying," he stated before pressing the 'play' button on the remote. A few verses of a new song was heard.

" _Take me I'm yours_

 _Into your arms_

 _Never let me go_

 _Tonight I really need to know-"_

Once the audio cut off, Lynn quickly used her vines to hit the buzzer mere seconds before Honey was able to, causing her to growl. The Gogoat calmly answered, "'Tell It to My Heart' by Taylor Dayne."

"And Lynn grants the Blue Team another point," Mew said. "Let's see if they can tie this up once again."

Honey glared daggers at the Gogoat, who didn't even look back at her to acknowledge it. Disgruntled, she flew back over to her team's bleachers, folding her arms. Jessica had a small smile on her face, seeing this.

000

The Bruxish giggled, "What do you know, all three members of the 'Team Ruling' alliance failed in their rounds. How fortuitous. It'll be a cinch to take out one of them if our team winds up losing again."

She hummed, "Hmm, although, losing three challenges in a row would _not_ be that great for us in the numbers department. If a challenge involving it comes up, anyway…"

 **000**

Lynn sat back down in her same spot, looking toward Tim. The Tropius was looking back at her,a small smile on his face. She blushed, looking to the side.

Mew stated, "Alrighty, it's time for a fun round. Chip, Zahku, come on up."

The Machamp groaned in annoyance, holding his head. "You've gotta be shitting me…" he groaned.

Honey rolled her eyes at his complaining. "Suck it up, musclehead. He speaks in the third person and he doesn't look like the type to know movies. You can't really beat him physically, but maybe you'll beat him in the knowledge department."

The Superpower Pokemon gave her a look before standing up and heading toward the podium. Zahku had already made his way to his podium without a word. Eyeing him, Chip huffed before facing the hosts.

Mew chuckled, "This'll be fun to watch." Turning to Victini, he simply nodded, as he had asked him to. The fox pressed the button on the remote, allowing the next piece of audio to play.

" _We stopped the bleeding! We stopped the bleeding!"_

 _A gunshot was heard._

" _Fuck! Just give us a fucking chance you son of a bitch! You son of a fucking cocksucker!"_

Chip was drawing a blank. He hadn't heard this scene from any movie that he had seen. He had watched movies that had content and lines similar to what he had just heard, but was unsure about the specifics. Zahku, seeing that the Machamp was taking a while, smirked and slammed his fist on his buzzer.

"Save Private Ryan…"

Hearing that, Chip's eyes widened and he pressed his own button. "Wrong! It's _Saving_ Private Ryan!"

Mew chuckled, "Uh… Chip. Zahku already answered."

The Machamp scoffed, "He said the name wrong! That shouldn't count."

Victini explained, "Given that he generally speaks that way, we're going to allow it. So, the Blue Team earns another point!"

"What?!" Chip exclaimed, "That's bullshit!"

From the sidelines, Art stated, "Deal with it, musclehead."

Chip growled as he walked back over to his team, who were seemingly just as annoyed. Zahku chortled to himself at seeing the Machamp's juvenile response before walking back over to his own team's set of bleachers.

Mew clasped his hands together. "Alright, we have a tie, so this next point will begin our short break. And since all of the members of the Red Team have participate, we'll be cycling through them once again. Starting of course… With Tonya."

The Accelgor sighed, "Fine…"

The pink feline turned to the other team. "And for the Blue Team, let's get Dade over here…"

Hearing his name called, the Burmy groaned. "I hate my life sometimes…"

Marley shrugged, "As a Burmy probably should or _would_."

Dade gave her a look, "You're not helping yourself, you know…"

R.J. rolled his eyes, groaning, "Just get to the podium already, cabbage patch."

Dade narrowed his eyes at the Beartic before hopping off of the bleachers and making his way to the podium. Seeing this, Christine spoke up, "Uh… Wouldn't it be a bit unfair for Dade since he's so short?"

Victini responded, "Calm your horns, Lynn. We've got it handled."

Dade was lifted into the air via kinesis, placing him on the podium. The Burmy let out a breath, "Well, this works, I suppose."

"Now that that's settled," Victini began, "Let's get back to the challenge. Next TV show." He pressed the button on the remote, playing the audio.

" _The things I do for love…_ "

Recognizing the voice, Dade immediately jumped onto the buzzer, "Ooo, ooo, _Courage the Cowardly Dog_!"

"And the Blue Team earns their fifth point!" Mew announced. The Blue Team each celebrated briefly, as the Red Team groaned in disappointment. Tonya twitched to herself before turning to her teammates, who were giving her looks of disbelief and annoyance. She sweatdropped.

 **000**

" **I don't watch cartoon shows that often. How was I supposed to know!?" Tonya defended.**

 **000**

"Okay," Victini began, tossing the remote to Mew. "You guys go ahead and take a break. We'll call you back when time is up."

Both teams began leaving, some more annoyed than others.

 **000**

The Red Team moved to the mess hall, under Honey's volition. The players were sitting at their tables, with Honey buzzing before them, moving back and forth.

Eventually, Tim grew annoyed, rolling his eyes. "Can you just start talking so you don't waste all of our time?" he groaned.

Honey stopped, glaring at the Tropius, who glared right back. She took in breath before actually doing as he suggested, talking. "That was just unacceptable. How is it that only half of us were able to actually answer the questions?"

Max rose his hand to answer, "Because you guys either didn't know in time or were outsped by someone from the other team."

Chip spoke up immediately after him, "They gave the point to that stupid Makuhita even though I'm pretty sure I've heard him use a gerald before."

Everyone looked at him in confusion once he said this. Kane rose a brow, "Uh… I'm sorry, a what?"

Chip narrowed his eyes at the Ursaring before answering back, "A _gerald_ , or whatever the hell it's called when a word has -ing at the end."

Bruxish sighed, giving the Machamp a look of pity. "That's called a _gerund_ , hon. Not a gerald. Though, I did have some _fun_ with a Gerald a few months back. His wife still-"

Honey cut off her explication, exclaiming, "Can we focus back on the first half of challenge that we just lost please?!"

The Vespiquen huffed as she looked at her teammates and took a deep breath. "Okay. Tim, Max, Jessica, and Kane, you all did decently in earning us points. Chip, I can agree that the hosts' decision was bullshit. I don't listen to the music that I was presented, so I didn't get it that quickly." She sternly glared at Tonya and Sasha. "Now, as for you two… I don't know what the heck was up with you guys, but you'd better fix it."

Tonya explained, "I don't listen to the type of music I was presented nor do I watch any cartoon shows often."

Honey growled to herself, now understanding Tonya's issue. She turned to Sasha. "What's _your_ excuse? I'm pretty sure that song you and surfer girl were given is well known."

Sasha, her arm still wrapped around Kane's, shrugged, "Guess she was just faster."

Hearing this, Honey clenched her claws into a fist, glaring at the Nidoqueen. "You didn't even reach for the buzzer!" she exclaimed. "You're letting your stupid infatuation with Kane interfere with your challenge performance!"

"No I'm not! I've been helpful in every challenge!" Sasha countered. "Just because I like Kane, it doesn't mean that I'm forfeiting or screwing anything up! _Half_ of us missed questions, so don't just focus on me!"

Honey glared at her before taking another deep breath. "Okay…" she began. "Everyone just… _Think._ Even if you don't know, at least try to hit the buzzer first and _guess_."

Tim deadpanned, "So, buy time and delay the inevitable… Got it."

Honey growled, finally responding, "Okay, unless _you_ have a better idea that'll possibly help the team, why don't you just shut up?"

Tim rolled his eyes, growing even more tired of the Vespiquen. He really wanted to just eliminate her already. Jessica cleared her throat, "Well, if this meeting is done, I'd like to head out and do… Anything else in the remaining… Fourteen minutes that we have…"

The Bruxish floated out of the mess hall. Seeing her departure, Chip decided to follow her, wanting a bit more time to talk. Kane got up, popping his back, "Well, I'm gonna go for a walk."

Instantly, Sasha shot up, "Oh, I'll go with-"

Kane gave her a look, telling her 'no'. The Nidoqueen's lip quivered, but she took a deep breath before retracting her statement. "N-Nevermind." The Ursaring nodded with a small smile before heading out. Max and Tim eventually left as well, leaving the three girls alone.

Seeing Sasha's sad expression, Honey rolled her eyes, "Will you get over it?! He's MARRIED! He's not your damn property! Jeez, just because _your_ husband is a loser, it doesn't mean you can steal someone else's!"

Tonya nodded, before adding, "And it seems that Kane is actually beginning to get uncomfortable and is in need of space. You really have to control yourself, Sasha. We get it, you like him, but you also need to remember that this is a competition and there's no actual chance of you two getting together."

Hearing that, Sasha looked down dejectedly, tears starting to form in her eyes. Tonya continued, "Instead of being upset about this, why not focus on trying to win so that you can pay a lawyer for a divorce? Then maybe you'll meet another guy like Kane outside of the game?"

Sasha sighed, "Because my jerk-off husband said that he'd sue for abandonment. I'm literally stuck with him. And even if I _do_ win, if he sues, I'll be left with little…"

Honey gave her a brief look of sympathy before erasing those thoughts and regaining an apathetic expression. "You realize that abandonment is _grounds_ for a divorce in some places, right? If he sues you for abandonment, you can very well get divorced that way. Sure, he'll take some money, but if this show offers royalties, you'll be just fine."

Sasha's eyes widened upon hearing that. A small smile formed on her face. Seeing this, Honey grew proud of herself. "There's a smile," she said with faux enthusiasm. He voice then turned serious as she queried, "Now are you gonna put on your big girl panties and stop obsessing over that dumb Ursaring?"

Both Sasha and Tonya gave her a look of surprise, though Sasha's expression turned into a glare shortly after. "Hey, he's not dumb. He's sweet and I _still_ happen to like him."

The Honey deadpanned, folding her arms, "So, you're still gonna be clingy?"

"No!" Sasha responded. "But that doesn't mean that I'm gonna stop talking to him and trying to get along normally."

Honey groaned, "Whatever. As long as you aren't screwing us over because of your dumb crush."

The Vespiquen started flying out of the mess hall, leaving the girls to exchange looks.

 **000**

" **It's not just me, but Honey is getting** _ **really**_ **annoying," Sasha stated. "I like Kane, so I'm going to talk to him whenever I please unless he objects to it. I want to make it far in the game, but if Honey's gonna keep acting like this, I may just-"**

 **000**

Walking back toward their cabins, the members of the Blue Team were conversing among themselves. Or, at least a couple of them.

A smile on her face, Lynn stepped into the girls' side of the cabin, saying, "Well, I have to say that we did well in the challenge."

Following her, Christine nodded, "Yeah. Hopefully this leads to our third win in a row. Let's hope that Marley doesn't screw us up in the next round. She's next, after all."

Lynn giggled as she climbed into her bunk and lied down. "Yeah, w-" She looked toward the door and noticed that they were the only two that were there. "Wait… I could have sworn that the others were following us."

Christine shrugged as she opened up her violin case, "Guess not. Oh well, some of them are jerks, anyway."

Lynn shrugged as she saw Tim and Max heading into their own team's cabin. A small smile grew on her face. Seeing this, Christine looked out of the door and saw the two of them entering their cabin. She looked back at Lynn, raising a brow.

She started playing her violin for a few moments before asking, "So, when do you plan on making a move?"

Lynn, snapping out of her thoughts, turned to the Kricketune with a faint blush on her face. Flustered, she queried, "W-What?"

Christine scoffed, "It's obvious. You two have this awkward 'into each other' vibe. It's like one of the many love songs that are available in this world. Or the many awkward romantic comedies…"

Lynn shook her head, "No, no, no. Tim and I are just friends." She let out a soft sigh as she gazed at her hooves, "Plus, we're on different teams. It's not like it'd even work out that long…"

Christine was surprised to hear her say that. She hummed, "Huh, I was actually about to say that. Well, good to know that you're aware of the issue."

The Gogoat gave her a look. "I'd like to think that us dating _wouldn't_ be an issue, but with how dysfunctional his team is, and… Well, how serious _we_ are at times… It'd end up taking a backseat."

"If I'm being completely honest," Christine began. "I don't really buy into the relationships of these shows, and _not_ for the reason that the uppity Ferrothorn suggested yesterday. I don't believe that true love happens that quickly. Most of the time, a boy or girl sees someone of the opposite or same sex that is attractive _once_ , falls in love with their appearance, and then awkwardly avoids them, tries to prove themselves, or makes a move immediately. I think it should actually take time."

Lynn rose a brow, but understood where she was going with her thoughts. She started hearing a soft song, courtesy of Christine and her violin. A question formed in the Gogoat's brain, "Uh… So, you don't think that any relationships in these shows will last long?"

Christine ceased her playing momentarily. "Hmm… I wouldn't say that I don't think _any_ relationship will work out. I mean, what you and Tim have going on is an example of a possible formation done right. You two aren't just flirting constantly or talking about each other on end as if you know each other. You're just… Talking and being friendly, which is good."

Lynn giggled with a blush. "Thanks… Now, do you mind filling me in on a few more possibly popular songs in case my turn comes up again?"

A smile formed on Christine's face. "It'd be my pleasure."

 **000**

Belladonna and Portia walked along the beach, talking amongst each other. The Golem was very annoyed with three people on the team, especially given their attitudes and behavior.

Belladonna growled, "I swear, Art is really pissing me off. He just keeps belittling us as if everything that he does or listens to is better than what we do. And I'm sure that we can do without the stupid insults."

Portia shrugged, "At this point, I just try to ignore him. He's going to act that way regardless since that's just who he is. We can just to silence him, but that's only temporary. Plus, he's still kinda smart."

Belladonna scoffed, "Portia, he lost to _Jessica_."

Portia countered her, explaining, "And _you_ lost to Tim, Lucky lost to Max, and R.J. lost to Kane. The point still stands that he's smart."

Belladonna groaned, "Fine, he has _that_ going for him, but Marley and R.J. are just-"

Portia interrupted her, explaining, "R.J. helped out in a question, too. And, he may have a sour attitude, but he's still kinda useful. Marley's the only one that I don't have anything to counter with."

The duo heard a familiar voice shortly after, saying, "Oh, how _wonderful…"_

The two of them jumped before looking behind them. However, they didn't see anything. Suddenly, Portia felt something on her back as Marley climbed up to her shoulder. "Hi there," she greeted.

The Golem groaned, "Where the hell did you even come from!?"

"That doesn't matter," Marley responded, waving away her question before posing her own. "Real quick… Why do you guys feel the need to constantly put me down?"

Portia rose a brow, while Belladonna was completely stunned, "Put y-. YOU'VE PRANKED US THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS HERE! You can't expect us to care about you when you don't care about us."

Marley groaned, "You guys are just so uptight. And I would've expected _you_ to be more open-minded and find the humor in it, considering you're this daredevil… Party girl or whatever."

Belladonna gave her a look, "I like doing things on my _own terms_. Deal with it."

Marley rolled her eyes. "Well, you two are no fun at all… And your little problems with us are stupid, too. Just because someone does or says things that you don't like doesn't mean that they don't deserve anything."

Belladonna rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say. Just know that you're still not well-liked by the rest of us."

Marley gave her a look. "I haven't even done anything as of late. But, at this point, I honestly don't care that much. You guys are all sourpusses…"

"Good. So if we end up losing… Why don't you do us a favor and vote yourself off with the rest of us?"

Marley gave her a look, "Nah, I'm not gonna give you the satisfaction. Just… Be sure to watch yourself around here."

The Aipom hopped off of Portia's shoulder before scampering into the woods. The two rock and ground-types exchanged looks.

 **000**

 **Portia sighed. "Okay, so Marley is possibly up to something. Telling Bella to 'watch herself' is kind of a dead giveaway that you're up to something."**

 **000**

" **Marley needs to go as soon as possible," Belladonna commented, her arms folded. "Once she's gone, we'll actually have some peace around here. Well, until R.J. or Art ruin the vibe with their comments or something."**

 **000**

"So, you're more inclined to believe me, now?" Jessica queried, as Chip followed her to another forest clearing.

The Machamp groaned, "Yeah. She was really focusing on those two in the mess hall, so I guess I can see what you've been talking about."

Jessica nodded, "Yes, and it would seem that Kane is already growing tired of Sasha's barrage of affection, meaning that we don't really have to do anything."

Chip nodded in response. "So, what? Do we convince the others to vote out one of them?"

"Why of course," Jessica responded. "And while she _is_ rather irritating, I say that we focus on Tonya and Sasha rather than Honey. If we get rid of her lackeys, we render her powerless. Then, we can eliminate her."

Chip rose a brow, "And why should we not get rid of her? Getting rid of Honey gives _us_ control over Tonya and Sasha…"

The Bruxish giggled, shaking her head. "I don't know why you believe that, but you're wrong. Eliminating Honey won't do anything to affect those two, as they are already hesitant about being under her. However, eliminating _them_ will weaken Honey and eventually she'll be out of our hair."

Chip sighed, rolling his eyes. "Okay, whatever. If _that's_ you plan, I say that we just get rid of Sasha when the time comes. She's just fawning over Kane all the time and Tonya is at least fast, meaning she's useful for something."

Jessica nodded, "Okay, I can agree with that notion. Now, let's go on and start heading back. Honey's little rant shaved off a bit of time, this took about… Five to seven minutes, and the remaining time isn't enough for me to do anything that I'd deem pleasurable. I mean, unless you've changed your-"

"Don't even think about it," Chip deadpanned, giving her a serious look.

 **000**

 **Chip huffed, his arms folded. "Yeah, I may be working with her, but she still ain't the time of girl that I'd have a fling with. Plus, she's admitted to having sex with a ton of guys that are within a 200-foot radius of her house! Yeah, I'm not risking anything with her."**

 **000**

Dade, Zahku, and Lucky were talking at the pond, with Lucky lying on his back, staring at the sky with one of his claws in the water. "And to think… We might have been able to break earlier if I hadn't screwed up."

Dade rolled his eyes, giving the Crabominable a look, "Dude, you're cursed. It's literally not your fault. You really need to stop beating yourself up about this."

"It paternal figure fault," Zahku added, his arms folded as he gazed out at the pond. "Maybe can ask hosts to remove curse."

Hearing that, Dade's eyes widened. "That's a great idea!" he turned to Lucky. "Dude, just ask Mew and Victini to lift your curse! They're Mythical Pokemon with a lot of power!"

Lucky's eyes widened as he sat up. "Y-You guys are right! And if my curse is lifted… I can actually do better in challenges and help out the team!"

"Yes!" Dade cheered. "So, I say that when the challenge is over, we ask them right away when the others leave. We don't want the other team knowing that we're getting you fixed. They'll think we're cheating."

With that possibility being brought up, Lucky grew confused. Sure, it would be beneficial for the team, as he'd be a more capable player, but did that make it wrong? "Wait, how would it be cheating?"

Zahku spoke up once again after tossing a stone into the pond. "Could be seen as performance enhancer or favoritism."

Dade rose a brow, "Performance enhancer? You mean like those drugs that sports people use to make themselves awesome? How does fixing Lucky's curse equate to that?"

Zahku explained, "Curse part of crab friend's life. Affects performance in challenges. Getting hosts to get rid of curse changes friend's performance in challenges. Performance enhanced by hosts."

Dade hummed, "I doubt they'll see this as cheating. It's more… Fixing a person's life problem."

Zahku shrugged, "If leaf friend say so…"

"CONTESTANTS! TIME FOR ROUND TWO! PLEASE RETURN TO THE CLEARING!"

Lucky let out a sigh, "Well, time for another round. Let's see if things are a bit easier."

Dade hopped into the ice and fighting-type's claw before the three of them began heading back to the challenge site.

 **000**

"Alright you two, get the hell up. We don't need you two holding up progress again…" Art stated sternly as he watched over R.J. and Kane.

At the moment, R.J. was seated in the Ursaring's lap as they were sitting against a tree. The Ursaring's arms were around the Beartic's waist, their fingers interlocked. Kane gave the Ferrothorn a look before kissing the Beartic's shoulder. R.J. was far too relaxed to snap at the Ursaring for the public affection, though he let out a soft growl.

Kane let out a soft sigh, tapping R.J.'s belly before letting out a grunt, sitting up with him. "Come on, big boy, we've gotta get back."

R.J. rolled his eyes as he nuzzled against him and let out another sigh. "Why the hell do you have to be so damn comfortable to lay against?"

Kane chuckled in response, eliciting the sound of a clearing throat from Art. Both bears gave the Ferrothorn a look of annoyance before finally deciding to get up.

Seeing this, Art snidely commented, "About time…"

R.J., in a huff, replied, "I take pride in knowing that you'll never marry anyone."

Art scoffed as they began heading back. "As if I care. As long as I have my own life taken care of, who cares about that shit?"

The married couple exchanged looks of annoyance.

 **000**

Everyone returned to the forest clearing, with each player sitting within their respective bleachers. The hosts smiled, with Mew being the one holding the remote, and Victini acting as the speaker.

"Alright, welcome back to the fray, competitors. Hope you used your break time to share a bit of knowledge with each other," Victini began.

The contestants only looked at each other, feeling rather dumb for not completely focusing on the future questions and attempting to prep each other. Seeing this, Mew hissed, "Ooo… Judging by those looks, I can guess that none of you did that."

Honey, folding her arms, cleared her throat, "Yeah, some other issues took the center stage."

Victini replied, "Well, let's hope that those issues aren't still clouding your mind. Tim and Marley, you two are up."

The Tropius took a breath before heading over, while Marley tittered and sprang toward the podium. Once both of them were situated, Victini began.

"Alright, let's start off with more song lyrics off the bat," he said, rubbing his hands together. "Mew, hit it!"

The pink feline obliged, hitting the 'play' button on the remote.

" _Let's fly, fly, fly, fly_

 _Up, up, here we go, go_

 _Up, up, here we go, go_

 _Let's fly, fly, fly, fly_ _"_

Instantly, Tim hit the button with his head, causing him to groan once again. "'Rocketeer' by Far East Movement."

"Correct," Victini replied.

Marley shrugged her shoulders before heading back towards her team's bleachers. Of course, they weren't pleased.

Tim returned to his team's bleachers, letting out a groan, "Man, my head is gonna have a bruise by the end of this…"

"Alright, the score's tied once again. Five more points for either team and you win," Victini made known. "Max and Christine, you two are up next."

Christine let out a sigh, annoyed that she didn't get another music question. Max didn't say a word as he flew over to his podium.

Seeing them both ready, Victini stated, "Okay. Now for the movie quotes... " He gestured to Mew, who pressed the 'play' button once again.

" _Long live the king…_ "

Both of them hit their buzzers in an instant, with Max reaching his a few moments before Christine. The Delibird confidently answered, " _The Lion King._ "

Christine cursed to herself, as she was going to answer that as well. Victini chuckled, "And that is correct. One of the most memorable quotes and scenes ever."

Christine started heading back to her team's bleachers as Max walked back to his with a smile. Victini chuckled, "Alright, next section. Sasha and Belladonna, you two are up next."

The Golem and Nidoqueen approached the podiums, exchanging competitive glances. The fennec host smiled at this before gesturing to Mew. The pink feline smiled before pressing the 'play' button on the remote.

" _Welcome to the real world. It sucks! You're gonna love it!"_

Recognizing the voice, Sasha looked to Belladonna, who had on a thinking look. Smiling, she pressed the buzzer before answering, " _Friends_."

Victini chuckled, "That is correct. Wow, Red Team, it looks like those _issues_ have initiated some sort of awakening. That's three in a row! It's seven to five."

He turned to the Blue Team. "You guys had better catch up. You're getting creamed so far."

Jessica giggled, "I mean… I don't really see being creamed as a-"

"Don't even finish that," Victini interrupted, raising a hand to stop her. "Let's just move on. You're up, and so is Lucky."

Upon hearing that, Lucky sighed. "Do I have to? I'm just gonna lose…"

Victini responded with a resounding, "Yep! Now, come on down."

The Crabominable let out yet another sigh as he head toward the podiums. Jessica approached the podium with a giggle as she winked at Lucky. "Don't worry big boy, maybe you'll get _lucky_ with me."

Lucky blushed, but also let out a whimper. Victini got their attention back, saying, "Alright, it's time for another song." Mew pressed the 'play' button, allowing the audio to blare from the speakers.

" _Nothing can stop the ground from breaking_

 _Can't stop the world, can't stop it_

 _Nothing can stop my hands from shaking_

 _Even when you're gone there's the aftershock..."_

Jessica didn't recognize the song or the singer, as most singers sounded the same to her. However, what Honey suggested seemed to be a good plan, as much as she hated to admit it. She pressed the button, guessing, "Uh… 'Earthquake' by… Generic female singer?"

"Incorrect," Victini replied. "And way to insult the music industry…"

Art decided to speak up. "Everything is over produced and sounds like digital vomit. Plus, most of the time, the singers practice the same way, have identical voices, and talk about the same cliché junk."

" _Anyways_ ," Victini responded, wanting to get back on topic. "Lucky, do you have a guess?"

Lucky was looking up in fear, paranoid about getting hit again. He looked back toward the hosts with a sheepish chuckle. "N-No. I don't recognize it."

Victini nodded before gesturing to Mew, who pressed the 'play' button once again. The audio repeated, with Jessica and Lucky still having no clue who it was. The song was modern, but it seemed that neither of them knew.

Seeing their muddled expressions, Victini chuckled, "Alright. Time for your ten seconds. And… GO!"

Jessica and Lucky both headed back toward their teams, with Lucky tripping on the way back.

The Bruxish looked toward her teammates for answers, but none of them knew what the song was. She groaned, "Come on, none of you know the song? Not even a sliver?"

Honey deadpanned, "You realize that there are millions of songs in the world and millions of female singers that sound like that, right?"

Jessica groaned, rolling her eyes, "Alright, you're of no help. Anyone else?"

Max spoke up, "I mean… I listen to a decent amount of electronic music. It sounds familiar, but I can't exactly pinpoint it. A lot of electronic songs like this feature a relatively unknown or underground female artist."

Tim rose a brow, turning to his friend. "So you're saying that this isn't a general female artist? It's one of those weird situations where a group or person who made the beat of a song is credited for the whole song and the vocalist is just featured?"

Max nodded, "That's how it generally works. The only guys off the top of my head are Marshmello, Diplo, Skrillex, and Zedd."

Chip rose a brow, "Was any of that English?"

"It'll do," Jessica responded.

While Jessica got possible answers, Lucky was having a rather tough time getting his.

R.J., his arms folded, commented, "Yeah, sorry, but I don't think this is going to even matter. He has bad luck. Even I we told him, who's to say that he'll even-"

"Will you shut up and stop being negative for once?!" Dade exclaimed, before paling. The Burmy gulped as he looked over and saw the other team looking over.

R.J. bared his teeth, glaring daggers at the bug-type. "Now you listen-"

"Hey!" Lynn cut in. "We don't have time for you to argue! Does anyone know the-"

"Time's up!"

Lynn groaned, slamming a hoof down on the bleachers. "You're kidding me!"

 **000**

 **Lynn groaned, "What the hell is up with all of the arguments and asshole comments now? Don't they get that this is a challenge!? We need to be unified!"**

 **000**

Lucky and Jessica returned to the podiums, with Lucky very flustered, and Jessica holding a rather calm expression.

"Alright, let's see how well your teammates worked," Victini said. "Mew, if you would?"

Mew pressed the 'play' button once again, allowing the song verse to be heard once again. This time, Jessica hit her button first, "'Earthquake' by… Diplo?"

"Incorrect."

She hit the button once again. "Earthquake by Marshmello."

Victini rose a brow, "Uh… Incorrect…"

She hit the button for a third time. "Earthquake by Zedd!"

The Victory Pokemon sweatdropped, letting out a sigh, "No." He turned to Lucky. "Anything, Lucky?"

The Crabominable stammered, looking down in embarrassment, "Uh… N-No…"

Jessica hit her buzzer one final time, "Earthquake by… Skrillex?"

Victini groaned in annoyance, "No. And I think that's enough. No points this round. The answer is 'Aftershock' by Cash Cash, featuring Jacquie Lee."

Tim chuckled, "Hey, Max was right. I've never heard of that girl's name in my life."

Victini rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Let's move on. Kane and Portia, you two are up."

The Ursaring started heading toward the podium, with the Rhyperior doing the same. Kane gave her a friendly smile, which Portia reciprocated.

"Alright," Victini began. "Last round was a dud, but let's see what happens this round with another movie quote."

Victini looked at Mew, who only rolled his eyes. The pink feline muttered, "Now I get why this is annoying." He sighed, pressing the 'play' button once again, playing the audio.

" _I HAVE HAD IT WITH THESE MOTHERFUCKING SNAKES ON THIS MOTHERFUCKING PLANE!_

Kane and Portia both immediately placed their paws on the buzzer, with Kane beating her out by a few seconds. " _Snakes on a Plane_."

Victini nodded, "Correct! That's eight for the Red Team!"

As they returned to their respective teams, the Blue Team was growing particularly annoyed with their constant failures, while the Red Team was very amused.

Victini chuckled"Alright, unless the Blue Team is able to come back, the Red Team only needs two more points to win. Honey, Art, you two are up next."

The Ferrothorn groaned in annoyance as he approached the podium, "Another annoying girl to go against. Wonderful."

Honey scoffed in response as she flew toward the podium. "As if _you_ are someone that I'd enjoy spending time with in _any_ sense."

Victini commented, "Gotta love the tension. Now, let's see if you guys know your TV shows. Based on your personalities… I'm guessing neither of you do."

"Yeah, yeah, just get on with it, please," Art rolled his eyes. He didn't care about Victini's comments, he just wanted this challenge to be over. Even if their team lost, with R.J.'s allegiance and Marley's consistent idiocy and lack of actual respect, he was sure that he would be fine.

"Alright. Mew, if you please?"

Mew rolled his eyes before pressing 'play' on the remote. The audio played a child's voice, the phrase, " _You got it dude…_ " played.

Art groaned and hit his button. "That would be the corniest, most boring sitcom to ever be shat out of a network. _Full House_ …"

Victini sighed. "Yes. That's correct, though the added details were unnecessary."

Art huffed, "Oh well. As long as I got it right." He started walking back to his team, with Honey giving him a look of annoyance before flying back over to hers.

Victini began, "And the Blue Team earns their sixth point, thanks to Art. Let's see if they can keep this up. Chip and R.J., you guys are up next."

R.J. stifled a laugh as he rose up, cracking his knuckles. "Well, this should be a cinch."

The Machamp, hearing the cockiness in his voice, glared at him. "I wouldn't be so smug if I were you. You guys aren't gonna catch up further…"

R.J. huffed as he sauntered over to the podium. "As if you have any say… Let's see how well you answer..."

Chip glared at the Beartic before making his way over to the podium, still glaring daggers at the ice-type. Kane was watching intently, curious to see if his husband was actually going to answer something, as right now he was only making himself look bad.

"Alright, let's get some music going again, huh?" Victini queried with a smile. The pink feline pressed the 'play' button once again, growing annoyed at the job.

" _Ra-ra-ah-ah-ah_

 _Roma-roma-ma_

 _Gaga, "Oh la-la"_

 _Want your bad romance."_

Immediately, R.J.'s eyes widened and he instinctively slammed his paw on the buzzer. "'Bad Romance' Lady Gaga!" he said quickly.

"And… That is correct," Victini responded. "The Blue Team is up to seven points. It's getting close."

R.J. sneered at Chip, who growled at him before walking away. The Beartic caught a glimpse of Kane's face and saw a smirk. He blushed, glaring at the bear before heading back to his own team.

 **000**

" **Richie has a little** _ **thing**_ **with Lady Gaga. He just loves her music," Kane chuckled. "I'd say that he got lucky this time around. If it had been something else, his team would definitely blame him."**

 **000**

"Alright, let's continue," Victini announced. "Let's get Tonya up here again, and Lynn, you too."

Both girls approached their podiums, ready to guess. Tonya really needed to earn a point for the team. She felt like she was letting them down since she was the fast person on the island, and yet she was slow when it came to guessing. She took a deep breath, thinking about Honey's idea. " _Just hit the buzzer and guess_. _Hit it and guess_ …"

Lynn was calm, yet anxious. With the way her team was acting, she knew that this time they _definitely_ needed a victory. Nearly all of her teammates were useful in some way, excluding Marley, but even then, she _could_ be a good distraction for the other team in challenges. It worked momentarily in the first challenge, but her pranks in general were very annoying.

She was just very conflicted and didn't want to deal with choosing who got eliminated. She took her own deep breath, mirroring Tonya's.

Victini gestured to Mew, who knew his cue. A man's voice was heard saying, " _Lieutenant Dan, Ice Cream!"_

Tonya gasped before speedily hitting the button, making Lynn curse to herself. " _Forrest Gump_?" she answered questioningly.

"That is correct!" Victini announced, allowing her to let out a sigh of relief.

Both girls returned to their teams, with Lynn looking very disappointed in herself. Christine pat her back with a smile. "You did fine, Lynn."

"Yeah, but sadly not fine enough," Marley giggled. "Snail girl finally got around to using that speed of hers."

"Marley, shut it," Belladonna deadpanned.

Victini began, "Alright, next up. Tim and Zahku, let's get you guys up and running."

Tim sighed as he headed down and toward the podium, with Zahku doing the same. No words were exchanged. Tim was focused, as his team only needed one more point to win. Zahku was nonchalant about the situation, though.

Mew pressed the 'play' button just as victini was about to instruct him to. The audio contained a familiar male's voice exclaiming, " _D'oh!"_

Zahku slammed his fist on the button, just as Tim narrowly missed his with his head. "FUCK!"

" _Simpsons_ ," Zahku answered.

Victini chuckled, "And that's eight for the Blue Team. You guys are actually starting to do better. Congrats."

The Blue Team wore small smiles as their chance for victory arose, leading to the Red Team growing increasingly anxious.

Sasha stated, "Come on, you guys. We were doing so well. We _can't_ lose this now."

Honey commented, "We just have to hope that… Whoever the hell is up next... Can outspeed the one on the other team."

"Max and Dade, you guys are up!" Victini announced.

The Burmy sighed in annoyance as he found himself being lifted telekinetically and placed onto the podium, while Max walked toward the podium normally.

"Alright, let's see how this goes," Victini stated. "Either the Red Team wins, or there's a final round to break the ensuing tie."

Mew decided to speak up, "And we're back to music, so let's see what happens." He pressed the play button, allowing the song to play.

" _I'm swimming in the smoke_

 _Of bridges I have burned_

 _So don't apologize_

 _I'm losing what I don't deserve..._ "

Dade gasped before body slamming onto the button, just before Max had a chance to. The Burmy recognized the voice almost instantly, "'Burning in the Skies' by Linkin Park."

Victini chuckled, "That's correct. So, it looks like this is going to be the final round!"

Dade let out a sigh of relief as he was teleported off of the podium. "Alright, we have a chance now. We just need to make sure that we don't screw up this round."

"Well, that depends on who goes after you," Portia commented. "So, who was after you?"

R.J. began, letting out a sigh, "Well, the only one who hasn't gone so far is… Oh for fuck's sake…"

"Now, for the final round. Sasha and Marley!" Victini announced.

The Aipom giggled, popping her back. "Well, my time to shine."

"Marley, I swear if you lose this for us-" Christine growled, glaring daggers at the purple monkey.

"Blah, blah, blah, just let me do me…" Marley responded, waving away her anger as if it meant nothing. She began walking toward the podium.

Sasha, on the other hand, took a deep breath. She knew that Marley was a prankster, but she didn't know whether to be relieved or worried. She stood behind her own podium.

Victini rubbed his paws in anticipation. "Alright, let's see if the Red Team will have their first victory or if the Blue Team wins three in a row."

"And it all comes down to this movie quote," Mew added as he pressed the 'play' button on the remote for a final time. What was heard was a gravelly male voice exclaiming, " _WELCOME TO PRIMETIME, BITCH!_ "

Marley pressed her button first, much to her team's surprise. Sasha turned to her with wide eyes; _she_ knew the answer, but did Marley. The Aipom cleared her throat, "That would be from… _Wallace and Gromit_."

"MARLEY!" Art exclaimed in anger as majority of the others on her team glared daggers at her.

"That is incorrect," Victini chuckled.

"Oopsie…" Marley said in a faux innocent voice.

Victini turned to the Nidoqueen, "Sasha?"

"That's from _Nightmare on Elm Street 3_ ," she answered.

A smile grew on Victini's face, "AND THE RED TEAM WINS THEIR FIRST CHALLENGE!"

The Red Team immediately began cheering, rushing toward Sasha and hugging and lifting her up. Meanwhile, Marley only shrugged as she walked back to her team, who were still giving her death glares.

"Blue Team, looks like you'll be sending someone home tonight," Mew commented. "And… It doesn't seem to be difficult to find out who's the one to go."

The Blue Team growled, still looking at Marley angrily. Victini chuckled, "But, for now, let's get some food into those stomachs of yours and we'll let you know when it's time."

 **000**

" **We finally won a challenge!" Sasha cheered. "Man, I'm glad that Marley screwed up on… Purpose? I'm not entirely sure. But, I'm just glad that we won."**

 **000**

As the teams made their way to the mess hall for dinner, Dade, Zahku, and Lucky stayed behind as the hosts began getting rid of the stage and podiums. Seizing the opportunity, Dade cleared his throat. "Hello!"

The hosts turned to them, with Mew raising a brow. "What's up, guys?"

Dade chuckled sheepishly, "Well, uh… We were wondering if there was a way that you could get rid of Lucky's bad luck curse."

Victini floated over next, "Uh… Curse? What are you talking about?"

"Crab man bad luck because father made Ninetales angry," Zahku explained.

Dade added, "And Ninetales are known to cause curses, which is why Lucky is like this."

Mew and Victini exchanged looks before looking back at the Crabominable, who was still looking rather sheepish. Dade spoke up once again, "Well, uh… If there aren't rules against it, do you think you can make his life easier?"

Victini let out a sigh, "Well, the issue that comes up is the fact that Lucky, without his curse, can become a powerhouse, which would be our fault. And that would be unfair to the other team. So, _for now_ , the answer is no. _But_ , whenever he gets eliminated…"

"...We'd be happy to rid him of his bad luck," Mew concluded. "Now, why don't you guys head on to the mess hall?"

The trio exchanged looks before beginning to walk away.

 **000**

" **There's a chance that I can get help when I'm eliminated, but I want to actually win! Or at least get close…" Lucky said. He let out a sigh. "Well, I guess it'll be okay."**

 **000**

At the mess hall, the members of the Red Team were chatting up a storm, feeling great about their first victory. Meanwhile, the Blue Team was glaring at them, while angrily pushing around their peas and potatoes, which was part of their dinner, along with a steak.

"This is fucking stupid," Belladonna commented. "Marley cost us the damn game, and she's showing her cowardice by not even being here."

Lynn groaned, "Don't remind me. She's definitely getting eliminated after _that_ piss-poor performance. I was actually considering giving her a chance to prove herself as a worthy teammate by having her distract the other team in the next challenge, _if we had won this one_."

"Well, she doesn't really seem to care about being eliminated," Portia chimed in. "It'll be easy."

Art complained, "I really just want this day over with. The faster I'm back in bed, the better."

"BLUE TEAM! IT'S TIME FOR YOUR ELIMINATION CEREMONY! MEET US AT THE ELIMINATION AREA!"

"And my prayers have been answered," Art commented. "Let's get the hell down there and get rid of that junkie monkey."

 **000**

The Blue Team reached the area of the beach where the elimination ceremonies took place. The metal benches colored with the light of the campfire, with the stones, shells, and a few new fallen twigs, decorating the sandy area.

The players took their places as Mew and Victini approached. Mew held a bag of bagged chips, as per usual. Victini began, "And with that, the Blue Team is finally with us down here."

R.J. growled, "Yeah, thanks to this dumb brat." He elbowed Marley, who rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Oh get over it. We lost a challenge for once. Big whoop. Plus, all of you are nothing but buzzkills and humorless chumps," Marley commented.

"Nah, we just don't like getting pranked by dumb apes," Art countered before turning back to the hosts. "Can we just move this along, please?"

Victini chuckled, "And here I thought the Red Team had issues…"

"You already said something like that before," Christine responded. "And this is just a temporary issue…"

Victini shrugged, "I suppose. Anyways, if the other team has filled you in, you already know what to expect. If I call your name, you'll receive a bag of chips. The player whose name isn't called gets eliminated."

"First bag goes to… Lynn," Victini began.

Mew tossed the first bag to the Gogoat, who caught in in her teeth.

"Christine, Belladonna, Portia…" the Victory Pokemon continued. The three girls caught their bags with smiles.

Victini hummed a tune before continuing, "Dade, Zahku, and Lucky, you three are safe as well."

Mew threw the bags to them, with Dade getting knocked off, and Zahku and Lucky catching theirs with smiles.

R.J., Art, and Marley were remaining, though it was rather obvious who was going. Victini continued. "The next bag goes to…

…

…

...Art."

The Ferrothorn huffed, "Took ya long enough to call my name…" His bag of chips hit him before sliding down his face.

R.J. groaned, "Get on with it." He knew that he was safe when compared to Marley. He just had to be.

"We're getting to it," Victini responded. "Anyways, the last bag goes to…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

...R.J."

The polar bear huffed, "As it should." He caught the bag flying in his direction before immediately opening it.

Marley giggled as she stood up, "As expected. I'm actually glad to be out of this game. Like I said, you guys are lame. Can't take a few pranks without getting your panties in a twist."

Christine groaned, "Just get her out of here already…"

Just as the Kricketune said this, a Lapras swam up to the beach. R.J. stifled a laugh, "Well, ask and you shall receive…"

Marley rolled her eyes before hearing the hosts begin to speak. Mew, with a chuckle, said, "Well, time to do, Marley. I was expecting you to make it somewhat further and provide some comedy, but I guess you piled on too much, too early."

Marley shrugged, "Aw, it's fine. I'd say I've left my mark here…"

Belladonna scoffed, "Oh please. You barely touched the other team. You didn't leave a mark…"

Marley giggled as she climbed aboard the Lapras. "On the contrary Belladonna. Where do you think I am most of the time outside of challenges and in the mornings?"

Belladonna paled, "Wait... You-"

"Yep. The island is now my own prank paradise. So, I suggest that all of you be _very_ careful around here," Marley giggled before turning her head. "Giddy-up, Lappy!"

The Lapras rolled its eyes before starting to swim away, with Marley behaving like a cowgirl. This left the Blue Team very anxious and confused, as they exchanged looks of unsurety before heading back to their cabin.

Mew and Victini turned to the camera. "And there you have it. Marley is the third one to eliminated, and apparently she's left some _surprises_ that are sure to make the competition more interesting," Victini said.

"Yep, so tune in to see happens next time on our Island Challenge!"

 **000**

" **The dumb monkey bitch is totally out of here," Art stated.**

 **000**

 **Belladonna chuckled, "Marley is** _ **so**_ **out of here."**

 **000**

 **Christine smiled, "Marley."**

 **000**

" **Well, since everyone else is gonna vote for Marley, we decided to go ahead and throw a few votes for R.J. in there," Dade said nonchalantly.**

 **000**

" **R.J.," Lucky stated**

 **000**

 **Lynn stared daggers at the camera, "Marley purposely cost us the game. So, she's definitely gone."**

 **000**

" **Well, I might as well make this easy and vote for myself, too," Marley said, shrugging.**

 **000**

" **Marley doesn't care, so I'll vote for her," Portia said.**

 **000**

" **Dumb monkey bitch," R.J. responded.**

 **000**

" **Polar bear man," Zahku stated.**

 **000**

 _ **Votes:**_

 _ **Marley - 7 votes (Art, Belladonna, Christine, Lynn, Marley, Portia, R.J.)**_

 _ **R.J. - 3 votes (Dade, Lucky, Zahku)**_

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 _ **Red Team - (Chip, Honey, Jessica, Kane, Max, Sasha, Tim, Tonya)**_

 _ **Blue Team - (Art, Belladonna, Christine, Dade, Lucky, Lynn, Portia, R.J., Zahku)**_

 **000**

 **And we bid a fond farewell to Marley, the original prankster. There wasn't much I was going to do with her aside from possibly keep having her annoy everyone with her pranks. But, from a realistic standpoint, I know that the contestants would be fed up with her pranks, and she would be fed up with their salty attitudes toward her. So, she's gone,** _ **but**_ **she placed some surprises around that'll more than likely be discovered in a less than ideal way. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time on Total… Pokemon… Zero! See ya guys, BYE!**

 **000**

 _ **Elimination Order**_ **:**

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)**_

 _ **19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)**_

 _ **18th - Marley Banner (The Pranking Prodigy)**_


	5. Trivia Trouble

**Next**

 **000**

Following Marley's elimination, the Blue Team made their way back to the campground, the idea that Marley had set up traps around the island circulating in their heads. Eventually, the nine players arrived back at the campgrounds. It was getting late, so while some decided to stay out a while longer, others retreated back to the cabin.

The Red Team was just exiting the mess hall, preparing to rest in their cabins. Some could only smile at seeing their opponents return with one less player, while a few others approached to just engage in brief conversation.

One of these people was Tim, who flew over to the Blue Team's cabin, as he saw Lynn starting to head inside. He wasn't completely sure how to feel about her just yet, but he knew that he enjoyed talking to her earlier that morning. He landed next to her as the others either continued heading toward their cabin or went somewhere else.

"Uh… H-Hey Lynn," he greeted sheepishly. "Uh… How was the ceremony?"

Lynn gave him a small smile in greeting before letting out a sigh. "It was okay. Not that spectacular, as you already know, but at least we were able to get rid of Marley so that she wouldn't possibly screw up challenges again."

Tim chuckled, "Yeah, I bet with _her_ gone, you guys are gonna be just fine." He noticed the Gogoat's expression turn to one of nervousness, causing a bit of concern to him. He rose a brow, "Um… I didn't make you think of anything bad… Did I?"

Lynn let him know that he wasn't the direct cause of her expression change, explaining, "No, it's not you. Marley told us that she pretty much booby trapped a good amount of the island before she left." Tim's eyes widened upon hearing that as Lynn continued, "Now, I don't know if she was actually serious, or she just said that as a trick to get us all riled up and anxious, but… I don't like it."

Tim blew out a breath of air. "Well, that, uh… That sucks for _all_ of us if that's true. But, let's just hope that she was bluffing."

Lynn giggled in response before awkwardly looking down at her hooves. "Well," she cleared her throat. "I'm gonna go ahead and turn in. Talk to you tomorrow?"

Tim nodded, "Yeah. Uh… G'night." He turned to fly back over to his own team's cabin, a blush emerging on Lynn's face.

"G'night," she responded softly before walking back toward the cabin.

A pair of eyes watched the interaction from a window before moving away.

 **000**

The next morning, Max's eyes flickered open. He sat up before letting out a soft yawn. He smacked his lips as he glanced around the inside of the cabin. He saw that Tim was still asleep in the bunk below him, and saw that Chip was still sound asleep in the other bed.

He looked toward the back and saw that Kane wasn't there. In addition, he noticed that the sheets and pillow on the top bunk was gone. He rose a brow in confusion. Usually he and Tim were the first ones awake, but he wasn't really bothered.

He let out a sigh as he lied back down in his bed. He was tempted to simply stay there, as he wasn't really bothered with interacting with anyone. As he got himself settled back into his bed, he heard creaking coming from the bunk below him.

The entire bed shifted a bit, as Tim began getting out of it. Once he was out of the bed, he shook his head a bit to wake himself up fully before letting out a closed mouth groan. He glanced at Max, who was just rolling on his side. Noticing that he was awake, Tim greeted him. "Morning, Max," the Tropius groggily said before yawning.

The Delibird let out a soft sigh before responding. "Morning…"

He happened to gaze toward the back wall of their cabin and, like Max, noticed that Kane was absent. He rose a brow before looking back to the Delibird. "Uh… Did Kane get up early or something?"

Max sat up, shrugging, "I'm not sure. But, I think it's safe to assume that he's fine. He can take care of himself."

Tim hummed, "I guess you're right." He turned to the door before starting to exit the cabin. Before leaving, he turned back to Max, having noticed that he hadn't moved. "You not coming?"

Max shook his head, "Nah, I think I'm just gonna chill here until we get called down for breakfast. My social game already isn't that great and as you saw yesterday, keeping conversations going isn't my strong suit."

Tim nodded in understanding, "Yeah, I feel ya. I'm not usually that talkative either, but… I guess in this game you just _have_ to."

Max chuckled, "Well, considering that you've gained a special lady friend, I think that you being more outspoken will definitely help you out."

Tim blushed, "W-What do you mean by special lady friend?"

Max rolled his eyes, "I'm certain that you know what I'm talking about. You're just awkward with regards to romance and the like."

Tim let out a sigh as he turned back to the exit, "I'll talk to you later."

Max saluted to him, "Good luck."

Tim blushed a deep crimson before grumbling to himself and leaving the cabin as Max rolled back over onto his side.

 **000**

 **Tim, still blushing, grumbled to himself, "Special lady friend…" His gaze softened a bit as he let out a sigh, "Well, she is kind of special… And she is a lady and somewhat of a friend now. But, i know that Max was messing with me."**

" **I don't even think she'd be interested in a guy like me," he stated.**

 **000**

As the sun beamed down on the island, R.J. found himself shifting in his sleep. Usually, the Beartic was unable to sleep for some odd reason. However, this time, he was finally able to get a full night's rest. This was mainly due to the fact that both he and Kane were sleeping in the forest clearing.

Kane had the idea during their break time in the previous challenge. He knew that R.J. had difficulties falling asleep in new, unfamiliar locations; however, R.J. had only brought up his discomfort the day prior. As much as he hated admitting it, R.J. needed Kane to be sleeping with, or close to, him in order to feel at ease when in an unfamiliar environment.

The Ursaring had taken a few pillows from the other bunk in his cabin, as well as the sheets, in order for them to sleep together. At the moment, it was morning, and while Kane was starting to wake up, he felt arms and legs wrapping around his front.

Hearing a grumble in the Beartic' sleep, Kane softly chuckled to himself before rolling onto his back, allowing the Beartic to groan and shift himself a bit to be more comfortable. However, after a few more minutes, he decided that it was best for them to get up in case someone came by.

He gently shook R.J. awake, making him groan in annoyance. The Beartic's eyes slowly opened as he growled, glaring down at the bear under him. "What the hell do you want?" he growled groggily.

Kane kissed him in response, making him blush. "Good morning to you, too," he responded with a smirk.

"Answer the question," R.J. demanded, tightening his glare.

Kane responded with a question of his own. "So you think that us lying out here in the open is a good idea?"

R.J. gave him a look. "You know what," he began. He laid back down against the Ursaring, nuzzling him momentarily. This surprised the Hibernator Pokemon, as R.J. explained himself. "I don't give a fuck anymore. If someone else finds out, who gives a shit? If they decide to vote us out because we're married, they're completely retarded. And I'm tired of that fucking dirty bitch Sasha always being around you."

He sternly gazed into Kane's eyes. "You are _my_ man," he growled. "If they actually figure this out, that bitch had better back off. Now shut up and just let me sleep for a while longer."

Kane was surprised to hear all of that from him. It's been less than a week and he was already annoyed with hiding their marriage. He couldn't help but to smile a bit before stroking the Beartic's back.

 **000**

Dade, Zahku, and Lucky were exiting their cabin. With R.J.'s absence, they only had to deal with Art's snarkiness for short while. Closing the door behind them, Lucky posed a question that they were all thinking about as they began heading toward the pond, "So, where do you think R.J. went?"

Dade huffed in response, "Probably terrorizing a wild Pachirisu or something. I just can't wait until we get to eliminate him."

Lucky thought about something, sending a chill up his spine, "D-Do you think he's mad that we voted for him and he's planning something to get back at us?"

Zahku shook his head, "Possible, but not likely. He no put himself in immediate danger."

Dade followed, saying, "And even if he does try something, it'd be worth it if he's eliminated afterwards."

"And after that?" Lucky queried. "R.J.'s the only one who really bothers us. Art is just...himself, but he's still useful and smart."

Dade chuckled, "Well, our main priority right now is to get rid of R.J.. Once he's gone, we just keep on keeping on."

As Dade and Lucky continued conversing, Zahku gazed to his left, seeing a figure in the middle of the forest clearing. Raising a brow, the Makuhita moved toward the bushes and peered through them in order to get a closer look. Seeing this, Dade and Lucky exchanged looks of confusion before walking up behind him.

"What are you doing, Zahku?" Dade queried before he heard Lucky begin stammering.

The Crabominable stated, "Uh… D-Dade, you might wanna look at this." He sat his claw down next to the Bagworm Pokemon, allowing him to hop onto it. He lifted it up, exposing Dade to what they were seeing.

The Burmy's eyes widened as he saw Kane and R.J. lying there. Many thoughts raced through his head, but the main question on his mind was, "Wait… Why is R.J. sleeping on top of Kane, and… Why is Kane completely fine with it?"

Zahku nonchalantly retreated from the foliage with a shrug. Now knowing that the couple was in an earshot of them, the Guts Pokemon lowered his voice, saying, "Possible relationship. Strange choice by brown bear man, though."

Lucky, still holding up Dade, moved away from the bushes, with the Burmy whisper-shouting, "Who in their right mind would want to be with someone like R.J.?!"

Just then, Lucky realized something. "W-Wait, didn't Kane mention that he was _married_ before? What if he's married to R.J.!?"

Hearing that, Dade paled at the mere thought of a guy like R.J. being married to another guy. "Oh, Arceus that thought alone horrifies me. But hey, if it's true, it's another reason to get rid of him. Can't have any cross-team alliances. Relationship or not."

Zahku didn't agree with that sentiment, opining, "Zahku doesn't think that relationship on different team doesn't mean it bad. Love in teams doesn't mean sharing secrets guaranteed."

Lucky hummed, looking at Dade. "He's kinda got a point there.

Dade shrugged and nodded in agreement, "That's understandable, but it's still a guaranteed alliance whenever they decide to dissolve the teams like other shows. But hey, we're getting rid of R.J. before that happens, so we won't really have to worry about that. Right?"

Lucky looked toward Zahku before humming to himself, "Okay, I guess…"

Dade nodded, "Good, now let's go see if there's anything new going on at the pond."

The three of them continued along their way, with Zahku peering through the bushes once again. He saw that R.J. was starting to actually wake up. Once the Beartic was up, he noticed that he had a frown that slowly turned into small smile before kissing the Ursaring below him.

The Makuhita could tell that the Beartic was sincere with the affection, as he definitely wasn't one to care or show much emotion at all. Perhaps he had misjudged the Beartic.

"Zahku! You comin'?" he heard Dade exclaim.

The Makuhita started heading back with his friends, as he noticed that the two bears were quickly getting up, apparently having heard Dade's exclamation.

 **000**

 **Zahku hummed, "Maybe bear man isn't that bad after all. He act like grumpy spouse, but still kind of strong."**

 **000**

Sasha and Tonya entered the mess hall together, sitting down at a table near the middle of the building. They saw Lynn and Tim talking next to the fireplace, as they usually did. Besides them, there wasn't anyone else inside of the mess hall just yet.

The Nidoqueen took a deep breath, tapping her fingers on the table. Tonya, sitting across from her, rose a brow at her behavior. She wasn't being as twitchy as usual, but she was still acting a bit weird.

"You okay, Sasha?" Tonya queried.

Sasha gave her a small smile. "I'm fine, Tonya. I'm perfectly fine. As a matter of fact, I-I feel great!" she sheepishly responded, perspiration beginning to form.

Tonya responded, "So… You sure you're not still a bit hung up on Kane?"

The Nidoqueen went silent at the mention of the Ursaring. A few moments later, she giggled, "I'm fine. I understand that he's taken and that I can't… _Act_ on anything, and also that I need to focus."

Tonya nodded. "Good on you. J-Just keep suppressing your d-desires and focus on the game at hand. You'll find another guy, like we said."

Just then, as Sasha nodded in understanding, Kane and R.J. entered the mess hall. Hearing a familiar voice, the Nidoqueen turned around towards them. She didn't say anything, instead she simply watched the two as they approached a different table, continuing their conversation.

Noticing that she was staring and who she was staring at, Tonya gave the Drill Pokemon a look. "Sasha…"

The Nidoqueen didn't respond, focused on the two bears. Her eyes never left the two, casting a gaze of longing toward Kane. She wasn't going to be as _close_ to him as she wanted to be, but that didn't stop her mind from flooding with lewd thoughts of the Ursaring.

"Sasha!" The Nidoqueen jumped upon hearing her name called in a louder tone. She turned back to Tonya before a look of embarrassment spread across her face.

"S-Sorry," she responded, rubbing the back of her head with a blush on her face.

"Why were you staring?" the Accelgor queried. "I thought you were over him."

Sasha scoffed. "I'm still allowed to fantasize," she responded before she blushed and her eyes drooped. "Just… His touch… His musk… His sexy voice telling me how… _Bad_ I've been and how much I love being taken from behind…" A lovestruck look was on her face, which Tonya simply responded to with a stern look.

Seeing this look, Sasha cleared her throat before sitting back up. Tonya let out a sigh. "Okay, so I guess you're not over him or listening to us…"

Sasha immediately defended herself, explaining, "Hey! I'm still going to focus. Geez, can't a girl have some fun in her head?"

Tonya sighed, "Okay, okay, you're right. Sorry. Just… Make sure that those thoughts _stay_ thoughts."

Sasha nodded.

 **000**

Chip groaned to himself as he rolled over in his bed. He took a breath before sitting up, stretching and flexing his arms. He looked around and saw that Max was still inside of the cabin, surprising him.

"The hell?" he began, scratching his head. "What are you still doing here, Max?" He was used to Kane being the only other person inside of the cabin, and while he didn't necessarily care, he was still a bit curious.

The Delibird let out a sigh. "Well, there's no point in going outside if I'm not really gonna talk to anyone in particular. The only person I really talk to on a regular basis so far is Tim, and right now he's talking to someone else."

Chip rose a brow, "So… You're just not gonna try to talk to anyone else? I mean, I know you probably don't have much going on in your life if you're a pretend Santa, but c'mon, aren't you supposed to be jolly and somewhat approachable?"

Max deadpanned, "Thanks for that." He sighed before hopping off of the top bunk and taking a seat on Tim's bed. "Well, the thing with me is that I'm not that good at keeping some conversations going. I'm very nonchalant and sometimes uninterested, though I don't always show it."

"Then change that," Chip responded. "I mean, I'm trying to change how you guys see me. I mean, I'm not acting like a total cunt anymore."

Max gave him a look, "Didn't you just say that since I'm a mall Santa, I don't have much going on in my life?"

Chip chuckled, "Hey, I also said that I'm _trying_ to change how you guys see me."

Max stifled a laugh before posing a question as the Machamp finally climbed out of bed. "Hey, don't take this the wrong way, but… How are you being a decent person and talking to me now? How come you couldn't be this way the whole time?"

Chip rolled his eyes, "Because I wanted to have control and show that I'm not one to fuck with. But then, you guys started talking about voting me out after Kay for being a dick and I've encountered some of the _other_ guys here and seen how strong they truly are. So… Yeah, it was a necessity."

The Machamp approached the cabin door before popping his back. "Mother of Arceus, fuck me…"

Max stifled another laugh before deciding to impulsively pose another question. "So, what got you into being a teacher and... What's with the tattoos?"

Chip cast him a questioning look, "I thought that you weren't good at keeping conversations going?"

The Delibird shrugged, "I guess I'm trying now, too. And there's stuff about you that I guess _you_ can talk about and I can listen."

Chip chortled, "Whatever. I guess you can join me on my morning run or whatever and I can fill you in on where I got my start and where I got these babies." He pointed to his tribal tattoos that were on his lower arms.

Max nodded in response. Chip opened the door, only to jump back, startled, upon seeing a pair of pink lips full of sharp teeth at the door. He caught his breath before glaring at the giggling Bruxish.

"Wow, didn't expect you to jump like that," Jessica teased.

The Superpower Pokemon grunted, folding his arms. "And I didn't expect you to be at the damn door," Chip retorted. "Now, what do you want?"

"Oh I just wanted to talk to you about um… Our situation," she responded, clearing her throat due to Max still being there.

Max rose a brow at this before gazing toward the Machamp. "You didn't get her pregnant did you?" he deadpanned.

Chip audibly gagged at the thought alone. "Oh Arceus, no! She is _so_ not my type! Plus, I'd probably kill her."

Jessica giggled, "Oh I wouldn't worry about that. I've taken three at the same time before and I'm still fine."

"And that's something that I didn't want to envision…" Max replied. He turned to Chip, "I'm gonna head to the mess hall. You two uh… Have fun, I guess?"

The Delibird started heading out of the cabin, with Jessica keeping an eye on him as he did as he claimed and headed toward the mess hall. The Bruxish turned back to face the Machamp with a stern look. The Machamp huffed before exiting the cabin, moving past the Gnash Teeth Pokemon.

Jessica queried, "So, was I interrupting something in there?"

Chip rolled his eyes, "No. We were just about to go on a walk and just talk…"

Jessica cooed, "Aww… You're trying to bond with him."

Chip growled, "No, we were just _talking_. I'm trying to prove that I'm not a total dick. Plus, he mentioned that he's not good at conversations, so he was trying to start some by asking questions about me, which are some of my favorite to answer."

The fish rolled her eyes upon hearing that. He was trying not to be a dick, but his narcissism was still shining through. "Well, sorry to have put your bragging on hold, but we need to talk about what we're going to do about the team."

The duo reached the beach, with Chip taking a seat in the sand. "Didn't we already talk about that? We said that we were going to go for Sasha since she doesn't do anything for the team but fawn over Kane."

Jessica groaned, "Yes, but we need to decide if we're going to focus on doing the challenge or convincing the others to vote with us. It'll prove difficult, as there are eight of us on the team. Honey, Tonya, and Sasha most certainly aren't voting for her, Kane might as well be part of their group, and we don't know about Tim and Max."

Chip groaned, "Crap… Oh, wait. Tim and Max both hate Honey, remember? The bullshit voting thing. If we tell them about Honey's alliance, they may be willing to help us out. Then it'll be four versus four in the votes. Or… five versus three if we're able to get Kane to stop being okay with Sasha's advances."

Jessica was surprised that the Machamp had all of that thought out. "Huh… Wouldn't really expect you to think that far."

Chip gave her a look, "I graduated in the top twenty in my college. I can think as far as I want, I just don't feel like it most of the time."

Jessica was surprised to hear that, though she wasn't sure if she believed him or not. "Well that's gonna need to change. Thinking is one of the main things that we need people to do in this game."

Chip rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Are we done here? I'm still trying to go on my walk."

Jessica gave him a look, "Yes. If you need me, I'll be at the mess hall with your new friend, Max…"

Chip gave her a distrusting look before walking away. She started floating back to the mess hall, shaking her head.

 **000**

 **Jessica sighed, "He's an idiot,** _ **but**_ **he's my idiot at the moment…"**

 **000**

Christine, Belladonna, and Portia were standing on the top of the cliff from the first challenge. With Marley's absence and Lynn's preoccupation with Tim, Christine decided to hang out with the Golem and Rhyperior for a short while. She hadn't really spoken to the girls or gotten to _truly_ know them, so she thought that this was a good opportunity.

At the moment, the three of them were just sitting on the top of the cliff. Christine was sitting against a tree, playing her violin. The Golem and Rhyperior were sitting on the edge of the cliff, looking out in the distance.

One could hear the two whispering about something. Eventually, Portia let out a sigh and stood up. She turned around and started walking toward Christine, taking a seat next to the Kricketune. Christine noticed this, but continued her playing.

Portia cleared her throat before stating. "So, uh… You decided to tag along with us, but… You haven't really been saying much of anything. Is… Everything okay?"

Christine hummed in response, confused as to why she'd think that something was wrong. "Uh… Yeah, I'm fine, why?"

Portia explained, "Oh, it's just… You decided to tag along and you haven't really done anything but play your violin is all. We thought that you'd want to do something else."

The Cricket Pokemon blinked, placing her violin to the side. Honestly, Portia was right. She came along to try to possibly become more acquainted with the other girls, but she was still just playing her violin, not even paying them any real attention. If she was going to try to get along with them, she was going to _actually_ have to try.

She let out a sigh before finally responding, "Something else like what?"

Portia replied, "Well… I'm teaching Bella how to surf, and… She _was_ going to try to get me to be more daring in exchange. Um… Are there any other instruments that you play?"

Christine hummed. "Well, other than violin, I play a bit of flute, guitar, cello, drums, and piano."

"Okay, cool. So… Maybe we can all teach each other something," Portia suggested, fiddling with her fingers.

"Uh… Sure," Christine responded. "As long as I don't end up dying while I'm learning from either of you."

Portia giggled in response, "Don't worry, we'll try our best to keep you alive."

The Rhyperior started walking back toward the edge of the cliff. Christine rose a brow, "Wait, _try_?"

"CONTESTANTS! REPORT TO THE MESS HALL!"

"About time," Belladonna spoke up as she stood up. She jumped off of the cliff, curling into a ball on the way down.

Portia looked over the edge, seeing Belladonna exiting the water and shaking herself off before walking back toward the main island. She looked back at Christine, who was looking at her with narrowed eyes. "We're not about to jump off the cliff again are we?"

Portia smiled sheepishly at her.

 **000**

 **Christine sighed, dripping wet. "I feel like I'm gonna regret my decision."**

 **000**

All of the contestants made their way to the mess hall, with Portia and Christine arriving last and dripping wet. The Kricketune took a seat at the table with Lynn, Tim, and Max, while Portia sat at the table with Belladonna and Jessica.

Mew and Victini were already there, with Victini rubbing his paws together in anticipation. Everyone was focusing on their breakfast, which consisted of a simple miniature bowl of cereal and a carton of milk, reminiscent of the schoolyard days.

R.J. wasn't amused, "You're seriously giving us this shit? This is just that dumb school cereal that's bland as shit."

"It's literally just a miniature version of normal cereal. Deal with it," Belladonna responded as she took a spoonful and ate it. R.J. glared at the Golem as the hosts went about their normal routine.

"Good morning to all of you, I hope you guys are enjoying your time in the competition so far," Mew stated.

Art scoffed, stating, "Well, besides the intense boredom due to the lack of _real_ activities, I guess you can say that…"

Mew gave him a look, "Moving on… Once you guys finish breakfast, meet us back at the clearing again for your next challenge."

Victini chuckled, winking at them. "And make sure that your minds are as full as your stomachs…" he said before floating out of the mess hall.

The contestants exchanged looks before looking back down at their breakfast.

 **000**

Surprised that Christine was somewhat late, Lynn posed a question to her. "Where were you? ...And why are you wet?"

Christine let out a sigh, "I decided to hang out with Belladonna and Portia for a change. Y'know, try to get to know them a bit better as people."

Tim spoke up, inferring the reasoning for her, "And… You're wet because they're both able to swim?"

The Kricketune hummed, "That's somewhat of a reason. We were on the cliff, I was playing my violin, Portia started talking to me, we decided that we were gonna actually teach each other some things in order to make things not as awkward as it was, and then they called us down. Then Belladonna jumped off of the cliff into the water because of course she does. And because she was apparently going to be helping us become more daring… Portia made me jump off of the cliff again."

"Ooo… That's gotta-"

Christine interrupted the Tropius, "Suck? Yeah, I know." She let out a sigh shortly after, "I'm not much of a cereal gal, so I think I'm just gonna head to the clearing."

Lynn rose a brow, but nodded, "Oh, okay. I'll meet you there once I'm done."

Christine nodded in response before heading back out. Tim rose a brow as he watched her leave. He turned to Lynn, "You think something's bothering her?"

Lynn hummed, "I don't know. Then again, she _could_ just be annoyed that she had to jump off of the cliff again."

Tim chuckled, "Yeah, I know that I'd be annoyed, too. But, then again, I have wings…"

Max chuckled, "Yeah, pretty sure those wouldn't let you fall." He pulled Christine's bowl of cereal close to him, placing it into his tail.

Lynn rose a brow upon seeing this, "What are you doing?"

Max shrugged in response, "Saving this for a snack. There's no rules against saving food, and she's not gonna eat it."

Lynn shook her head with a giggle before looking back to Tim, who was staring awkwardly at his cereal bowl. His legs didn't really allow him to open the top or pour the milk, nor did it allow him to hold a spoon. So, he was just sitting there awkwardly before meeting eyes with Lynn, who giggled at his expression, "Uh… You need some help there?"

Tim sheepishly chuckled, "Well, uh… Usually with the other breakfasts, I could just eat like a dog, but uh… Yeah, I may require some assistance this time around."

As if on cue, Max reached over to peel back the lid of the bowl and pour a miniature carton of milk into the Tropius' bowl. During this, Lynn was giggling, while Tim was giving Max a look of 'really?'. Max acknowledged the look he was getting by winking.

Tim let out a groan. "Thanks…" he deadpanned as he leaned down to start eating.

Seeing this, Lynn rose a brow before looking toward Max, who gestured toward the spoon next to the Tropius' bowl. The Gogoat blushed a bit before using one of her vines to pick up the silver utensil. "Uh… Tim, I can help you out if you want so that you don't have to go through all of that…"

Hearing that, Tim immediately lifted his face up. Seeing the spoon in one of her vines, he started blushing like mad. While it was true that he wanted her to help him earlier, he didn't want to have her feed him like a child. It'd be embarrassing. "Oh… Uh… I-It's okay. Yeah, I'm almost done already anyway. Heh heh…"

Max rolled his eyes upon hearing this. Knowing the truth already, Lynn nodded with an understanding smile before proceeding to finish up her own cereal.

 **000**

 **Tropius sighed, "Yep, Max is right. I'm horrifically awkward when romance is involved. It probably would have been cute, but it'd probably also look like I couldn't eat by myself."**

 **He groaned, "I suck…"**

000

" **I don't blame Tim for not wanting me to help him eat. He doesn't want to feel like a baby, and I'm totally fine with it," Lynn responded before giggling. "It's kinda cute, anyway…"**

 **000**

"So… 200 foot radius, huh?" Belladonna queried to Jessica regarding the last challenge. "That's impressive, but also a bit dangerous without protection."

Jessica giggled, "Well, to be honest, the range was larger. I just didn't want to be a show off. As for the dangerous part, as a Psychic-type, diseases don't really have much of an effect on me. So I'm free to have fun with whoever I want, whenever I want regardless of their 'situation', as long as they're of age."

Hearing all of this, Portia looked down at her bowl of cereal and milk and sighed before pushing it away. "And I've lost my appetite."

Hearing that, Belladonna recalled her friend's issue and sweatdropped. "Oops, uh… Sorry, Portia."

The Rhyperior let out a sigh. "It's okay… I'll just… Move a bit away. I don't wanna be a bother." She began scooting to the right, causing Belladonna to let out a sigh and making Jessica raise a brow.

Because she was no longer within an earshot, Jessica asked, "What was that about?"

The Golem sighed, "Well, Portia has this thing with sexual content; it makes her extremely uncomfortable, so just prefers to move away or not hear anything dealing with it."

Jessica was confused, "I mean, sex is a part of life. I mean, I guess I can understand it, but it doesn't make sense to me."

Belladonna shrugged, "Well, that's just how she is. Nothing wrong with it."

Jessica rolled her eyes, as Belladonna continued with another question. "So… What's the highest number that you've dealt with at one time?"

Jessica giggled. "A fraternity. I think there were… Forty or so guys in total. It was the best experience I've had so far."

Belladonna was stupefied upon hearing that, her mouth agape, "Wow, _forty_? Jeez, you _had_ to have been sore after all of that."

Jessica shook her head. "Nope, not at all. I was perfectly fine. How about you? How're _your_ experiences?"

Belladonna shrugged, "Nothing too extravagant. I guess I'm pretty normal in comparison. I can only ever handle one guy at a time. That's not to say I'm used to handling multiple guys, I'm just-"

"It's okay, I knew what you meant," Jessica responded with a laugh. "Honestly, the idea that a girl having sex frequently automatically makes _her_ a whore is completely nonsensical and hypocritical, so I wouldn't worry about phrasing."

Belladonna nodded in understanding. "Well, I'm gonna head off. Good talking to ya." The Golem started walking away, with Jessica nodding. She turned to Portia who, upon seeing Belladonna start leaving, followed suit. Given that she was finished with breakfast, Jessica decided to follow them as well.

 **000**

Soon enough, all of the players made their way to the clearing once again. Upon returning, they saw that the stage was back. They noticed that it was much larger than it was the previous day, and that the two sets of bleachers were on them, on opposing sides. There was a single podium between the two.

Mew introduced the competitors to their next challenge. "Welcome back to the clearing."

Honey responded, "Yes, the lingering stench of stupidity, poor taste, and defeat is still here. Now may I ask why we're right back here instead of another area?"

Victini responded, "Because this is a wide open space that is suitable for numerous challenges. So, you may as well get used to it."

Honey folded her arms, rolling her eyes. She still thought that it was stupid to be in the same area twice despite being shown all of the other areas of the island.

Mew, despite Honey's response, continued. "Anyways, today's challenge is going to be similar to the one from yesterday."

Art groaned in annoyance, "What? Are you gonna make us guess the names of actors in movies that we don't give a damn about now?"

The hosts exchanged looks before Mew looked back at the Ferrothorn with an irritated expression. He responded, "Well, that may play a _part_ in it. This next challenge is revolving around… _TRIVIA!_ "

Chip rose a brow at this, while the others simply exchanged nonchalant looks, as it was a rather self-explanatory challenge.

 **000**

" **Huh… Trivia. I guess I may actually end up doing decent this time around," Chip stated, folding his arms. "They're gonna be surprised. I already know."**

 **000**

Each team sat in their respective bleachers. After a while, a screen revealed itself on the back wall of the stage. A red square and a blue square appeared on the screen with numbers underneath them. Victini floated up to the podium with a stack of cards in his hands.

The fox-rabbit cleared his throat, "Alright, it's time for trivia. The rules are standard. I will ask one team a question, and you will get thirty seconds to give me an answer. If you answer incorrectly or time runs out, the other team gets a chance to answer. There will be thirty questions in total, and the team that has the most points by the end will win the challenge. The losers will be sending someone home. Got it?"

The contestants all nodded in understanding, with Victini chuckling. "Alright then. Let's get into these questions and see what team comes out on top."

He shuffled up the cards before stating, "Since the Blue Team lost last time, the Red Team will go first." He turned toward the eight-player team before giving them their first question, " _How many Pokemon are from Alola_?"

Hearing the question, the members of the Red Team exchanged looks. Kane rose a brow. "Do you mean how many of us are here now, or in general?"

Victini explained, "In a general sense, please."

Jessica, being the only remaining Pokemon on the team from Alola, responded, "Well, last time I checked there were just eighty-one of us from around there."

Victini queried, "Is that your final answer?"

"Yes," Jessica responded with a firm nod, oozing with confidence.

Victini smiled, "And that is correct! _Though Arceus and Giratina still haven't introduced us to all of the legendaries from there or Kalos yet._ The Red Team gets their first point!" The score under the red square went up to one.

Victini turned to the Blue Team. "Alright, Blue Team, let's see what you know," he said, looking down at the cards. _"What evolutionary family, which has existed since the Ice Age, theoretically inspired the creation of the Casteliacone?"_

Art rolled his eyes before answering, "Vanillite's line. Duh… They're the only ones that resemble ice cream."

Victini gave him a look before deadpanning, "Yes… Your team gets a point. Yay." Art rolled his eyes at the hosts' unenthused response.

Victini turned back to the Red Team, Art's sarcasm causing him to grumble momentarily. Getting back on track, he cleared his throat before looking down at the card. _"Alright, next question. How many Pokemon types are there as of late?"_

The contestants on the Red Team, as well as the Blue Team exchanged looks of unamusement. They thought that the questions would be more challenging. Instead, they were much easier than they anticipated.

Chip droned, "Uh… eighteen…"

"That is correct," Victini responded with a nod. "Point two for the Red Team." The scoreboard updated to show the second point.

No one on the Red Team said anything, though they were glad that they got another point. Victini turned back to the Blue Team, whose members were looking a bit bored. So far the first three questions were simple, so if this was going to be the challenge, then they would have to hope that the Red Team answered a question wrong.

"Alright," Victini began. _"Next question for you guys. How many Pokemon are originally from the Kanto region?"_

Art immediately answered, rolling his eyes at the simplicity. "Are all of the questions going to be this pathetically easy?"

Victini felt his blood begin to simmer slightly in annoyance, but needing to keep it professional, he responded, "Just give me a straight answer, your additional commentary is unwanted and unneeded."

R.J., his arms folded in indifference, responded, "151."

The Victory Pokemon responded with a nod. "Correct. Now that's another point for the Blue Team." The scoreboard updated to show this, with Portia letting out a sigh. "No offense, but are the questions going to get a bit harder? If they're all going to be easy, then the other team will win because they started first."

Because Portia was not rude and barely spoke up in general, Victini was not as annoyed with her question, despite it being the same as what Art asked. He responded concisely, "The questions vary in difficulty. Not everyone knows the same things."

"True enough," Tim responded with a shrug.

"Patience necessary. Cannot expect difficult questions at start; you complain then, too," Zahku responded as a few of his teammates and competitors looked at him with apathetic eyes.

Victini was glad that Zahku actually made sense and proceeded with the next question. He turned to the Red Team, glancing at his card. "This next question should be difficult enough for you. _So far, how many Pokemon classified simply as 'Fox Pokemon'?"_

As their time began, the members of the Red Team exchanged looks of unsurety. The questions really _did_ take a jump from easy to hard. Sasha scratched the back of her head as she watched the time dwindle.

"Um… Anyone have any ideas?" the Nidoqueen asked, looking back at her teammates.

Honey scoffed, "Well, considering that there are a lot of foxes and those stupid old Pokedexes barely called them all out… No, not really."

Turning to the only Psychic-type on the team, Tonya queried, "Anything, Jessica? You're our lifeline here."

"And we only have ten seconds left," Kane added, looking back at the clock.

"I don't retain Pokedex knowledge. At most, I can remember nearly all of the foxes or fox-like Pokemon, but I could care less about-"

Chip suddenly answered, "Five."

All of Red Team members looked at him in confusion, with Honey glaring at him. "You idiot! What makes you-"

"Is that your final answer?" Victini queried.

"No!" Honey responded, "Why would we-"

Chip cut her off. "Yes, final answer. There are five that the Pokedex classified as Fox Pokemon so far. Vulpix, Ninetales, Fennekin, Braixen, and Delphox."

"And that is correct! Chip earns the Red Team their third point," Victini announced as the Red Team's score went up.

The others were surprised at this, as Chip kept his composure and took a deep breath. He heard Max question him, "How did you know about Pokedex stuff? Those things are barely even used anymore."

Chip shrugged, "I actually have one back at home just for fun. And it comes in handy when I'm going against opponents that I don't know much about. Plus, one of my college classes had me focusing on this kind of stuff."

"What the hell? _You_ went to college?!" Honey responded, completely taken aback. Given his behavior and physique, she likened the Superpower Pokemon to a simple brainless meathead. It would seem that she was mistaken.

Chip gave her a look, "Yes, I went to college. Just like I assume some of you did. Now how about we _not_ dwell on that, huh?"

Kane rose a brow at this, a bit impressed, but also unsure.

 **000**

" **Chip went from a musclehead who just wanted to assert his dominance, to a guy who is actually proving himself to be a worthy ally," Kane stated. "His attitude is still pretty poor or on the lighter side of decent, but if he keeps this up, he may last longer than I expect him to."**

" **Though it does make me question why dominance is such a big deal for him if he's apparently already a smart dude…"**

 **000**

The Blue Team was surprised that Chip was able to answer it for his team in the last second. Truth be told, none of them really knew what the answer was anyway. Like the Red Team, they didn't really have any _real_ Pokedex knowledge. Well, aside from Art and Dade, who only knew as much as Jessica for the most part.

Victini hummed a tune as he went through his cards. "Okay, Blue Team, here's your next question. _So far, how many Pokemon have 'Mouse' in their classification?"_

"Oh come on!" Belladonna exclaimed. "You just asked them the same thing, you just made the word different."

"Not necessarily," Dade explained. "He asked _them_ for a number based on the _general_ category. He's asking _us_ for a wider range. As long as 'Mouse' is somewhere in the category, it counts…"

Art deadpanned, "And you just wasted nine seconds of our time explaining that instead of just thinking."

Christine let out a sigh, "Well, there are a lot of mice and other rodents, so there could be dozens in that category."

"In that case, let's go vague," Belladonna suggested. "Over… Ten."

Victini stifled a laugh, "Nice try, but I need an actual, _specific_ answer."

Belladonna cursed to herself. The other members of the Blue Team exchanged looks of unsurety. Art groaned in annoyance. Of course when the questions start getting difficult, he doesn't know the answers.

Lynn let out a sigh, "Okay, let's just say… Twenty to be on the safe side."

Victini responded with a nod, "Okay, is that your final answer?"

R.J. glanced at the clock, "Well, we've only got five seconds left, so it's gonna have to be."

Victini smacked his lips, "Sorry, that is incorrect. That means it goes to the Red Team." He turned to the other set of bleachers. "Same question to you guys. _So far, how many Pokemon have 'Mouse' in their classification?"_

The members all turned to Chip, expecting him to know the answer. And, luckily for them, he did know. The Machamp answered, "Ten."

The Victory Pokemon smiled, "That is correct! That brings it up to four points for the Red Team. _And_ it's their turn again. So, here's another question for you guys. _What ability gives a Ghost and Grass-type a boost when it uses Steel-type moves?"_

Tim rose a brow, "Well that makes it easy. There aren't that many Ghost and Grass-types that know many Steel-type moves other than Dhelmise from what I can remember."

Chip nodded affirmatively, "Exactly, so the answer is Steelworker." The other members turned to Victini.

"And once again, that is correct!" Victini announced. "You guys are certainly doing better than I expected. No offense."

Kane deadpanned, folding his arms, "None taken." They had just won the previous challenge, so being underestimated didn't really sit well with them.

Victini turned back to the Blue Team, whose members were looking less than pleased with how the challenge was going so far. He chuckled at this, "Come on, there are still twenty-three questions remaining. You guys could catch up…"

"Yep, with a five-to-two lead and us going against a sudden musclehead encyclopedia, we'll _definitely_ have a chance," Art sarcastically fumed.

Lucky responded, saying, "Hey, how about having a little faith?"

Art gave him a look, "Coming from you, that means nothing."

Lynn groaned in annoyance. "C'mon guys, we haven't even gotten the question yet. Negativity isn't going to get us anywhere," she stated. She turned back to Victini, "What's the question?"

Victini was enjoying the interactions between them, especially since Art was expressing his lack of faith in his teammates. Once Lynn asked about the question, he immediately snapped back into focus. He cleared his throat, "Ah, yes. You guys' next question. Hmm… _So far, how many Pokemon have the dual Rock and Grass-type combination?"_

Dade sighed in relief, as he actually knew the answer to this. "Okay, this is actually good for us. It's just two, Lileep and Cradily."

Victini nodded with a smile, "That is correct! Point three for the Blue Team."

"Nice work, Dade," Christine commented, patting the Burmy on his back. Burmy chuckled sheepishly in response.

He responded, "Thanks. I just hope that more questions are like _that_."

R.J. followed, his arms folded, "And I hope that we don't only have to rely on _you_ like they're relying on the meathead over there. This needs to be a team effort."

The Golem among them groaned, irritated by the Beartic's statements, "Uh huh… And if we don't know it and he does, then what? We just give up the point because you don't wanna look useless?"

Zahku chimed in, "Bear man answered question already. Not completely useless."

R.J. smirked, pleasantly surprised that Zahku was defending him. "Exactly. I'm not saying that we ignore the nerd, I'm saying that if someone else knows the answer, share it, and if the nerd disagrees, we choose which answer we want to use since mistakes can be made. If someone's answer is the same as his, just say it."

Art deadpanned, "So, you just want all of us to be able to share ideas and say an answer as long as it's the right one or close…"

The Beartic groaned, as the Ferrothorn explained his idea much easier than he could, "Yeah, whatever. That's the jist of it."

While they were settling things, Victini turned back to the Red Team, presenting them with their next question. _"According to recent studies, the female Pokemon of what type goes into heat which lasts nearly two months?"_

"Oh, that's easy. It's Fi-"

"Actually, it's Dragon-types," Tim interrupted his Delibird friend. He explained, "One of my friends is a Goodra and she pretty much had her boyfriend, a Dragonite, another one of my friends, locked in their house. My friends and I tried to call, and he said that her heat lasted almost two months. Then we heard him get tackled to the ground."

Chip rose a brow, as he didn't know this. He muttered to himself, " _Looks like I'm looking for a Dragon-type girlfriend after this show is over…_ "

"So, it's Dragon-types?" Tonya queried. Tim nodded in response, with the Accelgor facing Victini as the time continued to go down. "Dragon-types."

Victini nodded before announcing, "That is correct! That brings the Red Team up to six points."

Max sighed in relief, patting Tim's side, "Nice work, dude."

Tim smiled back, "Thanks. I'm just lucky that I have those types of friends in my little circle."

Max chuckled in response, an irritated Honey rolling her eyes. Victini turned his attention back to the Blue Team, _"Alright, another question to Team Azul. So far, how many evolutionary stones have been discovered?"_

"Pssh, that's easy. Nine," Belladonna immediately answered.

"No!" Dade immediately shouted in protest, causing Belladonna to jump in surprise. The Burmy understood why she might have thought that the answer was nine, but was mistaken. "The answer is ten."

Belladonna rose a brow. "How? I don't think the Oval Stone counts since Happiny don't automatically evolve into Chansey when they're in contact."

"The Ice Stone, remember?" Dade reminded before turning to Victini. "Ten, final answer."

Victini looked dramatically at the card, causing a few of the members of the Blue Team to grow nervous. However, after a few seconds, he chortled to himself, "You're correct."

Hearing that, a wave of relief washed over them. Christine glowered annoyedly at the host, responding, "Could you not do that?"

Victini rolled his eyes, chuckling, "It's for dramatic effect. Gotta spice it up somehow. Anyways, that's four for the Blue Team and six for the Red Team. Let's see if they can take it up to seven."

The Victory Pokemon turned toward the Red Team. "Alright, Red Team, question eleven to you. _What Pokemon are known as the 'Signpost for wandering spirits'?"_

The time began ticking down, with Sasha raising a brow as she looked at her other team members. "I'm pretty sure that's Drifloon. Or Drifblim… One of the two."

Chip assured them of the answer, "It's Drifloon. Some of them steal kids and shit, and apparently that's what they're called. Drifblim are mostly known to vanish when groups of them are seen flying."

"Okay…" Sasha replied before turning back and answering, "Drifloon."

"Incorrect," Victini responded. "It was really Drifblim…"

Upon hearing that, Honey glared at him, "Bullshit. If it was, you wouldn't have said the answer aloud. So could you not screw around?"

Victini groaned in annoyance, "Jeez, you guys really _are_ sourpusses. I'm just doing my job and trying to make it entertaining for the viewers."

Honey scoffed, "Well, _sorry,_ but we'd rather just get this challenge over with. If you wanted to be entertaining, you would have added some more elements aside from just questions."

Victini hummed, "Actually, that's not a bad idea. After the fifteenth question, you guys will be getting a break, similar to yesterday."

Everyone exchanged looks before Victini chuckled, turning back to the Blue Team. "Alright, time for question twelve. _So far, what two Pokemon types have been paired with all other existing types?"_

"...And now we're screwed…" Art deadpanned. "Thanks…"

R.J. huffed, "Who the hell would even think or care about that kind of stuff, aside from Pokedex boy over there?"

Lucky turned to Dade, "Any ideas, dude?"

The Burmy hummed in thought. "Well, I think I have an idea, but I'm not entirely sure," he replied.

Upon hearing that, Christine responded, "Hey, what about what we just agreed to? Tell us what you're thinking so we can discuss."

Dade had forgotten momentarily and rolled his eyes. He doubted that the others knew anything about this, given the confused expressions etched onto their faces. However, time was ticking down and he let out a sigh. "I'm thinking Water-types and Flying-types since they're plentiful and it makes sense. But if it's wrong, we could-"

"We don't have time for that," Art interrupted as he answered for the team. "Water-types and Flying-types," he said, looking at Victini.

The Victory Pokemon nodded in affirmation, "Correctamundo. That's another point for the Blue Team."

Lynn smiled, happy that they received another point. She turned to the cause of their new point, "Nice work, Dade." Dade was glowering at the Ferrothorn at the moment, but his attitude changed upon hearing Lynn's thanks.

He let out a sigh. "No problem," he drawled.

Victini turned back to the Red Team, looking down at the cards in his hands. "Question thirteen for the Red Team. _So far, how many 'artificial' Pokemon are there?"_

Upon hearing that question, Kane rose a brow. "Hold on, do you mean _artificial_? Like, created by humans before they went extinct?"

Victini nodded, "Precisely. And your time starts now."

Everyone immediately turned to Chip, who looked a bit flustered. He didn't know the exact amount, and he only knew of a select few that were confirmed completely. He stammered as he began listing the ones that he was sure everyone knew about, "Um… Uh… Let's see… Porygon, Porygon2, Porygon-Z, Mewtwo, Type: Null, Silvally, and Magearna… Those are all of the ones that I can think of off the top of my head."

Tonya counted the names that he called in her head. "Anyone else have s-something to add?" she asked her teammates.

There was silence before she turned back to Victini, "Seven."

Victini hissed before shaking his head. "Nope, sorry Red Team, that's incorrect."

"What?!" Honey exclaimed before glaring at Chip.

Jessica, seeing this look, decided to speak up in Chip's defense. The Vespiquen had no right to give him an angry look when _he_ was the one answering the most questions for them. "Oh, don't glare at him like that, Honey, he's been carrying us through most of these questions. You haven't even answered any or given any possible answers, yourself."

The Vespiquen immediately faced the Bruxish, her glare now focused on her. "And other than that Alola question, what have you helped with, exactly? Nothing, right? So don't being up that shit to me."

The others decided to stay out of it as the two argued back and forth. Victini would have enjoyed the interaction, but he knew that he needed to focus and pass the question. "Alright, their team got it wrong, so the question goes to you, Blue Team. _So far, how many 'artificial' Pokemon are there?"_

The Blue Team were huddled together, remembering the names that Chip had called out and trying to think of more. "Alright, meathead called out a majority of the ones that we know about, but what others are there?" R.J. queried.

"Uh… Do you think the Ghost-types that possess objects count?" Lucky inquired.

With that possibility now in mind, Art groaned, "Mother of Arceus, if that's the case, we're gonna run out of time before we have a chance to even _think_ of all of them!"

Suddenly, a thought entered Portia's mind. "Wait, weren't Voltorb and Electrode discovered in some place that made Poké Balls a long time ago?"

Dade's eyes lit up. "That's _right!_ The Silph Company! They _made_ Poké Balls, and apparently Voltorb and Electrode randomly appeared. Then, a rumor spread that they were made because they were hit with a strong energy pulse!"

"What, so that's nine?" Belladonna queried.

R.J. chimed in, "Wait, if we're going by that logic, what about Banette? Apparently they were dolls that came to life when a kid threw them away years and years ago. Dolls were made by humans then, so doesn't that count, too?"

Glancing back at the clock on the screen and seeing nine seconds left, Lynn turned back to the others. "Okay, we're running out of time. Do we just wanna go with ten?"

"Yeah, just go for it," Dade stated.

Lynn nodded before facing Victini. "Ten?"

The Victory Pokemon smacked his lips. "Nope, sorry. Looks like neither team gets the point."

This news caused everyone to groan, with Tim curiously asking, "What's the answer then?"

Victini obliged, answering, "Eighteen. They are… Voltorb, Electrode, Porygon, Porygon2, Porygon-Z, Mewtwo, Baltoy, Claydol, Castform, Banette, Trubbish, Garbodor, Golett, Golurk, Genesect, Type: Null, Silvally, and Magearna."

Chip facepalmed himself, "Of course, I skipped over Genesect…"

"And about ten others," Honey deadpanned. Chip glared at her for the comment before rolling his eyes.

Victini sighed, "Well, one question stumped you guys so far. But, let's see how it goes. Blue Team, question fourteen to you…"

"Wait a second, isn't it our turn?" Max spoke up.

Victini explained, "Nope. The last question was mainly for you guys. You guys missed it, so it got passed to the Blue Team. Blue Team got it wrong, too, but it was still _your_ question. So, this one is to them."

With his explanation done, the Fire and Psychic-type asked, _"What are the typings of each of Rotom's forms?"_

The Blue Team exchanged looks as their time began. Belladonna began, "Wait, aren't they all still Electric and Ghost-type since it's still a Rotom?"

"No, they're different types because of the different appliances they possess," Dade explained. "From what I can remember, Rotom can possess lawnmowers, fans, refrigerators, microwaves, washing machines…"

Lucky added, "... And a Pokédex."

Dade nodded in agreement. "And since he said _all_ forms, the Electric and Ghost-type is included. And context clues tells you the rest."

Art groaned, "Need I remind you that we just have thirty seconds? All of these crap is unnecessary." He turned to Victini, answering, "Electric and Ghost, Electric and Fire, Electric and Ice, Electric and Grass, Electric and Water, and Electric and Flying."

Victini responded with a smile, "And Art earns the Blue Team another point. Now it's six to seven. Let's see if this first round ends with a Red Team lead or a tie." He turned to face the Red Team. "Now, for the fifteenth and final question for this round. _In order for Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus to shift into their Therian Formes, what must be used?"_

The Red Team members exchanged looks, eyes going to Chip. However, Jessica decided to answer this time to further annoy Honey and prove that she was doing more than her, "That would be the Reveal Glass."

Victini smiled before announcing, "And the Red Team secures their lead!"

The Red Team exchanged looks of excitement and merriment, except Honey, who was more annoyed.

"Nice work, Jess," Kane commended, giving the fish a thumbs up.

The Bruxish giggled in response, "Thanks, big daddy~." She kissed his cheek, causing the Ursaring to shudder due to the contact.

Sasha twitched upon seeing this. It was so unfair to her that _she_ couldn't act on anything, but apparently Jessica could? She clenched her fists, but took a deep breath.

Victini announced that the teams were free to go on their breaks, telling them to be back in half an hour. With their instructions clear, both teams started leaving the stage in order to do whatever they wanted during their break time.

 **000**

Tim was walking toward the campgrounds when he noticed that Lynn was heading in a different direction. As Max caught up to him, the Tropius hummed to himself. Noticing where he was looking, a small smile grew on the Delibird's face as he nudged his friend. "Go catch up with her," he whispered.

Tim paled , a blush spreading across his cheeks. "Uh… I don't know. After that fiasco at breakfast, I'm not so sure…"

Max chortled at his unsurety, saying, "Dude, all you did was eat like you usually do."

Tim explained, "Yeah, but… She tried to help me and I turned it down because I thought that it'd be embarrassing! I just feel..."

Max deadpanned, raising a brow. "Awkward... ?" Tim nodded in response. Max already knew that the Tropius was romantically challenged, so he expected this response. "Dude, you've just gotta let loose and be yourself," the Delibird explained as the two of them started following Lynn at a distance.

They didn't know where the Gogoat was heading, but that didn't matter. They were simply talking and attempting to get a grasp on what they could do to make Tim less anxious. The Tropius brought up, " I've heard and seen girls turn down and insult guys who act like themselves and go for the guys who act like jerks or the ones that treat them poorly."

Max let out a sigh, "Okay, while it's true that some girls are shallow and self-centered when it comes to getting dates, that doesn't mean that all girls are like that, especially not Lynn. She likes you, dude; I know she does."

Tim let out another sigh. He just couldn't help but feel anxious about the situation. He didn't want to rush things, nor did he want to come off as desperate or needy. "I just-"

Max groaned softly, "Stop worrying about the _may_ happen and just try to engage. You two have been having normal conversations for the past few days; literally nothing has changed. Now get a move on and go walk and talk with her!" The Delibird tried to push the Tropius forward, with no results.

Tim gave Max a look, making the Delibird stop pushing. The Tropius chortled, "You know that I'm much heavier than you; why even try?"

Max shook his head, before pointing a flipper toward Lynn, who they were losing sight of, "Just go."

Tim gazed forward as the Gogoat continued along the beach path, turning to her let out a sigh before flying after her. Seeing him go, Max flew back toward the campgrounds.

 **000**

 **Max smacked his lips, "Well, hopefully things work out with them."**

 **000**

Chip's bed creaked as he took a seat. He felt very relaxed; he had managed to prove himself as a worthy ally to his team, so there was no way that he'd be getting the boot if they lost. However, in doing so, he also made himself a target in the future. Now that everyone knew that he had brains as well as brawn, he was definitely going to be a pick to go when the time came.

He lied on his bed with a groan as he placed his back set of arms around his head and locked the fingers of the other pair on his stomach. He was just gonna take a short nap and have a bit of relief since there wasn't much else to do on the island itself.

However, that was not going to happen, because as soon as the Machamp closed his eyes, the door swung open, hitting the wall. He groaned in annoyance before sitting back up. Looking at the door, he saw Honey, Sasha, Tonya, and Jessica enter, causing him to raise a brow.

The girls sat across from him, taking a seat on the bunk next to his. Curious as to why they were there, he asked, "So, uh… Any particular reason why you're here?"

"Yeah," Honey began before clearing her throat. "Where the _fuck_ is all of this new 'knowledge' coming from? We all know that you're just a bumbling meathead who doesn't care about that stuff."

Chip gave her a look. He expected her to surprised, but he didn't think that she'd completely doubt his mental capacity. But then again, given how she acts, he shouldn't have been that surprised. He rolled his eyes, responding, "For your information, _Honey_ , I graduated in the top twenty in my class in college full of Psychic-types. So, calling me a bumbling meathead is pretty much invalid. However, you're right, I don't really give a fuck about any of that stuff. Why do you think I'm a gym teacher?"

"Because you're a moron…" Honey deadpanned. The other girls could only give her looks from the corners of their eyes.

Chip stared blankly at her for a few seconds, as she had clearly toned out everything that he had just said. Deciding not to waste his breath further, he decided to just end the conversation. "Fuck it; you're impossible," he said, beginning to lie back down. "You should actually be glad that my knowledge from college is helping us out. Instead, you're acting pissy at the fact that I'm smarter than you thought."

Honey scoffed, "Please. It's not like you're even gonna use any of that so-called 'knowledge' in the rest of the game unless they do more challenges like this, so don't start acting all high and mighty."

"Actually, Honey, _you're_ the one acting high and mighty," Jessica chimed in.

The Vespiquen glared at her, "No I'm not… I just find it hard to believe that a guy who acted like a total cunt, punched an innocent guy in the face, and tried to act like some hardass leader-type, is suddenly an intellectual who can speak like a normal person. And it hasn't even been a full week yet!"

"People have more layers than you think," Jessica explained. "Some people choose to only show a certain part of themselves that they think will give them success, but if it fails, they try to do something else and showcase who they really are as a whole."

Honey sighed, holding her head. "And let me guess… You know this because you slept with someone like that."

"That's besides the point!" Jessica interjected. " The main thing is that you don't just judge someone from their outside behavior. Try to get to know them before making rash judgments."

Honey rolled her eyes, "If I meet a serial killer and learn that they are a perfect, unassuming member of society who collects baseball cards, that doesn't change the fact that he's a killer!"

Jessica groaned in annoyance. "Okay, you really _are_ impossible," she said as she started floating out of the cabin.

Sasha, getting a grasp on what she was saying, spoke up, "I think she's saying that you just shouldn't let first impressions ruin your outlook on someone as a whole."

Honey rolled her eyes, "Whatever. I don't even care anymore at this point, that dumb fish bitch just gave me a headache." She gave a stern look to Chip, "As long as you win this challenge for us, I guess you can consider your ass saved. If we lose, you still owe us for saving your ass, so you'd better vote with us again if you know what's good for you."

And with that, the three of them started leaving the guys' side of the cabin. Chip rolled his eyes in annoyance. He was fine with what he had going on with Jessica, and when the time came, he was going to talk to Max and Tim a bit more and try to convince them to help them out.

 **000**

Dade, Lucky, and Zahku were inside of the mess hall, thinking about the information they learned regarding Kane and R.J.. Dade wanted to expose them and put a couple of targets on their backs. Because R.J. was doing a decent job in the challenges, there was a slightly lower chance that he'd be eliminated if they lost. And while Kane wasn't really bothering them that much, he was more than likely a strong-willed individual if he had to deal with R.J. on a regular basis, so he was a major threat.

"Okay guys, we need to think about how we're going to do this…" Dade began.

Zahku was still on the fence about the situation, especially given how he saw the Beartic acting with his husband. He didn't think there was any real reason to get rid of him. It just seemed like Dade was upset about being made fun of and was annoyed by him. He said, "Zahku still don't think that getting polar bear man out will do anything."

Dade sighed in response, while Lucky just remained quiet. The Burmy queried, "Zahku, why are you suddenly sticking up for that jerk? He's been an ass to all of us, _and_ he's actually a bit of a threat since he's good at the challenges."

Lucky rose a brow, "The more that I think about it… The more confused I get. Aren't we supposed to be _trying_ to keep the players that are going to help us make it further? If we get rid of the people that are doing good, that may cause us to lose more challenges and make us more susceptible to elimination."

Zahku nodded in agreement. "It no make sense to eliminate people doing good."

Seeing his friends opposing his idea, Dade let out a sigh. "Okay, I guess you guys are making sense. But then who do we go for?"

Lucky responded, "We don't really have to worry about that… We could just vote with the majority until the time comes for us to actually make a change. As long as we're doing something good in the challenge, we should be safe from elimination anyway."

Hearing that, Dade hummed to himself. "Alright. I guess we'll lay off the targeting. But I still think we should at least let one other person know about R.J. and Kane's relationship, just to keep an extra eye on him."

Lucky reasoned, "Well, out of all of us on the team, I think Art is the main one who would be fine with being around him the most, so maybe we should tell him."

Dade agreed with that idea, however another thought entered his head, "Yeah, but would he believe us? He's pretty uptight and doesn't seem to find us that knowledgeable."

"That be his own fault if doesn't believe," Zahku responded. "Still worth doing."

Dade nodded in understanding. Art was brash and annoying, but if he didn't believe in something that was true, that'd make _them_ smarter than _him_ in the game. "Alright, we'll just have to figure out a time when he's alone so that R.J. doesn't know that we know."

 **000**

Belladonna, Portia, and Christine were all on the beach at the moment. Following their talk earlier that morning, it seemed that Portia was once again teaching Belladonna how to surf, with Christine standing nearby. The Rhyperior and Kricketune were standing on the sandy shore, as Belladonna was attempting to keep her balance as she stood on Portia's surfboard out in the water.

"You're doing great, Bella!" Portia called. Christine watched the Golem balancing herself on the board, allowing waves to move her to and fro. She never found herself interested in water-based sports or activities. She could swim, but she didn't really seek out the opportunity to. Surfing looked interesting, but she just couldn't see herself doing it. So, when Portia asked, "So, you wanna go ahead and try it out after Bella?"

The Kricketune hummed in response, "I don't think so. Water activities aren't really my thing, sorry."

"Oh," Portia responded, looking down sheepishly. "Well… Um… Can you still teach us how to play different instruments?"

Christine giggled, "Well, the only instruments available to us are my violin, and maybe… Rocks that can act as drums." Her small smile turned firm, "Though, I'm not entirely sure if I want anyone else touching my violin."

Portia let out a sigh, as their idea of teaching other things for fun was unraveling. "Okay, then. Uh… What do we so then?"

As if on cue, a familiar Ursaring approached them, intrigued by seeing Belladonna moving around on the surfboard out in the water. Kane chuckled to himself, "Well, that certainly looks like fun."

"Oh, uh… Hey Kane," Portia greeted. "What brings you here?" She hadn't really interacted with the Hibernator Pokemon before, so it was a bit perplexing.

Kane shrugged in response, "Nothing, just wanted to see what was going on. Just because we're on different teams doesn't mean we can't be around each other outside of challenges."

Christine responded, her arms folded. "Obviously," she stated. "I don't think she was insinuating that you couldn't be here."

Kane sweatdropped, "And now I feel awkward." He took a breath, "So, how are you guys doing on your team? None of you hate each other or anything do you?"

The girls exchanged looks. Christine found it rather suspicious that Kane, who hardly ever interacted with them, was suddenly trying to get some type of information regarding the team. She wasn't sure if it was genuine or not. She responded, "Uh… Why the sudden interest in _our_ team?"

Kane rose a brow, "I'm just trying to make conversation. I mean-"

A sudden booming voice was heard, getting their attention. "Kane!"

Turning to the source, Kane rolled his eyes upon seeing R.J. standing nearby, his arms folding and his right foot tapping. The Ursaring let out a sigh. "Excuse me…" he said as he started walking toward the Beartic.

The girls shrugged before hearing a splash and looking out, seeing that Belladonna had jumped off of the surfboard.

 **-000-**

Kane walked toward R.J., who was giving him a displeased expression. Despite wanting to grab his hand and walk him somewhere else, R.J. simply groaned, "Follow me." The Beartic began walking toward the Blue Team's cabin, confusing Kane. However, he followed his husband toward the cabin and noticed that he had gone _behind_ it rather than inside of it.

The Ursaring followed, seeing R.J. with his back against the back of the cabin. Confused by his behavior, Kane queried, "What's wrong?"

R.J. responded with his own question, "Why're you trying to talk to my teammates? They're just gonna think that you're being sneaky or something."

He let out a sigh, as what his husband said made sense, explaining, "Hey, I'm just trying to interact with more people. I'm not trying to come off as a spy or something to them."

"Well, given that this is a competition, and you're on the opposite team, that's likely what they're gonna perceive it as," R.J. stated. "So, I suggest that you try this when they decide to dissolve the teams, or whenever we decide to take a break and not be together all the time. Otherwise, I don't think your friendliness is gonna come off as such."

Kane sighed, looking down, "Okay, you're right." Kane leaned in for a kiss, but R.J. stopped him, blocking his face with a paw. Seeing this, Kane gave him a look, "Seriously? What happened to 'I don't care anymore?'"

R.J. shrugged with a sneer, "Guess I'm still not that open to the thought of us making out in the open. Well, unless _I_ initiate it…"

Kane gave him a look before rolling his eyes and walking away. Seeing this, R.J. rose a brow before shrugging and walking in a different direction.

 **000**

 **Kane sighed, "One of the things that somewhat irritate me about R.J. is that he always feels like he needs to be in some sort of authoritative spot in regards to our relationship when we're in public."**

" **He thinks that people will view him as weak or as a bitch just because he's the one who 'takes it' and he's the one who stays at home. And those beliefs, along with his personality, doesn't make it any easier," he explained. "I still love him, but that's just so frustrating sometimes."**

 **000**

Art was grumbling to himself out of annoyance as he walked around the island. This challenge was a good way to test his own intellect, as well as see who actually had brains and who he had to look out for. Much to his surprise, it seemed that _Chip_ was the main one to watch out for.

The Ferrothorn still couldn't believe that the Machamp was actually smart. Besides him, the only ones that seemed to _really_ know anything were Dade and Jessica. It was irritating, as he thought that his team would at least know more than they did. Granted, he didn't know that much either, but he still understood.

He was walking through the forest, taking a break from everyone else. The faint sound of Fletchling and Starly chirping, Pikipek tapping on trees, and the faint rustling of leaves caused a feeling of calmness to wash over him. Usually, he wasn't one to care about nature, but this time he needed to be relieved of his frustration.

The sound of water flowing got his attention as he continued on his walk. The Thorn Pod Pokemon approached the stream, watching as the water flowed toward the pond. He started hearing the sound of voices. He groaned to himself, "Of course, it's too much to ask to be alone."

Instead of simply leaving the vicinity, he decided to follow the sound of the voices and see what was going on. Following the stream, the voices slowly got louder until he finally found the source. He saw Lynn and Tim there. The Tropius was in the water, with the Gogoat giggling at him.

"Come on in, Lynn, the water is… Well, decent," Tim chuckled, looking at the liquid around him. Lynn smiled back, "It's fine, Tim. I'm not really up for swimming right now. Plus, we don't know if the water has any bacteria in it. You _could_ get sick."

Hearing that possibility, Tim groaned as he flew out of the water. "Aw crud…"

From his area, Art hummed to himself, " _How interesting._ " He began walking away, leaving the pair alone.

 **000**

 **Art chuckled, "So, it seems that we have a tail chaser from the other team going for the goat. It'll be hilarious to see how this goes."**

" **Those two are on different teams, but their roles are quite different. Tim's a nobody as far as I know, and Lynn is the unofficial team leader, so if this interaction was to be revealed, it could prove beneficial to either team…"**

 **000**

Suddenly, Mew's voice echoed throughout the island. Tim and Lynn ceased their conversation to listen, "Contestants! Return to the clearing for your second round!"

The Gogoat sighed, "Well, looks like it's time to head back. Time flew by pretty quickly."

Tim chortled in response, "Yeah, it flies when you're actually having a good time."

Lynn smiled in response, a small blush forming on her face. "Well, we should probably start heading back…"

Tim nodded with a smile as Lynn started walking back. The Tropius was just going to fly back to save time. A blush formed on his face as he cleared his throat, "Uh… If you want… I can give you a ride back over there."

Lynn's eyes widened. "Oh, uh… Okay, sure," she replied.

Tim smiled and lowered his wings, allowing Lynn to climb up onto his back. Once she was on, he asked, "You okay back there?"

Lynn responded, "Yeah, I'm okay."

Tim nodded before beginning to flap his wings. He soared over the trees, with Lynn using her vines to hold onto him.

 **000**

A majority of the players returned to the clearing, being greeted by Mew instead of Victini. The change wasn't unwelcomed, and none of them questioned it, simply chalking it up to them taking turns, as they were co-hosts.

He clasped his hands together eagerly. "Alright, welcome back. Hope you guys enjoyed your break. It's time for your second round, and this time, it's a bit more interesting…"

Just then, Lynn and Tim landed in the clearing. Upon landed, almost all eyes went to them. Lynn let go of the Tropius and climbed off of his back before walking toward her teammates.

Mew continued with a smile, "Perfect timing. I was just about to mention you two's absences. But, now that you're here, let's get this new round started."

As everyone began heading back onto the stage, Honey glowered at Tim, unappreciative of the fact that he was alone with someone on the other team, especially a girl like Lynn. The Gogoat seemed to be a very game-focused based on the observations Honey made during challenges, so she didn't necessarily find her very trustworthy, especially around a loser like Tim.

As the Tropius got up onto the stage, the Vespiquen smacked him, eliciting a yelp from the Fruit Pokemon. He turned to her with a glare, "What the hell was _that_ for!?"

"For possibly colluding with the fucking enemy!" Honey snapped. "Arceus, can't you do _anything_ worthwhile?!"

Tim growled before looking over to the opposite side, seeing Lynn give him a worried expression. Not wanting to worry her, he glared back at Honey. "Mind your own business. And there's no _colluding_ going on."

He continued walking up, with Honey glaring across the stage at Lynn. The Gogoat didn't return the look of displeasure, as she had no real reason to. She knew that Honey was arrogant and an annoyance, according to Tim, but she wasn't going to do anything back to her.

Once everyone was back in their respective bleachers, Mew approached the podium with cards of his own. He cleared his throat before explaining the round to them. "So, as you all know, the previous round involved general Pokemon trivia. But, this round, the questions are more so about admissions, as in, private information regarding your fellow competitors."

Immediately, everyone's eyes widened in surprise and anxiousness. The sign up forms for the show were rather simple and didn't require information that would be deemed _that_ private. And even if it did, hardly any of them would actually write anything down.

"Uh… What do you mean by 'private information'?" Sasha queried curiously.

Mew chuckled, "Oh, you know. Things regarding your personal lives. How many and what kinds of dates you've had, how many of you have had many injuries, marriage info, family info, etcetera."

Everyone paled upon hearing that. How did they procure all of that information? It wasn't on the form!

Belladonna scoffed, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, where'd you get all of that information? I'm pretty sure you guys didn't ask for it on the forms."

Mew chortled in response, a smug smile forming on his face. "Well, while you guys took your break, Victini and I took a quick trip to you guys' neighborhoods and called a few of your emergency contacts to get some information."

"Wh- That's bullshit!" R.J. exclaimed. "You can't do that!"

"Indeed we can, your contracts give us the allowance to do so," Mew explained, holding up a stack of contracts.

The Beartic grumbled to himself, as Mew continued explaining how the round would function. "Okay, now, each of these cards holds a piece of information about your fellow competitors. And, like the last round, each team will be taking turns. If whoever the information belongs to decides to own up to it, their team earns a point. If no one owns up to it, no points will be given and the information will remain anonymous."

Upon hearing that, relief washed over a few of the contestants momentarily. The members of Red Team, being two points ahead of the Blue Team, were feeling confident. While the members of the Blue Team were annoyed that any few of them were going to have their private information leaked in order to gain a couple of points.

"Now, if there are no questions, we're going to resume the challenge," Mew announced. "Now, Round One ended with the Red Team, so Blue Team, you guys are up first."

Art scoffed. "Oh, how wonderful…" he snidely responded. "I wonder what weird kinks you've learned about…"

Mew ignored his comment, reading off of the first card in his paws. "Okay. _Which of you broke up with the son of a wealthy real estate investor, despite him treating you like a queen?_ "

There was a bit of silence on both sides until Art decided to speak up. "Huh, so one of these girls doesn't like being treated great, hmm… Honestly, not surprised."

This earned him a few glares from the girls from his team. Dade soon spoke up, posing a question, "Does that mean that what they say about some girls is true? They only go for the jerks?"

"Of course not!" Lynn responded, having heard that. "Not all girls are the same. And I'm sure that whoever did that had a good reason to."

Mew then reminded them of something important, "Reminder that you guys still have thirty seconds to answer." He pointed to the clock, showing that it was on nineteen seconds.

The Blue Team remained quiet for a couple more seconds, until Lucky asked, "So, is anyone going to confess? We really need the points."

More silence was his response. Eventually, though, Belladonna let out a sigh, "Okay, it was me."

Mew nodded affirmatively, responding, "That is correct. Point seven for the Blue Team."

Portia rose a brow, turning to Belladonna. "Why would you break up with a guy like that?" she asked curiously. "Sounds like a pretty good deal."

Belladonna sighed in response, "Yes, he was a nice guy, but he was _so boring_. He kept doing things for me that I could do myself, and frankly, it got very annoying."

Art stifled a laugh, "Welp, that's women for ya. You're more likely to please them if you're a jackass who barely does things for them. Oh wait, if you _do_ do things for them, they want to do things on their own. But when you give them space, you're neglecting them. But if you give them too much attention, you're clingy…"

All of the girls were glaring at him, with Christine retorting, "Don't you fucking do that. Not all girls are the same and some of us have different ideas of what type of man we'd like to have. Just because Belladonna didn't like her ex-boyfriend's actions doesn't mean all girls wouldn't like it. I swear, guys like you are always clumping all girls into one category…"

"And yet it's fine when you girls do it to us guys?" Art responded. "One guy touches a girl's ass without consent and immediately _all_ men are pigs…"

"Hey, hey, hey. Enough with the dumb social politics. Save it for _after_ the challenge, I'm sure the audience will love it, then," Mew stated, getting their attention, before turning back to the Red Team.

"Alright, Red Team. This one is for one of you," the New Species Pokemon stated as he looked at the next card. " _Which of you is married to a person of the same sex?_ "

Immediately, a few brows were raised, and eyes widened a bit. Kane twitched, wiping his face downward. Everyone started exchanging looks before their eyes went to the Ursaring, as he was the only one confirmed to be married on the team. Kane could feel his teammate's eyes piercing through him as he gazed across the stage, looking at R.J., who was keeping his composure, though he could tell that the Beartic was infuriated that they'd all have to learn this way.

Kane decided to get it over with, but decided to discreet about it at the same time. He cleared his throat before answering, "Yeah, that'd be me…"

Upon learning this, Sasha's eyes widened as she turned to him. Her voice beginning to tremble, she responded, "W-What? Y-You're joking right?"

"Nope Sasha, that is correct. You guys are now up to nine points," Mew responded.

As expected, no one really cared that much. Sure, there were a few questions brewing, but otherwise, everyone took it well. Well, besides Sasha, who was fighting back tears. Kane, seeing her expression, felt a bit bad, but was also a bit relieved that the flirting would stop.

Mew turned back to the Blue Team, a few of the members still a bit surprised by Kane's revelation, before stating. "Alright, it's not that big of a deal. He's still the same guy. Now, let's get back to the questions. Now, which one of you… Uh… Huh… Um… Okay, this one is a bit sensitive, so I can understand if the recipient of this treatment doesn't want to reveal themselves. But… _Which one of you was sexually assaulted by a family member?_ "

There was a collective look of pure shock and horror once that was revealed. Looks of concern washed over all of the contestants' faces before R.J. growled. "Okay, that's fucked up, Mew. Why the hell would you even put that out there if there will probably be thousands of people watching this?!"

"As much as I hate to agree with him, bear boy number two is right," Honey stated. "That's pretty sleazy."

"I let everyone know that it was sensitive information beforehand, meaning that I don't approve of it!" Mew argued back. "Look, I know that it's shitty, and I just said that whoever it happened to doesn't have to say anything."

"Yeah, but now we all know that it _did_ happen," Max deadpanned. "Doesn't exactly make it better. Especially since we didn't really volunteer any of this info…"

Knowing that he wasn't going to hear the end of this, Mew decided to move on. "Okay, fine. I'm not gonna pry any further. And since I just caused such an _uproar_ , I'll give the Blue Team a point anyway."

The Blue Team's score rose up by one, but their looks of annoyance didn't deter. Mew let out a sigh before turning back to the Red Team. Without saying anything beforehand, he posed another question to them. " _Which person's first kiss was with someone of the same sex, as a prank?_ "

Despite their agitation from the previous question, the Red Team exchanged looks as they started talking amongst themselves about who it could be. At least _this_ information wasn't extremely reprehensible.

"Well, I'm out," Kane stated, folding his arms.

"Yes, because it doesn't have to be a prank for you to do that. We know," Honey responded, rolling her eyes. Kane gave her a look as she continued, "Anyways, I'm out since I don't accept pranks and anyone who does so gets punished severely."

"I still don't believe that you're royalty," Tim deadpanned. "So your self-righteousness means nothing." The Vespiquen glared at him in response before he continued, "Anyways, this one is me. My friends got me a bit drunk and sent a Meganium over to me, and it looked and sounded female, so peer pressure got me to make out with them, but apparently, it was a guy that got his antennae shortened at a salon…"

Chip chortled, "Effeminance… Ya gotta love it."

"Thank you for the explanation Tim, you've earned your team another point, bringing you guys up to ten," Mew responded. He turned his attention back to the Blue Team, whose members were still a bit miffed about the previous question. Nevertheless, he carried on, " _Which one of you ran away from home?_ "

"Okay, can _we_ get more dating and friend-related information, please?" R.J. immediately queried. "Why the hell do _they_ get the goofy shit that isn't a big deal, and we get the personal stuff?"

"This is literally information given to me and Victini from _your_ friends, families, or whoever knows you well enough," Mew explained. "You can't blame us."

Art rolled his eyes. "Eh, he has a point, though you still shouldn't have asked for this information to begin with." Mew sighed to himself as Art continued, "Anyways, running away isn't that big a deal unless you're just being a spoiled brat. If there was a valid reasoning behind it, who cares? It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Looks were exchanged as some of the contestants agreed with the Ferrothorn's sentiments. Upon hearing and seeing all of this, R.J. looked down before looking toward the clock. There were only about twelve seconds left. He groaned, "Fine, _I_ was the one who left home. You don't need to know the reason."

"And that's another point for the Blue Team…" Mew announced. There would have been questions regarding R.J.'s reason for leaving home, but knowing that the Beartic would get agitated quickly, his teammates decided against it. Because of this lack of dialogue, Mew turned his attention back to the Red Team, which was still leading by one point so far. "Alright, Red Team, to you guys. _Which one of you had an affair with your 'boss' in order to keep your job?"_

Immediately everyone started exchanging looks once again, with most eyes going immediately to Jessica, who only giggled in response. "How flattering that you all would think that I was _that_ desperate. But, sorry, none of my bosses have really been attractive enough for me to put out for them."

Sasha, despite still being upset and completely demotivated due to Kane's revelation, spoke up softly, "Well, I'm just a housewife, so I don't really have a boss…"

"What abo-"

"If you say my husband, I will smash you through these bleachers," she growled agitatedly, interrupting, while also glaring daggers at the Delibird.

Max immediately gulped in fear, silencing himself before Sasha turned back around in a huff, folding her arms while allowing tears to streak down her cheeks. Kane sighed to himself.

Tim gazed at the clock and smacked his lips, "Okay, we have about nineteen seconds left, so if someone could just admit to this…"

Max cleared his throat. "Well, I'm straight, and my boss in a dude, so no affair for me."

"It's not me either," Tonya responded. "I haven't really had a job."

Chip rolled his eyes, "It's me, for fuck's sake. The kids at my school were bitching and complaining to their parents about how I was _too rough_ with them, and instead of firing me, I just made sure that the principal had a fun time. Something he wasn't getting from his wife…"

Upon hearing that, all eyes went to him now. Max droned, "Uh… Are you gay, too?"

Chip gave him a look. "No, I'm bisexual, _but…_ I do prefer guys more."

Jessica smirked upon hearing that. "How _interesting_ …"

"Yeah, the guys that appear to be hunky and strong like banging other guys more than girls," Belladonna commented. "It sucks…"

Mew, still undeterred by the information, continued. "Eh, it happens. Anyways, Chip earns his team yet another point." He turned back to the Blue Team, who seemed to be lightening back up a bit. "Okay, Blue Team, next question. _Who accidently killed a neighbor's relative with a rubber band?"_

There was silence as their time began once again, with Dade looking around at his fellow contestants before asking, "A-Am I on the right show?"

Christine queried, "How the heck do you even manage to kill someone with something that small?"

"And again, why are _we_ getting the crazy personal stuff?" R.J. repeated with a glare. "We're getting questions about accidental murder, running away, and sexual assault, and all they're getting is 'Haha! Pranked!' and 'You fuck someone you're attracted to, no one cares'. Like, come on!"

"Yeah, it does seem a bit one-sided," Lynn spoke up. "But we've still been getting points."

Art scoffed, "We've _all_ been getting points. We're still gonna lose at this rate because all of this information is either going to be assessed by process of elimination, forced out, or-"

Mew interrupted, "You run out of time, which is close to occuring to you guys as you only have about nineteen seconds remaining."

The members of the Blue Team glanced at the board and immediately looked at each other. Belladonna said, "Well, it can't be me, my information's already been put out there…"

Lynn nodded, responding, "Yes, and by that logic, R.J., and… Whoever the assault happened to, is out as well. I understand that this is going to be difficult to admit for one of you, and you don't have to, but it'd be great if-"

"Crab friend is trembling slightly. Answer obvious now," Zahku responded, gesturing to Lucky.

Lucky immediately started stammering, a blush beginning to form on his face. "Um, uh, you, I…"

Art scoffed, "Of course, given how he always fucks things up with his bad luck, he should've been our first guess. Alright, crab boy, hurry up and admit it."

Lucky sighed, "Ugh… Okay, fine, it-"

The clock ran out just as the Crabominable was about to confess. Mew hissed, "Sorry Blue Team, it's too late. No point."

Lucky groaned in disappointment, as did others on the team. R.J. gave the Crabominable a look, "How the fuck did you even manage to kill someone with a rubber band?"

Lucky explained, "I, uh… I made my neighbors a dish to welcome them. Somehow a rubber band got into the food, and apparently one of his family members was deathly allergic to latex, so… When they ate it…"

"So… Did you spend any time in jail?" Honey queried. "Pretty sure that's manslaughter, so…"

Lucky responded, "Apparently, the court took my bad luck streak into account and the jury sympathized with me, knowing that I didn't mean anyone any harm. The defense tried to argue that I was just making excuses, but when a metal crate fell through the roof and landed on me, my point was proven."

"So they let you go because they saw your bad luck. Interesting," Max commented. "Guess your bad luck was good luck that time."

"No, not really. A lot of people still saw it as a hoax and said that I had it planned. Plus, I still got beat up by different members of the family…" he explained.

"Great story, but it's a bit too late for all of that," Art responded. "You just cost us a point."

Dade responded immediately, "Because _you guys_ started complaining about how it was unfair that we had to answer for more 'personal' stuff than the other team, and then you started trying to reason who it could be."

"And yet he still could have spoken up earlier, but he didn't. So, your logic is flawed," Art deadpanned. The Ferrothorn turned back to Mew. "Now, can you carry on with the questions so we can get this embarrassing shit over with?"

Mew nodded, "Yeah, sure." The feline turned back to the Red Team, whose members were looking happy that their lead was extended a tad bit. "Alright, to the Red Team… _Which one of you struggled with drug use at a young age due to poor parental supervision_?"

"Finally!" R.J. shouted, causing all eyes to go t him. He cleared his throat before folding his arms.

The Red Team members looked at each other once again, with the ones who have already responded to their information, looking at the others. Tim stated, "Y'know, I wouldn't be surprised if drugs were the cause of Honey's bitchy behavior."

"Oh, go fuck yourself, fa-" the Vespiquen stopped herself upon receiving a glare from both Chip and Kane, as well as one from R.J., though it wasn't noticed.

"What's that?" Tim teased, knowing that she was stuck. The Vespiquen growled at him.

"I'll just make it easy and say it was me," Tonya spoke up. "Not gonna go into it, but yeah, that's me."

The others were surprised, as they were now confused as to whether or not her need to speak and move fast were a result of the drugs or her actual species.

"That's another point for the Red Team," Mew responded. "We're already back over to the Team of Blue."

"Oh joy…" Christine drawled.

Mew responded sarcastically, "I know, right?" He let out a sigh, " _Who was tricked into conducting music for a pornographic website?"_

All eyes immediately went to Christine as soon as they heard that music was involved. The Kricketune, of course, was blushing out of embarrassment. "Yes, but I didn't even know. I just got an email from a business claiming that they needed someone to create an electronic and 'pop-y' soundtrack. I got 2,000 Pokédollars for it."

"Meh, money is money," Art shrugged. "No shame in it."

"Yeah. I mean, it may not be _where_ you want some of your work to be known, but it'll be known, nonetheless," Lynn chirped with a smile.

R.J. scoffed, "Yeah, sorry, but I doubt that people who go on porn sites go there to listen to the music… It's still impressive, though."

"Right you are, R.J.," Mew spoke up. "In both aspects. Now, back to the Red Team."

Chip groaned, "Are we really gonna keep doing this? It's starting to become obvious which information belongs to who since you're not sharing more than one piece of info per person. And we're all owning up to our own info, excluding the sexual assault, which you just gave the other team a pity point for."

Max shrugged, "He's got a point. The challenge is getting kinda redundant since we're all just admitting to one thing that we did or had happen to us… And there's only fifteen."

Mew hummed to himself before turning to the Blue Team. "Well, that raises a good point. They have a good lead, and even if you all own up to all of the remaining information, they'll still win."

"Yeah, of course they're still gonna win because there is no right or wrong answer or passing like in the first round," Dade explained. "Honey complained that Victini was adding a bit of flair and suspense when he told us if we were right or not, and now the setup is completely different to make up for it."

"Oh don't you blame this on me, bush boy," Honey scoffed. "It's not my fault that instead of just implementing a punishment like a _normal_ host, he changed the entire thing!"

Mew let out a sigh, "Well, uh… You guys will come to learn that Victini is rather… _Eccentric_. So, what other hosts _may_ do that make sense… Don't expect it here. Heck, _I_ was the one who suggested that we just implement a punishment wheel, but he thought that it'd be 'more interesting' for all of us to learn more about you."

"So, wait, is the challenge over or not?" Lucky queried, confused as to where the conversation was going.

Mew nodded affirmatively, having agreed with Chip and Max's points. "Yes, it is over and the Red Team emerges victorious once again!"

The Red Team cheered, though it was undermined by the fact that R.J. growled, "Oh, so that's it? Only a select few of us, overall, get our private business revealed on live television, and most of it came from our team? Bullshit!"

Jessica giggled, "Yes, it _is_ rather unfortunate, _but_ the challenge is over, so-"

Suddenly, as if on cue, Victini teleported into the scene. The rabbit-fox's expression was that of annoyance, mixed with interest. He cleared his throat, "Well, it's good to know that Mew still caves in to other people's requests rather easily." He gave Mew a look of annoyance, only for the feline to roll his eyes.

He clasped his hands together, looking at the contestants. "Now, while the Red Team emerges victorious this time around, I find that R.J. makes a valid point with regards to you guys' information being exposed the way it was."

This response garnered looks of confusion from the competitors, who were unsure about where he was going with this. The Victory Pokemon continued, "And so… I've decided to go ahead and fairly give out the remaining six pieces of information that we collected."

Immediately, there were shouts of protest from those whose secrets weren't revealed just yet. Victini took the cards from from before clearing his throat as the protests continued. "Let's see… Honey made out with her cousin unknowingly. Dade pees on himself in self-defense. Jessica worked undercover to bust a prostitution ring. Lynn was in an abusive relationship and nearly killed the guy. Sasha ate laundry detergent when she felt vulnerable and ignored, and… Art grew up watching shows catered to girls."

Everyone was glaring daggers at the Victory Pokemon now. That was a complete dick move on his part and he knew it. He let out a sigh of relief, "There. Everything better?"

A collective response of "NO!" was given.

Victini chuckled, "Yeah, I was being sarcastic. But seriously, it's not that big of a deal. I'm pretty sure a lot of people have had some of these same things occur. If anything, this may make you all more relatable to the audience."

"Doubt it," Tonya stated.

"And you missed Zahku, Portia, and Max," Lucky added.

Victini sighed, rolling his eyes, "Max, sad to say, has no living family and none of his neighbors know anything about him, so he's still an enigma to us. And… I think the same goes for Zahku, since apparently he lives in a mountain, we don't know about his family, and no one knows anything about him, either."

"Great… We have two nobodies," Honey deadpanned.

"Wait… So that means…" Belladonna began before turning to Portia, but she was nowhere to be found. She sighed, looking down. Now she understood why she was so uncomfortable talking about _those_ subjects.

"Alright, Blue Team, we'll be seeing you all at elimination tonight," Victini stated.

 **000**

Portia was sitting on the edge of the cliff, hands in her lap as tears streamed down her face. She came to the show to just try and have fun, maybe make some new friends, and forget all about what happened to her when she was younger, but that apparently was too much to ask. Now everyone on the island that could use context clues knew about it, as well as thousands of people that were watching.

She could hear footsteps approaching behind her, immediately causing her to wipe her tears away, though more replaced them soon after.

"...Portia?"

She recognized the voice as Belladonna's, but didn't respond to her, not wanting to talk about it. She heard the Golem steadily approach her, eventually taking a seat next to her on the edge of the cliff.

"Are you… Doing okay?" the Megaton Pokemon queried before letting out a sigh. "I… I honestly don't know what to say. Just… What happened to you was just fucking awful and… Now I get why you _really_ don't like 'sexual talks'."

Portia wiped her face. "Thanks… But I'd like it if we didn't talk about it. It was in my past and I just want to forget that it ever happened. Please."

Belladonna nodded, "Okay. But… Just know that if you ever need to talk about _anything…_ I'm here for you." She rose up, patting the Rhyperior's side before heading back.

 **000**

In the mess hall, everyone was unusually silent. Rather than using words, almost everyone was looking at each other awkwardly from the corners of their eyes. Max, having been relatively unaffected, turned to Tim, who was looking down at his dinner box.

"Uh… Any particular reason why you guys are all quiet?" the Delibird queried in confusion.

Tim let out a sigh, "I… Honestly don't even know. I was just being quiet because everyone else was…"

A few moments later, another breath of relief was heard as a few of the players turned to Art, who let out the breath. " _Finally_ , I was waiting on someone to say something. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you people?"

"We just had our personal information exposed on national television," Honey tonelessly responded, glaring at the Ferrothorn. "I fail to see how one would happily carry on a conversation after that."

Art offered a simple solution, suggesting, "By not giving a fuck about it. Most of the bullshit that they 'exposed' either happened years ago or doesn't matter in the slightest."

Tonya rose a brow, replying, "I thought that you were in agreement that th-they shouldn't have gotten the i-information in the first p-place."

"Yeah, they're still cunts for it, but there's no point in complaining since it's all out in the open now," the Thorn Pod Pokemon explained. "And based on what I heard… only a few of you guys' information is even remotely excruciatingly awful. So, suck it up."

Everyone exchanged looks after hearing Art's view on the situation. On one hand, they agreed that lingering on the situation would accomplish nothing, and the other hand, they still hated that it happened to begin with, and now the others had ammunition if anyone wanted to fling insults back and forth.

The contestants began talking to each other normally once again, some wondering about their 'situations', and others choosing to ignore the fact that it happened.

 **-000-**

Tim cleared his throat as he awkwardly looked down at his dinner box, which was full of macaroni, peas, and a piece of chicken. He felt slightly embarrassed now that Lynn knew that he had made out with a dude, but hearing about her past abusive relationship made him curious and rather worried, considering that she apparently nearly killed the guy.

He didn't even know if she wanted to talk about it, as she hadn't uttered a word since they started talking again. Nevertheless, he decided to talk about it a bit, "So… Uh… Lynn, what happened with that guy in your previous relationship? How much of a cunt was he?"

Lynn let out a sigh in response. She didn't really feel like explaining the situation, but now that everyone knew anyway, it didn't matter. She explained, "He didn't let me do anything, acted like I was just his fuck-toy who should just cook and clean, and beat me whenever I did something accidentally or something he didn't like. When I told him that I was done with him, he threatened to kill me. One day, I was tired, so I didn't do anything, and he started hitting me. I grabbed a knife and stabbed him a few times and ran out of the house, then had a neighbor call the police. Haven't heard from the bastard since."

Tim, Max, and Christine were all completely taken aback by this story as Lynn went back to eating. Christine smiled, "Well, that's good. No guy should his hands on you unless it's out of _actual_ love."

"I… I'm sorry that happened," Tim stated, looking down.

Lynn giggled, lifting up the Tropius' head with a vine. "It's okay. It happened over five years ago. I'm over it." She moved the vine from his head as a small smile grew on Tim's face.

Max soon spoke up, "So, Tim, tell us a bit more about the guy you made out with…"

The smile on the Tropius' face immediately diminished, being replaced by an annoyed frown. He turned to Max, "Seriously, dude?"

"No, no… I agree," Lynn responded with a smile on her face. "Let's here a bit more about this kiss…"

Tim blushed immediately as he gulped in nervousness.

 **-000-**

Honey growled as she looked over at Chip and Jessica, who were willingly sitting together. She still couldn't get over the fact that he was _actually_ intelligent. It just seemed too unlikely. She couldn't care less about all of the information that was strewn about during the second round.

Seeing her disgruntled expression and fixation, Tonya speculated, "You're s-still annoyed that Chip is actually a bit smart, aren't you?"

The Vespiquen glared at the Accelgor before letting out a sigh. "Yes, I hate it. If I had known that the bastard was smart, I wouldn't have helped him stay in the game! We need to get rid of him as soon as possible." She turned and saw Sasha staring at Kane with hurt in her eyes. "Sasha!"

The Nidoqueen, lied her head down against the table before turning back to face her. "What?"

Honey harshly queried, "Did you or did you not hear what I just said? Or were you too busy gawking at the gay guy who isn't attracted to you in the slightest?"

Sasha didn't respond, though her misery was still evident. Tonya sighed, "I don't think that helps…"

"Look, we just need to make sure that Chip is out of here as soon as possible. The sooner it happens, the safer we'll be," Honey reasoned.

Sasha grumbled, "Just because he knows trivial things doesn't mean he's a major threat. Most of the questions were just things that tons of people know if they took the same kinds of classes that he did."

"Oh, so you just want to completely disregard the way that he spoke during the day?" Honey queried. "Plus, he practically insinuated that he knew more than he was leading on. Get the Ursaring's dick out of your head and maybe use your brain's full capacity."

The Vespiquen began heading out of the mess hall, with Sasha glowering at her and Tonya sighing to herself.

 **000**

" **Okay, if Honey keeps this up, I am** _ **definitely**_ **up for getting rid of her…" Sasha growled.**

 **000**

" **Just… No comment," Tonya responded.**

 **000**

Dade, Lucky, and Zahku were sitting at their table scoping out the others. Dade smacked his lips as he looked around, "So, who do you think the others are going to be voting for?"

"I honestly think that they're gonna vote for R.J. this time," Lucky said with a chuckle. "He's the one who complained that everyone's info wasn't revealed, so they may get rid of him as payback."

Dade nodded, "Yeah, that makes sense, but I thought that we decided not to vote for him since him being good at challenges makes it more likely for us not to lose."

"Well, it not white bear man fault that second round go poorly," Zahku responded. "If Zahku could suggest, he say we go for music lady. No real use."

"We're going with the majority, remember?" Dade reminded. "And Zahku, you're the one who said that there's no point in eliminating people that were doing well. Doesn't Christine count?"

"She do well, but no real impact," Zahku explained. "Zahku understands hypocrisy, though."

"Okay, why don't we just ask Lynn and Christine who they're voting for and go from there?" Dade queried. "Lynn is practically the team leader and Christine goes along with her, so it works."

Lucky and Zahku shrugged before beginning to leave the mess hall, with Dade following suit a few minutes later.

"BLUE TEAM! REPORT TO THE ELIMINATION AREA! IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO LOSE ANOTHER PLAYER!"

 **000**

The Blue Team made their way to the beach, which was littered with more leaves and sticks from the nearby trees. They each took a seat on the metal benches as the fire illuminated the area with a bright orange color.

Mew and Victini approached, the former once again holding the large chip bag. Victini enthusiastically addressed them, "Welcome to your second elimination ceremony, Blue Team. I hope you all enjoyed today's challenge…"

"Bite me," R.J. snapped.

"No thank you," Victini responded with his same enthusiasm. "And might I say, you all must be _very_ thankful that none of you were unknowingly pranked by Marley."

Art huffed, "I didn't buy that dumb monkey bitch's threat from the moment I heard it."

"Riiight, right," Victini nodded. "Anywho, let's get this show on the road shall we. You all should know how this goes. If I call your name, you get a bag of chips. If you don't, you get eliminated."

The teammates exchanged looks of unsurety before their names began being called.

"Portia, Belladonna…" Victini stated as their bags were tossed to them. Belladonna caught hers, while Portia just let hers hit her.

"Christine, Lynn, and Zahku…" he continued, as Mew tossed the three of them their bags.

Art, Dade, R.J., and Lucky were left. R.J. grew a bit nervous as he glanced to Art, who looked rather calm. He couldn't be in the bottom for a second time could he? He was given his answer as Victini called the next two names.

"Art… Dade, you two are also safe," Victini said as Mew tossed the bags. Art's once again hit him before sliding off of his face, while Dade's knocked him off of the bleachers.

R.J. swallowed in fear, as did Lucky, who was surprised that he was in the bottom as well. Victini continued, "Alright, and the last bag of the night goes to…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

...R.J."

Upon hearing his name be called, a wave of relief washed over the Freezing Pokemon's body as he let out a breath and caught his bag.

"W-Wait… Why'd you guys vote me out? I thought you said that you were eliminating R.J.?" the Crabominable queried, looking at Lynn and Christine.

Lynn let out a sigh. "Listen Lucky, you're a great guy, but with your poor luck, I'm not so sure how long you'd last."

"Plus, you cost us a point in a challenge, so that's something," Art responded with a shrug.

Lucky groaned, "Great, once again my stupid luck screws me over."

"Well, actually…" Mew began. "Since you're now eliminated, we can get rid of your curse for you like you asked."

Lucky gasped, as the fact that his curse would be removed upon elimination vanished from his mind, "That's right!"

"Yep," Victini nodded. "So…"

Both Mew and Victini grabbed onto Lucky, with a purple aura surrounding him. The Crabominable felt a tingling sensation before eventually being let go.

Mew dusted his hands, saying, "And… There you go. You're curse free."

A Lapras swam up to the beach in order to pick up the loser of the night. Lucky, despite being now curse free, let out a sigh.

"Well, I guess… See you guys around," he responded sadly.

"Later dude," Dade responded, sadness in her voice. Zahku simply waved without saying a word.

The Crabominable climbed onto the Lapras before it swam away, luckily enough, not getting hit with or attacked by anything.

"Alright Blue Team, head on back. We'll catch up with you tomorrow," Victini directed as the contestants started heading back.

As they exited the shot, Mew and Victini faced the camera. "And as luck would have it, Lucky is the fourth one eliminated. _And_ , we learned a bit about each of our remaining competitors."

"Even though the methods _were_ a bit iffy," Mew added, causing Victini to roll his eyes.

"Sure, they may be upset at us, but they'll get over it soon enough," Victini said. "Anyways, tune in next time to see what happens on our Island Challenge!"

 **000**

" **Bad luck boy needs to go," Art stated.**

 **000**

 **Belladonna hummed, "I guess Lucky has a bigger reason to be eliminated…"**

 **000**

 **Christine sighed, "Well, I guess Lucky will be fine."**

 **000**

" **Christine and Lynn said that they were voting for R.J., so… I guess they're telling the others to do the same," Dade said, unsure.**

 **000**

" **I know we said that we weren't, but… I guess R.J.** _ **is**_ **tonight's pick," Lucky said.**

 **000**

 **Lynn smacked her lips, "He makes a good point… And it'll be better for the team, so I guess Lucky can go."**

 **000**

 **Portia simply sighed, not placing a vote.**

 **000**

" **That damn crab is getting out of here," R.J. stated.**

 **000**

" **Polar bear man…" Zahku stated tonelessly.**

 **000**

 _ **Votes:**_

 _ **Lucky - 5 votes (Art, Belladonna, Christine, Lynn, R.J.)**_

 _ **R.J. - 3 votes (Dade, Lucky, Zahku)**_

 _ **No vote - (Portia)**_

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 _ **Red Team - (Chip, Honey, Jessica, Kane, Max, Sasha, Tim, Tonya)**_

 _ **Blue Team - (Art, Belladonna, Christine, Dade, Lynn, Portia, R.J., Zahku)**_

 **000**

 **And now Lucky is gone. He wasn't going to last long with his poor luck. But hey, he's completely fine now, so maybe he'll have a great remainder of his life. We learned quite a bit about the contestants. Well, mainly one thing that happened in their pasts, and now we know why Portia** _ **hates**_ **sex talks. Hopefully she doesn't become the first sad sack that gets herself eliminated. And we also have the first glimpse of Victini slowly becoming a bit of a jerk. Anyways, if you read this, I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time on Total… Pokemon… Zero! See ya guys, BYE!**

 **000**

 _ **Elimination Order**_ **:**

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)**_

 _ **19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)**_

 _ **18th - Marley Banner (The Pranking Prodigy)**_

 _ **17th - Lawrence "Lucky" Addams (The Unlucky Charm)**_


	6. Kara-Poké

**Whatever…**

 **000**

Following their team's second ceremony, the Blue Team headed back to their cabin once again. However, unlike the night prior, no one from the opposite team came to them, nor did anyone immediately venture out. With Lucky's elimination, a majority of the players on the team felt that their chances for victory ascended.

In the guys' side of the cabin, Dade let out a sigh as he flopped in his bunk. While he was glad that Lucky's curse was lifted due to his elimination, he was still going to miss his company. "I can't believe Lucky's gone already…"

R.J. huffed with a sneer, "I can. Dude was pretty useless because of his crappy luck. Well, he was still useless despite it, but you get what I'm saying."

Dade immediately came to the Crabominable's defense, explaining, "Hey, we still won the first two challenges with him here. And his bad luck wasn't that big of a deal in the challenges that we lost, either. The only things that happened were that he got hit in the head by things that distracted him, and he didn't even do anything wrong in the last challenge because it was practically set up for us to fail."

Art shrugged off the Burmy's argument as he climbed onto his bunk. "Well, none of that really matters because he's gone, now. Right?"

Hearing this, Dade groaned internally. He didn't know why he expected either of them to care about Lucky. "Whatever…"

R.J. clasped his hands together, "Well, I'm getting out of here. Don't wait up."

"Zahku didn't plan to," the Makuhita deadpanned, eliciting a soft chuckle from Art.

R.J., as one could expect, wasn't as amused as he simply proceeded out of the cabin. With the Beartic gone, Dade figured that this was a perfect time to talk to Art about what he, Lucky, and Zahku knew. However, instead of outright admitting that they knew, Dade decided to toss the Ferrothorn a question as he began his nightly attempt to get into a comfortable position, which was difficult for him due to his spikes.

Dade scoffed, "Where does he even go? He didn't come in yesterday and he wasn't back this morning." He glanced over to Art, awaiting a possible response.

Luckily for him, the Thorn Pod Pokemon responded, "Meh, who cares? He's a grown male; he can take care of himself."

Dade hummed, "Are you certain that he's not in any type of _allegiance_ with anyone else? I mean, he doesn't really have a reason to leave the cabin... _Does he_?"

Art gave him a look of annoyance. "And... How would I know anything about that if it's true?"

"Spike man and polar bear man converse and act similar," Zahku stated. "Assume two are well acquainted."

The Ferrothorn gave the Makuhita a look of indifference. "So because we've spoken normally and on a semi-regular basis, you assume that I know everything about him and what he does?"

Dade smacked his lips. "Uh… Not entirely, but you guys _are_ more likely to partner up with each other than with the rest of us, so…"

Art groaned, rolling his eyes, "Listen, I don't know where he goes, and frankly, as long as he's back to help us out in the challenges, I don't care. Now, I gonna try to go to bed, and I'd prefer it if I _wasn't_ pestered."

As the cynical Ferrothorn started adjusting himself, Dade noticed Zahku gesturing to him. Understanding what he was getting at, the Burmy cleared his throat once again. "Actually Art, I think that pestering you with this bit of information will be beneficial for all of us."

Upon hearing that, Art rose a brow in interest. He knew that the Burmy was intelligent is some way, but he didn't really believe that he had any truly worthwhile information. Nevertheless, he let out an exasperated sigh before turning back toward him. "Fine. What is this'beneficial' information of yours?"

Dade chortled, "Well, you probably won't believe it, but… R.J. and Kane are gay together."

Art's eyes widened briefly. How the hell did he, and by extension, Zahku, know about those two? Due to the way the Bagworm Pokemon presented the information to him, it was obvious that he didn't know that he already knew of the couple's relationship. Now, he just needed to make it seem like he didn't believe them to avoid the conversation continuing.

With a huff, he responded tonelessly. "Really? You expect me to believe that _that_ guy is gay for Kane? Seriously?"

Expecting this response, Dade explained, "This morning, we saw him sleeping on top of Kane in the middle of the field. Kane had his hand on his back and was rubbing it like he was comfortable with it. _And_ we just learned that Kane was gay! It makes complete sense!"

Art could only scorn the couple's actions mentally. Sleeping out in the open was beyond idiotic if their goal was to keep their relationship under wraps. The Ferrothorn rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure it does."

Dade groaned, growing annoyed by his attitude. "Well even if you don't believe us, can you at least keep a closer eye on him. He could possibly turn on us and we could eliminate him before that happens."

Art let out a groan, rolling his eyes once more. "Fine. I'll humor you. I'll watch over him and make sure that there's no _hanky-panky_ going on…"

Dade deadpanned, "I can't tell if you're being serious or just mocking us…"

Art responded bluntly, "I'll do it, now leave me alone."

As he turned back around to face the wall, Dade and Zahku exchanged looks of accomplishment. Meanwhile, Art was trying to conduct a plan that would get rid of the two, as he knew that elimination would be the first thing R.J. demanded for them.

 **000**

 **Art groaned, "Idiots! If you're trying** _ **not**_ **to have your relationship exposed, the best thing to do is** _ **not**_ **engage in activities couples do. ESPECIALLY SLEEPING TOGETHER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAMN GLADE!"**

 **000**

Tim was inside of the Red Team's cabin with the other guys on his team. With the information from the challenge still fresh on his mind, he found himself becoming curious about his fellow male teammates. There was a bit of silence in the guys' side of the cabin, before the Tropius decided to speak up. "So, Kane is gay and Chip is half-gay… Never would have expected that."

Kane shrugged, "Yeah, lots of people don't expect it. Apparently all gay guys need act feminine, flirty, and have an intense craving for a guy's privates in order to be easily identified as such."

Chip chuckled as he lied down in his bunk with a groan, "Yep. Stereotypes are the only way people know how to identify someone within seconds… Anyone that doesn't sync up with those stereotypes either isn't a part of the group or just an 'exception'."

Tim nodded, "Yeah, some people are just the worst." Clearing his throat, he proceeded with his next question. "So, uh… What types of guys are _you_ guys into?"

Kane and Chip exchanged looks of confusion, while Max simply sighed, holding his head. Tim, noticing their expressions, grew perplexed. "What?"

"May wanna rephrase that. Your emphasis makes you sound like you're into guys, too," Max explained, patting the Tropius' head from the bunk above his.

Tim blushed, hearing his mistake. "Oh… Uh… Huh…"

Noticing his change in attitude, Kane chortled, "No, no, I understood what you were getting at. I was just wondering what the sudden interest was."

Tim responded with a sheepish chuckle before clearing his throat, "Well, I was just curious as to what types of guys are usually on your radars. Well, speaking as if you _weren't_ already married, of course."

Chip sat up with a grunt upon being posed the question. "Well," he began. "I'm into strong or generally muscular guys. Cute guys are generally on my radar, too."

Tim nodded in understanding, "Okay. and what about personalities? Do they matter?"

Chip shrugged in response. "As long as they're not a complete jackass, an idiot, or a bore, I'm fine," he replied before lying back down and rolling onto his side to face the wall.

Max rose a brow, "Well, you got an answer."

"As for me…" Kane began. "I just like guys that have a personality that I can get behind. If I can feel a connection, then he's good in my eyes. No illegal bullshit is also a plus."

"Of course," Tim reasoned. "So, what about your husband? How's he like?"

Kane sweatdropped, rubbing the back of his head with a chuckle. "Well, he's pretty complex. Sometimes he's sweet, other times he's aggressive, other times he's an 'ass'. But, I still love him the same."

Max decided to add to the conversation, getting a bit more practice, "How'd you meet your husband anyway? I'm always kinda confused with how some people meet and just begin having a relationship."

Kane explained, "We met in high school. He had some _issues_ , we started talking, and we started getting into each other. Eventually, he even moved in with me."

Tim was surprised to hear that. "During high school? Your parents were completely fine with your boyfriend moving in during your high school days?"

Kane awkwardly cleared his throat before scratching his head, his tone turning rather somber. "Actually, uh… My parents died in a plane crash, and… I had to take care of myself. Well, _we_ had to take care of ourselves…"

"Oh… Uh… Sorry for asking," Tim apologized.

Kane chuckled, "It's fine. It happened fourteen years ago. It sucks, but I'm over it… Sorta." He let out a breath, "Well, I'm gonna head out. Talk to you guys later."

As the Ursaring headed toward the door, Max quickly stopped him with a question. "Wait! Where are you going? It's the middle of the night."

Kane's eyes widened. "Uh… Well-"

"Yeah, and speaking of, where were you this morning? You weren't in bed," Tim added. " _And_ the blankets and pillows were gone."

Kane remained silent, trying to process what his response was going to be. He and R.J. had an agreement that if anyone found out about their marriage, that it wouldn't really matter. And considering that he couldn't really think of a reasonable explanation, he would probably have to tell them the truth.

He took his paw off of the door and let out a sigh. "Fine," he stated as he leaned against the wall. He took a breath before explaining, "R.J. is my husband. Okay?"

Tim and Max were completely surprised, their eyes widening in shock. Meanwhile, Chip immediately sat back up upon hearing that revelation, requesting, "Uh, could you _repeat_ that?"

Kane groaned, "R.J. and I are married. There is no 'secret alliance', we're not working together, we spend most of our time together outside of challenges."

Chip rose a brow, "I honestly would have never pictured you with a guy like him. I'd think that you would be with someone… _Smaller_. Maybe more feminine."

Kane chuckled. "Trust me, those types of guys have come around me, but R.J. makes sure that they know I'm his." He gave them all pleasantly surprised looks, "Y'know, I thought you guys would be more upset or suspicious, but you're not. So, thanks…"

Tim rose a brow, "Why would we be upset or suspicious?"

Max answered it easily, "Because in other shows like this, when people find out about a relationship between people on two different teams, they immediately suspect that they're working together, trading information, etcetera."

Kane pointed to Max with a nod, "Exactly."

"Hell, as long as you aren't doing any of that, it doesn't matter to me," Chip nonchalantly responded before lying back down. He sat back up a few seconds later to pose a question to the Hibernator Pokemon. "Wait, are you a top, bottom, or vers?"

Kane narrowed his eyes at the Machamp, while Max and Tim exchanged looks of confusion.

 **000**

 **Kane let out a sigh, "Well, now the guys on my team know about us. Hopefully Rich isn't pissy about it since** _ **he**_ **was the one who said he didn't care if anyone found out."**

 **000**

 **Chip chuckled, "I'm pleasantly surprised by Kane's confession. Not only does it give me more to work with in regards to my alliance with Jessica, I can probably get some guy advice from him. I get my chick advice from my dad and gym buds, anyway."**

 **000**

R.J. was impatiently tapping his foot in the middle of the glade. A shudder ran down his spine as he stood in the darkness, surrounded by trees. The sounds of Hoothoot hooting and the rustling of leaves and bushes due to the cool breeze was making him very anxious. In the back of his mind, he was cursing to himself, knowing that he should have just waited until he saw Kane leave his cabin first.

Speaking of Kane, the Ursaring acted odd earlier when he mentioned that he didn't like PDA unless _he_ was the one who initiated it. It was almost as if he was frustrated or upset. He really hoped that he didn't annoy him. Secretly, the Beartic really liked how spontaneous his husband was, but he just couldn't help but feel embarrassed and worried about being seen as a girly man like people already saw gay guys as.

As he let out a sigh, he heard more rustling coming from a few bushes, causing him to jump. Soon enough, he heard the crunching of grass, and eventually he saw a familiar figure approaching him.

"Hey babe," Kane greeted as he walked up to him.

R.J. immediately let out a sigh of relief before hugging the Ursaring and kissing him. Kane was surprised, but accepted the kiss as R.J. broke it, "From now on, I'm waiting for _you_ to come here first."

Kane chuckled, "Aww… Was someone afraid?"

R.J. glared at him. "Don't start with me," he responded as he took a seat on their blanket. "What took you so long anyway?"

Not wanting to stall or lie, Kane gave it to him straight. He took a seat with a grunt, "I told the guys on my team about us…"

Not expecting to hear that, the Beartic's eyes widened as he growled, "You _what_!? Why!?"

Kane knew deep down that he'd respond this way, so he responded, "Because, we decided that we didn't give a shit if people found out, so it makes shit a bit easier now that they know I'm gay. Plus, due to the fact that I was absent from the cabin this morning and the blankets and pillows were missing from a couple of the beds, the guys started asking me where I was and there was no explanation that I could come up with that sounded reasonable."

R.J. groaned to himself. He was annoyed that Kane just outright told others instead of them just being caught. Though, as he thought about it, just being caught would have been annoying to deal with. After a few seconds, the Beartic scooted closer to the Ursaring, resting his head against his.

A small smile came to Kane's face, as R.J. was actually being mature about the situation rather than just yelling at him as he normally would. The Beartic asked, "So, how'd they take it?"

"They were… Surprisingly okay with it. They didn't really care as long as we weren't planning or doing any alliance BS," Kane explained. He groaned as he lied on his back, resting his head on one of the pillows.

R.J. gave him a small smile before letting out a breath, "Well, it's good to know that _some_ of the people on your team don't really care. Now we just have to work on letting everyone know."

Kane shrugged as R.J. lied down beside him. He rolled over, spooning the Beartic, before responding, "We can just let everyone know tomorrow. That way, this is out in the open and we can do whatever we want."

They momentarily locked lips before lying back down in order to sleep.

 **000**

Portia was lying in her bed, facing away from the others. She knew by now that everyone knew about her issue, and she didn't want to hear anything about it. She didn't want to be reminded of it and she didn't want any pity from anyone.

However, much to her surprise, none of them said anything to her while she was there. This was perfectly fine by her, as it allowed her to drift off into a deep slumber.

Lynn, Christine, and Belladonna had simply remained silent in the cabin, not knowing whether or not they should talk about the Rhyperior's experience. Once they felt that she was sound asleep, they began whispering to each other.

Christine queried, "Do you think we should talk to her? Let her know that we're here for her?"

Belladonna immediately shook her head. "No, no, no. Portia told me that she didn't want to talk about it and just wants to forget about it completely."

Christine was surprised by that response, "What?! Something like this doesn't just disappear into thin air. It's serious!" The Kricketune turned to Lynn, wanting her to weigh in. "What do you think, Lynn?"

Not expecting to be put on the spot, the Gogoat simply sighed, "Well, I certainly feel bad for her, but if she doesn't want to talk about it, we can't really force her to. We don't even know _when_ it happened to her; it could have happened _years_ ago. Plus, she was perfectly fine up until the second round of the challenge."

Christine retorted, "Well, if she's suddenly behaving differently after it resurfaces, then it obviously still bothers her. We should help her get over it. Fighting against it will only make things worse."

Lynn shook her head, "If anything, she's mainly upset that it was revealed on national television. She's shown signs that she's moved on from it already. The memory of it alone _mixed_ with that situation is what likely has her upset."

Belladonna chimed in, "Yeah, I think that's it, too. She doesn't want to talk about it and just wants to forget about it again, so let's just leave it alone. If she's still showing signs of sadness by tomorrow, _then_ maybe we talk to her. If she's fine, we just move on."

Lynn nodded in agreement, while Christine looked rather disappointed. The Kricketune let out a sigh, "Fine… We'll leave her alone for now."

"Good," Lynn chirped. "Now, let's get some sleep. This is our second loss in a row and I do _not_ want to go for three…"

"Agreed," Belladonna nodded.

The Cricket Pokemon sighed to herself, still disagreeing with their choice.

 **000**

" **I'm sorry, but just letting someone ignore and 'move on' from their sexual assault is a horrible idea. A family friend was assaulted and she told us not to worry about it. Later on down the line, she started showing signs of PTSD, and eventually she just ended up committing suicide!" Christine exclaimed. "I haven't taken anything like that lightly since."**

 **000**

The next morning, Jessica yawned as she woke up. Her eyes flickered open as she floated up, her blanket draping off of her. Looking around, she saw that neither Sasha nor Honey were awake. Much to her surprise, Tonya was missing from her bed. She usually woke up at the same time as the others, so this was peculiar.

Jessica floated out of bed and headed toward the door, curious to see where the Accelgor went so early. It could be beneficial to have her alone in order to discuss why she should betray Honey and work with her and Chip.

As she exited the cabin, she saw Tim exit from the guys' side and greeted him with a seductive smirk. "Morning, handsome."

Tim sighed in response, not really caring for her company given how uncomfortable she made him. Nevertheless, he responded back, "Morning Jessica…"

The Bruxish continued the conversation, posing a question to the Tropius. "So, have you decided to make a move on Lynn, yet?"

Immediately, the Fruit Pokemon's face turned a faint, crimson color, as he began stammering. "W-W-W-What are you talking about?"

Jessica was unsurprised that he was acting coy, as he seemed like the type to do so. It was fairly obvious, from _her_ point of view, that there was something going on between him and the Gogoat. Bluntly, she stated, "It's obvious that the two of you have some sort of attraction to each other. You two always sit together, talk to each other in your spare time, you two came back to the challenge together and she was wrapped around you…"

Tim's blush grew larger as he looked down in defeat. It really _was_ obvious. Honey even made a big deal out of it because she thought that he was colluding with her. He let out a sigh, "Okay, yes. I like her. What? Are you gonna tell Honey and try to get me kicked off?"

Jessica was surprised by his response, "Now why would I do that? I don't care that you like her. You two could be a good couple. If you haven't already asked her out, it may be wise to do so soon. With Honey already disliking you, _and_ thinking that you may be colluding with her, you could be gone soon."

Tim growled in response. "I still don't see why the hell she's so bitchy to me. I'm usually a quiet guy, but I don't deal with bullshit from people like her."

An idea formed in Jessica's head as their conversation continued, a smirk formed on her lips. "Well, if you want… You can help Chip and I take her out."

A small smile formed on Tim's lips. "I'm listening…"

 **000**

" **Perfect," Jessica giggled.**

 **000**

Tonya had left the cabin earlier to go on a run around the island, mainly to try to get her thoughts in order. She took a break next to a rock in the forest as she begin thinking about her options.

She was pretty much under the radar, with Honey and Sasha being the only ones that spoke to her on a consistent basis. She felt pretty safe under Honey's wing, as there wasn't any reason for her to be targeted, as she mainly _voted_ with the Vespiquen. However, as of late, she has been feeling wary and conflicted about whether or not she should stay in Honey's alliance.

The Vespiquen mostly proved herself to just be an uptight, bossy bitch. She didn't really want to be associated with that type of person, as it was simply getting very annoying to hear her overall complaints and chastising of Sasha.

She let out a sigh, "D-Do I just leave the alliance and vote her out? Or do I jus' wait this out and see how things go?"

She shook her head as she started heading back to the campgrounds. Her mind was still racing, trying to weigh her benefits and drawbacks. As she did so, she unknowingly ran across a tripwire. Having felt something at her 'foot', she stopped and turned back around, noticing the broken tripwire on the ground.

"What the-" She was suddenly interrupted by a swinging log hitting her, sending her flying backwards, only to land on a pile of leaves that fell into the ground, revealing a pit of mud. Emerging from the depths of the thick fluid, the Accelgor quickly ran up and out of the pit, as there was a muddy staircase on the side.

Tonya groaned, holding her head before flicking mud off of herself, "What the hell? Where did this even come from?"

She then thought about it before groaning to herself. "Marley…"

Now suffering from a headache, the Accelgor took her time heading back to the campgrounds, now having to watch out for more possible traps laid by the chimp.

 **000**

 **Now cleaned up, Tonya sighed, "Why did they allow her to keep the pranks on the island if she's eliminated?"**

 **000**

While all of the contestants woke up and started doing to their usual morning business, Mew and Victini were trying to get a few opinions from their fellow legendaries and mythicals. Looking over the challenge list that they had created once again, they saw that they had one too many challenges planned and needed to choose between two that they thought would be equally as popular.

They already had all of the breakfast plates inside of Mew's room, so they decided to go ahead and try to see what the others thought. However, a thought entered Victini's head. Turning to Mew, he asked, "Who should we _really_ ask? I'm pretty sure a lot of the others will just tell us to screw off."

Mew hummed in response, "Well, we can likely ask Rayquaza, Mewtwo, and… Maybe Reshiram and Zekrom. They'll give us straight answers at least."

Victini nodded in agreement, "Yeah, Rayquaza's the second sanest guy here, Mewtwo is essentially your son, so you two have that connec-"

"We're not doing that," Mew deadpanned, "We agreed to refer to each other as just brothers for the most part. We're not doing the parent shit…"

Victini rolled his eyes, "Whatever. As for Reshi and Zek… They're probably the calmest and most rational people in the hall aside from Arceus and Giratina, so I say that we just go to them straight away."

As they floated toward the couple's room, the Victory Pokemon muttered, "Let's just hope that they're decent…"

 **-000-**

The pair of hosts approached the door of the couple's room. Not knowing whether or not the two dragons were canoodling with each other that early, as it happens, Mew decided to knock on the door. After a few seconds, that later, turned to a whole minute, Mew banged on the door a bit harder.

A faint groan could be heard from inside as they waited for one of them to open the door. Soon enough, the door creaked open, revealing a large, black dragon at the door. His red eyes peered down at the two hosts, an indifferent expression etched on his face.

Mew greeted him, "Hey Zekrom. Uh… We were wondering if we could get you and Reshiram's thoughts on which challenge we should do next since our two choices kinda go hand-in-hand."

Zekrom didn't respond initially, but eventually, he took a sharp breath. "Alright…" he responded as he opened the door, allowing the two into his and Reshiram's room.

Upon entering, they looked around, admiring the clean, well kept room. They approached the bed that was sitting against the wall, as a large, white dragoness lied on it. She remained in her same position, her icy blue eyes watching the two as they approached her.

Hearing the door close behind them, they turned back to see Zekrom coming back towards the bed. Seeing this, but still in a bit of a daze, Reshiram yawned as she sat up against the headboard. Zekrom climbed back onto the bed as Reshiram rested her head against him.

Assuming that the two were ready, Victini began, "Uh… Alright. So, we're thinking about doing either a musical challenge-"

"-Or a dancing challenge," Mew finished. "Which do you think the audience will enjoy more?"

The couple exchanged looks with each other before turning back to the two. Zekrom shifted a bit before responding, "Well, dancing competitions as a whole are fading into obscurity, so it may be better to go with the singing challenge."

Reshiram nodded with a sigh, snuggling up to Zekrom a bit more, "Yeah, I agree with that. Plus, dancing competitions are pretty boring. It can be funny at times, but it's viewership has been declining as more music competitions have started. The music industry is growing steadily popular, so just hop on that train."

Hearing the explanation, Mew and Victini smiled to themselves, nodding to each other. The Victory Pokemon turned back to the couple, "Thanks you two. And… Aren't you two supposed to be doing your show, too?"

Mew added, "Yeah, aren't you guys are supposed to be some of the most responsible?"

Zekrom chuckled, "Our next challenge is our finale. So, we're taking a day off to let the finalists get strategies in order."

Mew and Victini were completely shocked. How did they get to the end of their show so quickly? A confused Victini asked, "H-How?! It hasn't even been a full week yet!"

Reshiram giggled with a smug smile as she began explaining how they accomplished such a feat, "Arceus and Giratina let us accept ten players since we hardly ever cause any issues around here. We didn't create teams, we had two challenges happening a day, and the players that did the worst got automatically eliminated."

Zekrom chuckled, "Yep, we just wanted to get this done quickly. We may do another one, we may not; it depends on how we feel."

Mew scoffed, "Lazy. The only thing you guys do most of the time is just lie here, sleep, have sex, or watch TV."

Zekrom simply shrugged with a smile as a smirk formed on Reshiram's face once again. The hosts decided to go ahead and leave, having got their answer.

 **000**

Back on Jeje-Amawa Island, a fair amount of the contestants were heading to the mess hall, knowing that the hosts would be there soon.

Kane and R.J. entered, with the latter letting out a yawn of exhaustion. The couple walked over to their usual table, with Art giving the two a look of agitation. As they sat down, R.J. rose a brow. "What's with you? Sackboy and Leafy keep you up with incoherent nerd jargon?"

Art began, peering over at another table and seeing Dade and Zahku looking at them. "No… But they _did_ give me some information that I found quite… _Questionable_ …" he whispered.

Kane chuckled, whispering back, "That sounds interesting."

"Yeah… Apparently by snooping around in the forest, they found out about you two…" Art stated, glaring at the two.

"Wait, what?!" R.J. growled, leering over to the two before looking back at Art. "Those fuckers were spying on us!?"

Art clarified in a whisper, not wanting to draw any attention, "More like, they were walking in the forest, and saw you two laying together in the middle of the damn glade. What the fuck were you two thinking!?"

The couple exchanged looks, not responding to the Ferrothorn. Eventually, R.J. asked in a huff, "Did they say that they were going to use this information for anything?"

Art answered, "Hmm… Let's see. I had to pretend to not believe anything Bagworm Boy said, they told me to keep an eye on you two to make sure you guys don't get all lovey-dovey, and they said that they'd eliminate you before you betray the team."

Much to Art's surprise, R.J. didn't explode with rage and immediately start talking about eliminating the Burmy and Makuhita. Instead, the two bears exchanged looks before R.J. took a breath.

"HEY!" he exclaimed, startling everyone in the mess hall. They all turned to him in confusion and annoyance. Once all eyes were on him, he continued in a stern tone. "Me and Kane are married. We're not nor have we been working together in this game. We love each other, so deal with it!" he exclaimed before turning back around, putting his head down on the table.

Everyone was completely shocked by his exclamation, especially Kane. He mentioned revealing their marriage last night, but he didn't expect for R.J. to be the one to expose them, especially it in that manner.

There was a bit of silence after that before everyone went back to their normal conversations, almost as if what he announced didn't matter. Noticing this, Art rose a brow, "Huh. I expected a bigger response. But, then again, Honey and Sasha aren't in here and everyone else is pretty nonchalant when it comes to this kind of stuff."

Kane chuckled as he started rubbing R.J.'s back. "Well, at least everyone knows now, and…" He leaned his head down next to his. "...I'm proud of you."

R.J. huffed with a blush on his face, making Kane smile. Shortly after, Mew and Victini appeared in the mess hall, the breakfast boxes being distributed as per usual. Noticing that there were still a few contestants missing, Mew took out a walkie-talkie-esque device before speaking into it.

The loudspeaker blared as Mew directed, "ALL REMAINING CONTESTANTS REPORT TO THE MESS HALL!"

"So, what happened?" Art queried. "You guys are usually here a bit earlier."

Victini deadpanned to the Ferrothorn, "Do you really care?"

"No," Art responded tonelessly.

Victini rolled his eyes, expecting the Ferrothorn's response. "Exactly," he grumbled.

After a couple of minutes, the remaining players entered the mess hall, with a disgruntled Honey arriving first, Portia entering after her, and a sulking Sasha dragging her feet inside. Her eyes had a reddish tint, and she looked rather unenergetic, as opposed to her usual demeanor.

Once they were all inside and they each had their boxes, Mew clasped his hands together. "Alright, today's challenge will be taking place on the beach, as I'm sure that most of you are tired of going to the glade for the challenges. So, once you're finished with breakfast, head down to the beach."

The two hosts exited the mess hall, leaving the competitors to continue their conversations.

 **-000-**

Sasha had her head on the table she sat at with Tonya and Honey. She kept tossing and turning for most of the night, still haunted by the fact that Kane turned out being gay. After Honey's brash comments yesterday, the Nidoqueen attempted to get over the Ursaring, but the more she tried, the more she fantasized about him. She even had a dream about him last night!

Noticing her crestfallen expression, Honey groaned in annoyance, "Sasha. For crying out loud will you get over yourself!? The loser's gay and married. Get over it!"

Growing frustrated with Honey, Sasha exclaimed back, "DON'T YOU THINK I'VE BEEN FUCKING TRYING?! IT'S HARD FOR ME, OKAY!? GET OFF OF MY FUCKING BACK!"

All eyes went to their table as silence filled the air. The Nidoqueen panted, fighting back tears. "I know that I'm being fucking pathetic! I know that I barely know him! I know that he'll never like me because he's already married to some other guy who's probably as equally attractive as him! I've been trying to get over it, but IT'S HARD!" she shouted to the Vespiquen, who was taken aback by the passion in her voice.

Seeing an opportunity to weaken the opposing team, Art chuckled, "Uh… Probably not the best to mention, but… R.J. is the one married to Kane."

Sasha's ears immediately twitched as she jerked her head in the direction of their table. Her lips quivering, she squeaked out, "W-What?"

Happy to put her down a bit, R.J. chuckled, hugging Kane's arm in a mocking fashion, "Yeah, sorry to burst your bubble, desperate housewife, but Kane is _my_ husband. And let me just say… You are _definitely_ not his type…"

Hearing this, Sasha couldn't handle it anymore. Not only were her chances of being with Kane nonexistent, she was constantly being told to get over herself despite her unhappiness as a whole,and now she was being heckled by _R.J._ , a guy that she felt was no good and didn't deserve Kane. As tears streamed from her eyes, she growled angrily before hurling her breakfast box against the wall, causing it to burst on impact, before running out of the mess hall.

R.J. had to stifle his laugh at what he saw as a pathetic display. Kane gave him a look of annoyance before looking back to the door.

 **000**

 **Kane groaned, rubbing the back of his head, "I had a feeling that something like this would happen. Though, I expected a fight to break out, but I'm glad that didn't happen. I guess… I'm gonna have to talk to her. Make sure that she doesn't do anything drastic or start ruining challenges. I mean, she's an attractive girl. She just needs to find the right guy."**

 **000**

Following what just happened, Tim awkwardly cleared his throat, "Well, uh… This morning is certainly full of surprises. Kane and R.J. are married and… Sasha's possibly having a breakdown."

Lynn, feeling equally as weirded out, responded, "Yep. Uh… It's _really_ surprising… Never saw R.J. as gay… _Or_ as the marrying type, but rather-."

" _The abusive type…_ " Christine muttered under her breath before popping a grape into her mouth. Lynn, Tim, and Max glanced at her momentarily before semi-agreeing with her.

After learning about the marriage, _and_ having his talk with Jessica, Tim was feeling nervous about asking out Lynn. He had a feeling that she wouldn't mind, but he didn't know how to go about asking. He didn't want to fumble or embarrass himself, as he _really_ liked her. He also didn't want to do it with anyone else around, as it just made him even more nervous.

Nevertheless, he knew that he was going to have to suck it up and just go for it, so he took a deep breath. "Uh… Lynn?" he began, getting the Gogoat's attention. Seeing her vibrant, ruby eyes, his face began to flush. "I-I was wondering-"

Suddenly, the Tropius was interrupted by a muscular arm wrapping around his neck. "Hey, Tim, uh… Can I talk to you for a bit?" Chip queried.

A startled Tim could only exclaim in confusion, "What!?"

Deciding to take that response as a confirmation, Chip hoisted the dinosaur up before looking at the others, explaining, "He'll catch up with you guys later." He walked away with the wriggling Tropius in his arms. Christine, Lynn, and Max could only exchange looks of confusion and surprise.

 **-000-**

Tim was sat down at the table furthest back, which had Jessica sitting there as Chip took a seat next to him. He was visibly agitated as he turned to Chip. "You realize that I didn't give you consent, right?" he stated with a glare.

"You'll get over it," the Machamp responded with a shrug. "Anyways, I heard that you've decided to join our little alliance in order to get rid of Honey."

Tim groaned, rolling his eyes, "Yes…"

Chip nodded, "Okay, so I take it that Jessica has filled you in on the plan?"

Tim sighed, deadpanning "Yeah. Get rid of Sasha, then get rid of Tonya, leaving her powerless and easy to eliminate."

Jessica giggled, "Yeah, well, given what just happened, I think it's safe to say that things are derailing for their little alliance. I actually tried to talk to Tonya, but she wasn't really in the mood, so I'm gonna try again later."

"So… What? Do we just go straight for her now? Or are we still gonna go for Sasha?" Tim queried. "I mean, she's kinda heartbroken. And unless Kane somehow fixes it, I don't think her staying here is going to help anyone…"

Chip shrugged his shoulders, not showing any sympathy toward the Nidoqueen. "I mean, it's her own fault for obsessing over him. He told us he was married at the beginning, but she kept trying to pry and seduce him anyway. Hell, _I_ found her attractive before she started obsessing over him."

"Well," Jessica began. "We can assume that Kane is no longer going to be in agreement with her , _and_ we can also assume that Sasha is done with Honey's alliance or Honey is just done with _her_."

"So, we're still gonna go for Sasha even though we have an opening for Honey, now?" Tim queried in confusion.

"Assumptions aren't always true," Jessica explained. "Honey could very well convince Sasha to use her sadness to still bend Kane to her will. He _is_ still nice, _and_ he'd feel guilty about what happened. So yes, Sasha is still the one on the list. And if I'm able to convince Tonya to turn on her, Honey will follow, and once she's gone, it'll just be all up to performance..."

Upon hearing that, Tim couldn't help but feel a bit threatened. He was only in this until they got rid of Honey, and if the eliminations would just be based on challenge performance, who's to say that they wouldn't just turn on him and Max? Out of everyone that would be left, Kane and Chip were strong, Tonya was fast, and Jessica was smart. What did he and Max have?

Despite these thoughts, Tim let out a sigh. "Whatever… Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna get back to my actual table…"

Turning back to said table, the Tropius saw that Max was the only one left there, causing his eyes to widen. He speedwalked back over, turning to Max, "D-Did they go to the beach already?"

Max nodded, fiddling with a plastic fork. "Yep. But, Lynn _did_ tell me to tell you that you can talk after the challenge."

In response, he groaned, lying his head on the table. "Cockblocked by someone stronger than me. Is this how guys in rom-coms feel?"

Max chuckled, patting his head. "You'll get her, dude. You weren't really cockblocked. If you were, Chip would be trying to make a move on her. That was just a hindrance."

Tim let out a sigh. He really wanted to get it over with so that he wouldn't be too distracted during the challenge. He disgruntledly responded, "A hindrance that I didn't warrant…"

Growing curious, Max responded, "What was that about anyway?"

Tim was told not to mention the plan to anyone, but thinking that they would be targeted afterwards, he decided to respond in a whisper, "It's about getting rid of Honey. I'll tell you more after the challenge."

He started to walk toward the door, with Max looking down at the boxes on the table before shrugging and following him out.

 **000**

 **Tim groaned, "I find it ironic how just when I was about to ask out the girl I liked, per Jessica's advice, she gets Chip to stop me in order to talk about something that she could have talked to me about AFTER."**

 **000**

All of the contestants made their way to the beach for the challenge. After what happened in the mess hall, Honey looked very agitated. After Sasha ran out, she didn't say another word, which both relieved and concerned Tonya. She didn't know whether or not the Vespiquen was gonna try to get the Nidoqueen eliminated, or just forget about her in general.

She had decided that she was going to leave the alliance and just get rid of Honey, but she was still going to act like she was on her side. Curious as to what her plans were, she asked, "So… What happens now?"

With a huff, Honey responded, "Well, if that little crybaby insists on being upset over a guy who wasn't available to her to begin with, then she's no longer of use. So, we'll be getting rid of her when the time comes."

Tonya sighed in response, having had a feeling that she would've planned that. "Right…"

"Good to know that you understand…" Honey responded as she continued forward. Tonya rolled her eyes as they reached the sandy beach.

On the beach, the contestants immediately set their eyes upon a large, silver-tiled floor situated in the middle of the beach. There was a monitor situated on one of the sides of the tiled platform. On either side were the same bleachers from previous challenges. On the sides of the bleachers were the speakers from the guessing challenge.

As they approached, Mew and Victini showed themselves, the latter holding a microphone. Judging by this setup, it could be inferred that the next challenge dealt with music.

Mew greeted the contestants with a smile, "Hello contestants. Welcome to your next challenge."

Suddenly, Victini, his voice amplified due to the speakers, bellowed into the microphone, "KARAOKE!"

This loud noise caused the contestants to flinch and cover their ears momentarily; they glared at the Victory Pokemon once the sound dissipated. Even Mew gave him a look of annoyance, which caused him to laugh sheepishly before clearing his throat.

Mew snatched the microphone from him, not trusting him to use it further. He turned to the contestants with a sigh, "Anyways, yes. Today's challenge is karaoke. However, there will be a very painful and irritating catch."

"I hate it already," Dade chirped with a fake smile as he stood on Zahku's head.

Christine scoffed, "Why is a painful catch necessary? Music is supposed to be calming… Comforting… It's supposed to get you in a mood that you enjoy or don't understand…"

Art snorted, "Yeah! I mean, I know _my_ favorite song is the one where the guy just says ' _Ass, ass, ass, ass, ass_ ' over and over again…"

Christine gave him a look, "You don't know anything about music, so just… Keep your little snide comments to yourself…"

Art rolled his eyes. The Kricketune was passionate about music, but that didn't make her an expert in the slightest, so he didn't really take her seriously.

Having ignored their comments, Mew continued explaining the challenge. "Now, your challenge will be to sing a full song as the floor underneath you attempts to hinder you. You must to finish the song without stopping; you have only two chances to continue if the floor ends up stopping you. Mess up a third time and you get no point. And you don't have to completely start over, you simply have to pick up where you left off."

Victini added, "Each team will choose only three participants for the challenge. If you finish a song, your team gets a point, if not… Well, it sucks to be you. The team with the most points at the end wins"

Assuming that the floor was very high-tech, Art droned, "Uh… About that budget…"

Victini, growing annoyed with the Ferrothorn, glared at him before seething, "Don't start. We're getting more money as this show goes on."

Art rolled his eyes, not entirely impressed. "Uh huh…" he responded.

" _Anyways_ ," Mew began, getting everyone's attention once again. "You've got your task. Now, choose the three players that'll be participating and we'll begin."

A few members on each team exchanged competitive glances, as others simply walked away in order to plan. Eventually, all members separated into their teams in order to discuss their plans.

 **000**

The Red Team headed to the left, settling themselves a good distance away from the other team. Kane let out a sigh, clasping his hands together. "Okay, uh… Who's gonna participate this time around?"

There was no response initially, but after a couple of seconds, Jessica chimed in. "Well, anyone could participate, really. They never said that you had to sound good while you were singing. You simply have to sing the lyrics to whatever song they give you while that floor does what it's going to."

Max was sitting on Tim's back, twisting his own tail to preoccupy himself. Hearing Jessica's explanation, he rhetorically asked, "So, it's basically a 'who wants to' situation?"

Tim responded, "That's what it sounds like."

Chip confidently smirked, folding his arms. "Well, I'll happily sit this one out. I participated the most in the previous challenge, so I feel a break is well deserved."

Honey gave him a look, "Yep, typical. Help out in one challenge, and decide to be lazy in the later ones. Consider yourself lucky you have a sliver of intellect and a decent musculature."

Tim looked at the Vespiquen with narrowed eyes, finding her comments hypocritical and idiotic. She barely participated in the four challenges that they have previously, but she's calling Chip lazy despite the fact that he essentially won the last challenge for them? "Oh-hokay, Honey, you _really_ need to look at yourself in the mirror before criticizing _anyone_."

Honey glowered at him, growing tired of his snide remarks. She stated, "You're an insignificant stain on this team. You don't get to criticize me."

Brushing off her insult, Tim shot back, "Yet you've done absolutely to aid the team in the slightest. You've run your mouth and tried to put others down for doing better than you, but other than that, you've done jack shit. So, why don't you make yourself useful and participate in _this_?"

"You've barely done anything yourself!" Honey argued back.

"Okay guys, can we just calm down? This is going to get us nowhere," Kane responded, not wanting this to escalate and distract them from the challenge.

"Shut up, dick breath!" Honey snapped at him before turning back to Tim. "This bastard hasn't even proved his worth and he's trying to call _me_ out. Hell, all he seems to be here for is to try to get that dumb Gogoat bitch to go out with him."

"HEY!" Tim growled, stepping forward with a glare. Honey was unfazed as he stated, "Lynn's _not_ dumb… She's smarter than you, that much is evident, and she's also _not_ a bitch, but that bill _definitely_ fits you."

Honey scoffed, "Right, and why don't you bend over and let Kane fuck you, because _you_ are the real bitch here…"

Jessica groaned in annoyance, floating between the two. "Okay, like Kane said, this is getting us nowhere, and you're both acting like immature babies right now." She turned to Tim. "Tim, you can participate in this one."

"What!? How is that f-"

Interrupting him telepathically, she explained, " _You can try to impress Lynn that way… Just do it so that Honey will shut up._ " She gave him a stern look, the only thing the others could visibly see.

Tim groaned in annoyance, not wanting to let Honey get the last word in. He could already see the smug look on her face behind Jessica. As much as it pained him to do, he gave in, responding to Jessica with gruff, "Fine."

"Good," Jessica giddily responded. "Now, we still need two more participants… And I agree with Chip's sentiment. He helped us out majorly in the previous challenge, so he doesn't have to do this one. Since I also helped, I say that I'm exempt as well."

"Oh, bullshit…" Honey scoffed. "You did little to help."

"I answered questions, didn't I? What more could I have done in the challenge where you have to answer trivia question?" Jessica deadpanned.

As this discussion occurred, Tonya looked over and saw Sasha sitting in the sand away from the rest of their team. She hopped over to the Nidoqueen, worried about her. She placed a hand on her leg, "You doing okay?"

Sniffling, Sasha wiped her eyes before responding dejectedly, "Not really."

Tonya let out a sigh, not knowing what to say to make her feel better. Given all that the Nidoqueen had going on, the Accelgor could sort of understand why she was so upset despite the obvious answer being present the whole time. "Well, I'm still sure that you'll be able to find another guy."

Sasha huffed, sobbing, "I doubt it. Once this airs, everyone's just gonna see me as a dumb, desperate floozy… And they wouldn't be wrong."

"Well," Tonya began, "Now that you know that Kane and R.J. are married, you can move on… That's a good thing, right?"

Sasha didn't want to be reminded of that fact, clenching her fists in agitation. Out of all of the possible guys out there, _R.J._ was the one he chose. Nevertheless, she took a deep breath. "There's nothing to move on to. I doubt anyone would want to be with me after all of this, so I'll be stuck in my stupid marriage for as long as my shitty husband refuses to give me a divorce."

"Hey, don't put yourself down like that. You'll be fine," Tonya said with a smile. "You just have to be yourself. You're already an attractive female."

Sasha blushed slightly as the Accelgor continued. "Now, tell the truth. Are you _really_ over Kane?" she asked, folding her arms.

Sasha sat there, looking down for a few moments before letting out a sigh, "I… I still really like him. But, I get that he's completely off limits, now…"

"Good," Tonya said with a smile. "That's the first step. And, I don't think _that_ many people would really blame you for acting the way you did. Kane _is_ an attractive guy. But, there are dozens of other ones out there as well."

"Yeah, but when they see this-"

Tonya cut her off, saying, "Who's to say that every guy in the world will watch this? Most popular things go relatively unnoticed by people who either haven't heard of it, don't care, or ignore it on purpose just to be against the majority. Plus, you already told me your issue with your marriage, so you've already told the people watching as well. So there's still a chance for you."

Hearing all of that brought a smile to the Poison- and Ground-type's face. "Thanks… And… I guess I should apologize to Kane for all of my _advances_ …" she said, gazing back and looking at the exasperated Ursaring.

Tonya nodded, before remembering something important. "Oh, and… Because you were upset over Kane so much, Honey's gonna try to get you eliminated."

Sasha's smile immediately turned into a frown. "What?" she growled. "I oughta…"

"Don't worry," Tonya replied, patting her side. "I don't plan on being in the alliance with her anymore. She hasn't helped the team do anything, and she always criticizes the people that do. It's pretty annoying."

The Nidoqueen's smile returned. "Good, I like the sound of that. She's been irking me more and more every time she yells at me."

Tonya nodded, before recalling what happened earlier that morning, "Oh, and uh… I ended up getting pranked by Marley because of the traps still around here, so… Yeah, be careful."

Sasha just blinked in response, not knowing how to respond to that. As she prepared to ask what happened, she was interrupted by a yell.

The shout came from Honey, who decided to put her lackey and ex-lackey to good use. "HEY! TONYA AND SASHA! YOU TWO ARE IN THE CHALLENGE!"

The duo exchanged looks of confusion and annoyance.

 **000**

While the Red Team got their players settled, the Blue Team was having a bit of a tough time getting an understanding of the challenge in general.

"Will you stop bitching about the music having to sound good?!" Art snapped, glaring at the Kricketune. "They didn't even say that it had to sound good! You just have try to keep singing while that fancy schmancy floor of theirs does… Whatever the heck it's gonna do."

Christine responded, "I still say that we should have some type of integrity when it comes to this. Music should come from the soul and have a good sound and message."

R.J. rolled his eyes with a groan, "Okay… Since _you_ are the main one complaining about, you can participate. But I'm pretty sure that the rest of us don't give a flying fuck about whether we sound good or not. Like Art said, they never specified that our singing had to be good, so it doesn't matter."

Christine scoffed, "Can you at least _try_ to see where I'm coming from? This is important to me."

"But it's _not_ important to us or the challenge, so it doesn't matter," Art responded bluntly. Christine let out a soft sigh, as Lynn rubbed her shoulder with a vine.

Dade spoke up, "Alright, so who else is gonna go? We've got Christine, so-"

Belladonna shrugged before interrupting him, "I can go. I like karaoke, anyway. It's been a thing at lot of parties I've been to."

"Okay, great. We've got Bella and Christine. Anyone else?" Dade chirped.

A deep breath was heard as everyone turned to the source of it, Portia. The Rhyperior looked a bit better than she did the day prior, following the challenge. She spoke softly, "I'll participate. I might as well make myself useful."

Immediately, Christine objected, not thinking that she should force herself to participate if she didn't really want to. "Portia, you don't have to…"

"Christine, your words means nothing," Art responded. "If she wants to participate, she can participate."

"She's obviously still upset and just doing it so _you guys_ don't vote her out," Christine argued.

"So what? Let her. She's not hurting anyone!" R.J. responded. "Let's just get this done and move on with our lives."

Christine glared at the two.

 **000**

" **Those two are definitely eating away with my nerves," Christine growled.**

 **000**

"Alright, I take it that both teams are now finished making their choices," Mew commented, seeing both teams come back over to the middle of the beach. "Now, everyone who is _not_ participating, please have a seat on the bleachers.

The team members that fit that category went ahead and took their seats on either side of the floor. The Red Team situated to the right of it, and the Blue Team to the left.

Mew smiled, "Okay, as explained, you all must sing a full song as the floor you'll be standing on tries to hinder you."

"And you can only mess up twice," Victini added. After a few moments, the Victory Pokemon clasped his hands together. "Now, let's get this challenge started. Since the Red Team was the victor of yesterday's challenge, they get to go first. And we're gonna go Z to A order, so… Tonya you're first."

The Accelgor sighed. She wasn't exactly ready to go first; her singing voice wasn't exactly the best, nor was her song knowledge.

She stepped onto the floor, taking a deep breath as she faced the monitor. The screen lit up. A blue screen was seen with the words 'Kara-Poke' in the top right corner in a neon style. There were numerous song selections that were automatically going down.

"So," Mew began, holding a remote. "For the song selection, we're going to hit 'Shuffle' and whatever song you get, that's the song that you'll have to sing."

Victini followed, "It doesn't matter if you know it or not. Just go along with the beat and sing the words as they pop up on the screen. And remember, don't stop singing no matter what…"

Tonya gulped in nervousness. She was hoping that the song she got wasn't too bad or too long. She watched the 'Shuffle' icon be pressed, and the songs began scrolling up and down at a very rapid manner. Eventually, it stopped on a song, and upon seeing the name, a couple of groans could be heard from the sidelines.

"Alright Tonya, your song is… 'Blue (Da Ba Dee)' by Eiffel 65," Mew stated.

"A.K.A. One of the most annoying songs ever," Art commented. "It's repetitious and simply grating."

A few of the others nodded and expressed their agreement with the Ferrothorn. Tonya, having never heard of the song, could only raise a brow in confusion.

Wanting to move the challenge along, Mew said, "Alright Tonya, let us know when you're ready."

The Accelgor sighed. "I mean… I guess I'm ready. I already don't know the song, so…"

Nodding, Mew floated toward her, handing her the microphone before heading back. He took the remote back from Victini before pressing the 'Play' button on it.

A beat began to play as the words to the song began showing themselves on the screen. Tonya was a bit caught off guard, so she began awkwardly singing the song.

" _Yo, listen up, here's a story_

 _About a little guy that lives in a blue world..._

 _And all d-day and all night and every-rything he sees is just blue_

 _Like him inside and outside..._

 _Blue his house with a blue little window and a blue Corvette_

 _And e-everything is blue for him…"_

As she seamlessly rushed through the song, some of the words not even glowing yet, rumbling occured, as the floor began vibrating. Despite this Tonya continued to sing, despite the shaking causing her words to become a bit slurred, making her slow down a bit.

"... _Da-a ba-a dee-ee da-a ba-a dye-e, da-a ba-a dee-ee da-a ba-a dye-e_

 _Da-a ba-a dee-ee da-a ba-a dye-e, da-a ba-a dee-ee da-a ba-a dye-e_

 _Da-a ba-a dee-ee da-a ba-a dye-e…"_

In her head, Tonya had no idea what she was even singing about, but she knew that couldn't stop. Eventually, the shaking stopped, allowing her to continue normally, or as normal as she could get.

" _I h-have a girlfriend and she is so blue_

 _Blue are the people here that walk around_

 _Blue like my Corvette, it's in and outside_

 _Blue are the words I say and what I think…"_

As she continued, the floor turned a bright orange, and the Accelgor started to feel a burning sensation at her feet. There was no rule that they couldn't move around. As she moved around, she could only hold in her exclamation of pain for so long. She began singing even quicker before eventually-

" _I'm Blue – da ba dee da ba dye, da ba dee da-_ AAAAH!" she shouted in pain as she jumped off of the floor, landing in the sand. It eased the burn only a tad bit as the floor turned back to its original silver color.

"Ooo… That's one stop," Victini counted. "Get back on there, Tonya. You're nearly done."

The Accelgor sighed as she got back on the tiled floor which, surprising enough, was no longer hot in the slightest. "Arceus, this is weird…" she commented.

"Alright Tonya, get ready to start singing again," Mew warned.

The Accelgor took a breath before nodding. Mew pressed the 'Play' button once again, allowing to beat to play and the lyrics to continue popping up. As much as she wanted to just speed through the song so that she wouldn't have to deal with the floor much longer, she knew that if she did, she wouldn't know the next lyrics and an elongated pause would probably be counted as her stopping. She sighed as she continued to sing the song from where she left off.

" _-ba dye_

 _Da ba dee da ba dye, da ba dee da ba dye_

 _Da ba dee da ba dye, da ba dee da ba dye_

 _Da ba dee da ba dye…"_

The floor started rumbling once more, but instead of continuing, like it did before, spikes began to shoot up, startling her, as well as the others watching.

"Whoa, what the heck? You're gonna try to skewer us?!" Christine expressed in fear.

Victini chuckled, waving away her concern. "Don't worry, all of the spike tips are rounded. They won't really hurt."

As the spikes sprouted from the different tiles, Tonya had to continue singing while avoiding them as they got close to her.

"... Uh, _I have a blue house with a blue window..._

 _Blue is the color of all that I wear_

 _Blue are the streets and all the trees are too-_ WHOOOA _!_ "

One of the spikes jabbed her, sending her upwards a bit, the shock and surprise of it caused her to stop singing as she landed back on the floor with a _THUD_.

"Ooo…" Victini winced. "That's number two. If you stop one more time, you don't get a point."

Seeing Tonya get up, Sasha asked, "You okay?"

The Shell Out Pokemon responded with a groan as she stood back up. Rubbing her head she sighed, "Tell me that this song's almost over, because this challenge is already making me hate it…"

"You're almost done," Mew chuckled. "You just gotta make sure you last through the last lyrics."

Tonya sighed in exasperation as she picked up the microphone once again before facing the screen and continuing to sing.

" _I have a girlfriend and she is so blue_

 _Blue are the people here that walk a-around_

 _Blue like my Corvette, it's in and outside_

 _Blue are the words I say and w-what I think…"_

As she continued, the tiles began turning blue. Noticing this, Tonya wasn't worried, as she could deal with the cold much easier. The only possible issue would be if she slipped. She didn't let that possibility get to her, though, and she simply kept singing as her foot suddenly felt cold, sending a shiver up her spine.

"- _D-Da ba d-dee da ba dye, d-aa ba dee da b-ba dye_

 _Da b-ba dee d-da ba dye_

 _I'm B-Blue – da ba dee d-da ba dye, da ba dee d-da ba dye_

 _Da ba d-dee da ba d-dye, da ba d-dee da b-ba dye_

 _Da ba d-dee da b-ba dye, da ba d-dee da ba dye_

 _Da ba dee d-da ba dye…"_

The beat stopped, signifying the end of the song, allowing Tonya to sigh in relief as the floor returned to its silver color. She jumped into the sand once again, warming up her foot. "Finally done…" she groaned.

"Congrats Tonya, you've earned your team its first point," Mew acknowledged.

The Accelgor placed the microphone on the floor before hopping onto her team's set of bleachers, lackadaisically responding, "Great…"

"Now, following the same trend of going from Z to A, Portia, you're up first for the Blue Team," Victini said, patting her side.

The Rhyperior sighed before looking at the floor. She looked back at the hosts, "You sure that it won't break?"

"Yep, it should be able to support your large size," Victini replied, nodding in response. "So, go on ahead and get yourself situated."

The Drill Pokemon sighed as she stepped onto the tiled floor. She approached the microphone, picking it up before patting the top. She moved in front of the screen, awaiting the song choice.

"Alright Portia, let's see what your song is gonna be," Mew said as he pressed 'Shuffle' again. All of the songs scrolled up and down in a rapid pace before eventually settling on another song.

"Okay Portia, your song is… 'Family Affair' by Mary J. Blige," Victini announced.

No one said anything in response, as they either didn't care or just wanted to see what happened. Portia didn't react negatively _or_ positively, as she honestly didn't mind the song. She remembered her mom usually having it on while she was cleaning when she was a bit younger.

"Alright, Portia. Get ready," Mew said as he pressed the 'Play' button. A funky beat began playing, making a few of the other contestants began bobbing their heads.

Portia started tapping her foot to the beat as she started singing the lyrics as they appeared on the screen. Due to her voice being semi-deep normally, and her remembering how the song sounded, her singing had some semblance of the actual vocalist.

" _Let's get it crunk up on, have fun up on_

 _Up in this dancery_

 _We got ya open, now ya floatin'_

 _So you gots to dance for me_

 _Don't need no hateration, holleration…"_

As she sang, the others were surprised at how proficient she was. Christine, while impressed, still didn't feel that she should be doing the challenge just to get by. However, as long as she was doing well, she felt that she could let it slide.

The tiles on the floor began turning a purple color as the Rhyperior continued to sing. As the tiles under her feet changed as well, she could feel a gurgling sensation in her stomach as she began to salivate profusely, causing her to start slurring slightly.

"... _Let loosh and shet your body free_

 _Leave your shituations at the door_

 _Sho when you shep inshide jump on the floor..."_

Feeling her mouth filling with saliva and not wanting to drool, she quickly swallowed before continuing to sing, going back to the chorus of the song.

" _Let's get it crunk up on, have fun up on_

 _Up in this dancery_

 _We got ya open, now ya floatin'_

 _So you gots to dance for me…"_

The gurgling in her stomach caused her a bit of discomfort, feeling as if she had eaten something rotten when she hadn't. Nevertheless, she could only continue to sing, not wanting to cost their team a point after the other team got theirs after two fumbles, her voice getting shakier as she started to sweat.

"... _B-Before you get loose and start l-lose your mind  
Cop you a drink, g-go head and r-rock your ice  
'Cause we c-celebrating No More D-Drama in our life  
With a Dre track pumpin', e-everybody's jumpin'  
Go ahead a-and twist your back and g-get your body bumpin'  
I t-told you leave your situations at the d-door…"_

Eventually, she couldn't keep it together and groaned, dropping to her knees. She held her head. The tiles changed back to their silver color, and the sickening feeling soon dissipated, causing Portia to pant heavily as she slowly got to her feet.

"That's one," Victini warned. "Mess up two more times and you get no point."

"I think she already knows, Victini," Christine commented, giving him a look.

Portia sighed as she picked up the microphone again, focusing on the screen. Mew pressed 'Play' once again, allowing the lyrics to continue popping up.

"... _So grab somebody and get your ass on the dance floor_

 _Let's get it crunk up on, have fun up on_

 _Up in this dancery_

 _We got ya open, now ya floatin'_

 _So you gots to dance for me…"_

The tiles began turning an orange color as the Rhyperior continued singing. As she took another step, she felt something sticky under her foot. She decided to just ignore it and continue her singing. The sticky substance seemed to contain an irritant, as her foot began to itch a bit.

The song itself was well-known, as it was often used in clubs, as well as in party scenes in movies or TV shows. As a result, a few more contestants began snapping or tapping their feet to it. Despite the burning sensation in her feet, Portia continued to sing, through somewhat grit teeth, until the song's beat began trailing off, in which she simply had to repeat the chorus until the beat stopped.

"... _Don't need no hateration, holleration_

 _In this dancery_

 _Let's get it percolatin', while you're waiting_

 _So just dance for me…"_

She eventually finished, stepping off of the floor quickly to get the itching to stop. Victini chuckled, "Well, congratulations Portia, you've earned the Blue Team a point."

The Rhyperior only nodded in response, placing the microphone on the floor before taking a seat on her team's bleachers.

Mew turned to the two remaining participants for the Red Team. "Alright Tim, you're up next."

The Tropius gulped in nervousness, now beginning to rethink his decision upon glancing over at Lynn, who had a smile on her face.

Soon enough, a point was brought up by Chip, seeing a minor hindrance. "Wait, how is he gonna be able to hold the mic? He doesn't exactly have arms."

Mew, having prepared for this, nodded. "Right. We have that covered," he responded as a metal collar appeared in his hands. The collar vaguely resembled headgear one would receive from a dentist or a doctor, but it wasn't meant to go around his head.

Eyeing the device, Tim stammered, "Um… Uh… I'm pretty sure I don't have cavities or anything…" He didn't want to put the device on, it'd look embarrassing! And if Lynn actually ended up liking his singing, he didn't want to look like a he had dental problems or broken bones.

Mew chortled at his nervousness, "No, no, this isn't going on your head, per se. It goes around a part of your neck, and it'll hold the microphone toward your mouth."

"It's just a collar," Art deadpanned, rolling his eyes. "Either put it on or forfeit. Preferably the latter…"

Tim gave him a look. He hadn't interacted with Art personally, but all of the Thorn Pod Pokemon's comments and actions gave him all of the information he needed to know about him. "I'm not gonna forfeit the challenge," he stated sternly.

Art huffed, rolling his eyes. He didn't really care about the Tropius in the slightest. No, his sights were set on the Pokemon on his team that'd perform after him. With Sasha also being a participant, he felt that he had the chance to make her mess up and lose the challenge for her team. There wasn't any rule against heckling, after all.

Mew placed the collar around Tim's neck as Victini fetched the microphone. Tim let out a sigh, "Hopefully I don't look _too_ ridiculous…"

"You look fine," Mew responded, patting his head. He bent the arm attached to it toward his mouth as Victini placed the microphone in the holder. "And… You're all set. Step on up to the floor and we'll get to shuffling."

Tim took a few deep breaths before heading onto the floor. He glanced toward Lynn, who had a small smile on her face. _"You can do this… You can do this… Oh why in the hell did I let Jessica talk me into this?"_

He faced the monitor as Mew spoke to him, "Alright Tim, get ready because your song is…" The New Species Pokemon pressed the 'Shuffle' icon via the remote, causing the rapid movement of the song choices once again. Eventually, the shuffling stopped, landing on a new song. "...'Shiver' by Coldplay."

Internally, Tim sighed in relief. His playlist consisted of numerous bands and artists that had songs that he simply enjoyed the sounds of and, luckily for him, Coldplay was one of the bands.

"Well, I guess we're in for a treat, that's one of the only tolerable songs from those losers," Art commented. "Well, if he's able to sing well at all…"

Lynn gave the Ferrothorn a look of annoyance. She knew that this was a challenge, so she shouldn't be _that_ annoyed by him trying to discourage the other team, but she couldn't help but be irritated when he talked about Tim.

Tim sighed as Victini spoke up this time. "Alright Tim, time for you to start the song. Get ready."

The Tropius began taking a few breaths before gazing on the screen, despite already knowing the words to the song. He was worried about how the floor would behave below him. As the beat began to play over the speakers, Tim took in the sound and a sense of calmness washed over him as the lyrics actually began popping up, signalling the beginning of the song.

" _So I look in your direction…_

 _But you play me no attention, do you?.._

He took a bit of a pause, as the song did, before continuing. As he did this, the tiles began to colors, with the floor creating the image of a fan.

"- _on and on  
From the moment I wake, to the moment I sleep  
I'll be there by your side, just you try and stop me…_

Just as he sang that line, the Tropius found himself being hit by an intense blowing from the floor underneath him. He didn't know how this was possible! He continued to sing, despite finding it difficult to hear the beat and stay on tempo.

"... _I'll change for good_

 _And I want you to know_

 _That you'll always get your way..._

 _I wanted to say…"_

The fan turned off just as he went into the chorus of the song, reverting back to the normal silver color.

" _Don't you shiver…_

 _Shiver…_

 _Sing it loud and clear_

 _I'll always be waiting for you…"_

As the beat continued to play and Tim sang along with the lyrics, Lynn couldn't help but blush slightly, which Honey couldn't but notice. She glared daggers at the Gogoat, hating that there were relationships happening across the teams. There was too high of a chance that someone would betray them, and she wasn't willing to take that chance. If she could get rid of Tim, that chance would be lower.

She glanced over at Sasha, noticing that she didn't look as upset as she once did. Seeing this, she figured that she could probably still use Sasha if she 'apologized'. Changing her targets, she set her eyes back on Tim, who was currently dealing with electricity surging through the floor tiles.

He ended up getting partially paralyzed, causing him to stop singing. He growled in annoyance.

Victini chuckled as he announced, "Well Tim, that's one screw up. Two more and your team gets no point."

The Tropius sighed as he stepped off of the floor momentarily in order to get his bearings. He stepped back onto the floor as it returned to its silver color. He took another breath, saying to himself, "Alright… That was one setback… You can still pull this off."

He faced the screen once again as Mew said, "Alright Tim, get ready to sing again. And… Now!"

Tim sighed before continuing his song.

"… _And I want you to know_

 _That you'll always get your way_

 _I wanted to say…"_

The tiles underneath him began turning a dark red before eventually spreading across the entire floor. Flames began bursting out of tiles' intersections, startling Tim, as well as few others, and causing him to stop once again. He just tried to keep his focus and continue singing, but his feet began feeling like they were legitimately on fire.

Heat surrounded him, causing him to perspire quickly as he continued trying to move his feet to keep to pain from lingering.

" _D-Don't you shiver…_

 _Don't you shiver…_

 _Sing it loud and clear_

 _I'll always be waiting for-_ FUCK, THIS BURNS! _"_

He immediately jumped up, flapping his wings to allow his feet cool down. The Tropius panted from the heat before Victini smacked his lips in disappointment. "One more chance, Tim. If you screw up again, no point for your team…"

The Fruit Pokemon could only groan in response, "Yeah, I know…"

Seeing him still in the air, an idea arose in Jessica's head. "Hey, Tim. You can just stay in the sky for this challenge. You're a flying-type, after all."

Tim's eyes widened at this information. The hosts never said that it wasn't allowed. "Hey… You're right! You guys never said that we couldn't do this!"

Mew began, "Yes, but we-"

"You guys said 'the floor underneath us'. You didn't really specify that we had to stand directly on it," Max added. "Plus, some of the things will probably still hit him anyway given the way the wind, spikes and flames happened."

"Bullshit!" R.J. exclaimed, standing up. "They shouldn't be allowed to do that. It's not fair!"

Still needing to look like a 'team player' despite her plan, Honey groaned, "Kane, do you mind controlling your bitch?"

Kane growled at the Vespiquen in return, "Uncalled for, Honey. Un-fucking-called for…"

R.J. seethed, clenching his fists while glaring daggers at the queen bee. He absolutely despised being viewed as and called a bitch, so Honey immediately went on his list.

"Okay, okay," Mew started, wanting to de-escalate the situation. "Given that we didn't specifically dictate that standing was necessary, we will allow those with the ability to fly or float to use it to their advantage."

A few members of the Blue Team grew annoyed, while the Red Team remained neutral, as there was still a chance that he could fail.

Feeling that the arguments were over, Mew let out a sigh of relief before focusing back on the participant. "Alright Tim, get ready again."

The Tropius, now feeling more confident since he wasn't directly on the floor, smiled as he focused on the screen. Mew exclaimed, "GO!"

"- _for you._

 _Yeah, I'll always be waiting for you_

 _Yeah, I'll always be waiting for you_

 _Yeah, I'll always be waiting for you_

 _For you I will always be waiting…"_

Honey, seeing an opportunity, faked a sneeze, firing a single purple needle at the Tropius.

" _And it's you I see, but you don't see me..._

 _And it's you I hear so loud and so clear_

 _I sing it loud and cle-_ OWW!"

He felt something pinch his butt, causing that outburst. "What the hell was that!?"

"That was you stopping for the third time, meaning no point for the Red Team," Victini announced.

The members of the Red Team groaned, with Honey folding her arms. "Leave it to this fucker to ruin our chances…"

Tim suddenly felt woozy, as he landed down. He started stumbling around a bit as he approached his team's bleachers, "Ugh… I… don't… I don't feel so good, guys."

"Well, considering that you just screwed up despite having an advantage, I say that's normal," Dade stated with a shrug.

Chip felt the Tropius' forehead upon noticing his gait and seeing his droopy eyes. "Whoa… Dude, you're burning up," he acknowledged.

Tim mumbled, "Some… I felt something stick me… Mmph, while I was flying…"

"Well, it certainly wasn't the floor, it hadn't even changed yet," Mew responded, gesturing to the floor. "Tim, come on over here so we can get that collar off of you. And we'll see to getting you some help once the challenge is over. Or, if someone wants to, they can go find some… Pecha Berries, because you're showing symptoms of being poisoned."

Tim groaned, "That explains my nausea…"

Not liking what she was seeing, Lynn decided to volunteer to to help the Tropius, despite being on the opposing team. "I'll go see if I can find some berries for him," she said, hopping off of the bleachers.

Tim blushed faintly, surprised that she cared enough to do it, despite some looks of disagreement from her team. Seeing that she was going, Max decided to go with her, saying, "Well, I'm not doing much and I'm kinda bored, so… I'll go try to find some, too."

Seeing the Delibird hop off of the bleachers, Tim gave him a look. "Max…" he said, worried as to what he would probably be talking to Lynn about, if anything.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," the Delibird responded before flying after the Gogoat.

"Alright, while they're doing that, let's continue with the challenge," Victini said. "Christine, you're up next for the Blue Team."

The Kricketune smiled as she received the microphone from Victini. She stepped onto the floor, facing the screen. Being a lover of music, she'd certainly have no trouble completing this challenge.

"Alright," Mew began, clicking the 'Shuffle' icon on the screen. "Christine, your song is…"

The songs began their usual movements, with Christine hoping that she wasn't stuck with a song that she hadn't heard before. She had heard plenty of music, but she couldn't remember the lyrics to _every_ song she knew, especially when some of them sounded similar or had similar lines. Eventually, the shuffling stopped and a song was highlighted.

"...'This Town' by Niall Horan," Mew finished.

The Cricket Pokemon groaned in annoyance. It _had_ to be a song she didn't really recognize. She recognized the artist, as he was once a member of One Direction, but the song was new to her. She sighed, hoping that the beat would be fine enough and she could sing it the way it's meant to be sung.

"Okay, and… Begin!" Mew instructed.

 **000**

Lynn walked toward the forest with a purpose, finding berries to help out Tim. She felt that she would be criticized by her teammates, mainly R.J. and Art, once the challenge was over.

She really liked Tim, and despite telling Christine that she couldn't see it working out a couple of challenges ago, the revelation of R.J. and Kane being married was making her rethink her choice.

It seemed like the two were adamant that they weren't conspiring against anyone, which she was on the fence about since she didn't know Kane that well and she felt that R.J. would be the type to encourage the poor behavior.

The others didn't really seem to show any real concern or anger about the couple's revelation, either, besides Sasha and Honey. Maybe she and Tim _could_ work out.

The Gogoat was walking along a path into the forest, looking around the lush foliage for any of the pink berries that'd heal the Tropius' poisoning. As she glanced around, taking in the scenery as she took a deep breath of fresh air. She felt very relaxed being the tranquil forest in comparison to the challenge location.

She took a seat next to a large tree, admiring her environment. Suddenly, she was startled by a sudden appearance from none other than Max. Seeing the Gogoat flinch out of fear, Max chuckled to himself, "Hey Lynn. Sorry about the scare."

The Mount Pokemon let out a sigh before facing the Delibird. "What are you doing here, Max?"

Max shrugged his shoulders, "Hey, Tim's my friend. If he's got an issue, I'll help out if I can. A better question is what are _you_ doing here? You're not on our team..."

Lynn responded with a scoff, "Just because we're not on the same team doesn't mean I don't have a heart, Max. Plus, we're friends, so of course I'm gonna help out."

Max chuckled as he started looking around the vicinity. He already knew that the two Grass-types were into each other, as they made it extremely obvious with their interactions. So, being alone with her, he decided to have a bit of fun, "You sure that there aren't any _other_ reasons?"

Lynn blushed, giving the Delibird a look. She knew that he knew that she and Tim liked each other. According to Christine, they made it obvious, so it wasn't new knowledge. Not wanting to state the obvious, in this case, she responded, "You already know that I like Tim. No need to try and weasel it out of me."

Max chortled, "Well, that's good to know." He continued walking down the path, with Lynn deciding to follow him. If someone else was there now, there was no point in just sitting there. As they walked and scoped out the foliage, Max posed another question to the Gogoat. "So, if you like him… Would _dating_ him be an option? Only asking given your attitude and focus on the game," he queried.

Despite his explanation, Lynn still rose a brow upon being faced with that question. Had Tim _told_ him to go with her to act as a wingman of sorts? She responded truthfully, "Uh… Maybe. I wasn't sure how well dating would work out in the competition. _But_ , we just learned that Kane and R.J. are apparently _married_ , so while I'm still a bit skeptical, I guess I wouldn't really mind dating."

Max nodded in understanding. "That's nice to hear. And I gotta say, I admire your tenacity and willingness to focus on the game. I doubt that if and when you and Tim start dating, it'll prove to be a hindrance on you."

Lynn giggled, "I would hope not." The Gogoat happened to glance to her right locating a Pecha Berry bush. She gasped, "A Pecha Berry bush!"

"Yep," Max responded, opening his tail. Lynn began to pick the berries, deciding to engage in a conversation with the Delibird that _didn't_ involve Tim.

Lynn asked, "So, why'd you decide to become a fake Santa at a mall. It seems like a pretty specific and odd choice."

Max shrugged with a sigh, "Well, that's usually the easiest job that I can have as a Delibird. Just sit down and take pictures with kids and sometimes teenagers. Plus, I see some weird stuff like the make out session on occasion."

Lynn hummed, "So, it's just because it's an easy job? Huh."

As he picked another berry, Max rose a brow at her response, "What? Expected a long backstory?"

Honestly, the Gogoat was. Considering that the last challenge revealed that the Delibird was an enigma with no living family, she expected him to go into a spiel about how all of the males in his family were Santas and he was just following tradition. She was admittedly disappointed that it was such a simple explanation. "Honestly… Yeah," she responded. "I mean, Victini called you an enigma yesterday, so I thought that there was more to it."

Max shook his head, "Nope. Sorry to disappoint." He finished picking berries from the bush, closing his tail. "Well, we can head back, now. Let's just hope that the singing is mostly done..."

"I doubt it. But, hopefully Christine hasn't messed up and got through her song without issue. I think we should be at Sasha or at least Belladonna if she did well," Lynn speculated as the two of them started walking back to the beach.

 **000**

" **I feel like Max is hiding something about himself, though I may just be overthinking his character," Lynn expressed. "It's just really weird to choose to be a mall Santa out of everything. Plus, he has no family left and no one really knows a lot about him. It just seems too… Arcane."**

 **000**

" **I mean, my life's not that interesting in the slightest," Max shrugged. "There's not much for me to talk about other than my job."**

 **000**

"You got one more time to mess up Christine," Victini announced, before putting another earplug in his ear.

Christine, despite being a musician, was a very… _Poor_ singer. Her tone shifted between screechy and deep unnecessarily and she was messing up the lyrics as they came on screen.

Christine groaned to herself. The floor had unleashed a bunch of hail, which caused her to stop singing the second time. The first time, it was more so because of Art's heckling. He had referred to her singing as 'the equivalent to hearing two feral Meowth fucking'. Of course, this insult caused her to break her concentration and lash out at him.

Now, she was on her final chance, and she was almost finished with the song, despite her horrible rendition of it.

Mew sighed, a bit annoyed that this was continuing. Because Victini had in earplugs, _he_ had to listen for if she messed up again. "Alright," he began, sounding less than thrilled. "Christine, get ready to start singing again."

Christine looked back at the monitor, just wanting to finish the song now. She hoped that the floor wouldn't do anything _too_ bad. Mew pressed the 'Play' button once again, allowing Christine to begin singing.

" _Because if the who-o-le world was wa-a-tching I'd still dance with you_

 _Drive highways and by-y-ways to be there with you-ou_

 _Over and over the only tru-u-th_

 _Everything comes back to you-ou…"_

Everyone was flinching at her singing, with Honey complaining, "Mother of Arceus, my ears are gonna start bleeding at this rate."

Christine ignored the Vespiquen's insultand continued singing. At least it wasn't Art. Surprisingly, Portia was the one making sure that he was quiet, despite her weakness to him.

The tiles of the floor showed a picture of a stereotypical spherical bomb with the fuse lit. As Christine continued, the bomb exploded, startling her, and a few of the others, who jumped.

"What was that!?" the Kricketune exclaimed.

"Bomb explosion sound," Mew responded, cleaning out his ear. "And, because you stopped again, that's no point for the Blue Team, meaning that this is a tie game."

Victini piggybacked off of that, looking at both of the remaining players as Christine handed him the microphone and sulked to the bleachers. "Sasha, Belladonna, it's up to you. If one of you screws up enough times, your team loses."

Dade spoke up, spotting a bit of a conundrum. "Wait, what if both of them are able to finish the song?"

Mew explained, "We'll count the number of times you all messed up. The team that messed up the least will win."

Dade nodded in understanding, while Art deadpanned in response, "Okay, and if there's an equal number of screw ups?"

"You'll find out _if_ that's the case," Victini responded. Truth be told, he and Mew didn't know what they'd do to determine the winner if the ties continued happening.

Art huffed, rolling his eyes.

Mew clasped his hands together, "Okay, now we're getting back on track." He turned to the Nidoqueen beside him, "You're up, Sasha."

Victini handed the Drill Pokemon the microphone, with her sighing in response. She stepped onto the floor just as Max and Lynn approached the group.

"We're ba-a-a-ck," Max sang through his tail-filled mouth. He went toward Tim, while Lynn decided to go ahead and sit beside her teammates, who gave her looks of disapproval, with the exception of Portia and Christine.

"Okay, good. Feed Tim and get him healed. We're about to start the second to last round," Mew instructed.

Max flew towards Tim, who was still groaning in discomfort and who had began to shiver ever so often. Seeing this, Max couldn't help but chuckle as he reached into his tail, pulling out a berry. "Here you go… _Don't you shiver_ - _"_

Tim gave him an unamused glare. "Not funny," he stated groggily before being fed the berry. Upon chewing and swallowing it, the Tropius let out a relieved sigh. "Arceus, that makes me feel better already."

Honey glared at the Tropius and Delibird, still finding them insignificant. At least there was a reason for them to eliminate Tim now. _If_ they lost, anyway. With Sasha up next, her Poison Sting wouldn't do anything. Suddenly, an idea entered the Vespiquen's head as a small smile grew on her face.

"Alright, Sasha, your song is…" Mew started, having already pressed the 'Shuffle' button. The menu eventually stopped, landing on- "...'Faded' by Alan Walker."

Upon hearing the song title, Sasha rose a brow. "I… Never heard of that song before."

Victini chuckled. "Well, you'd better just sing the lyrics on the screen the best you can. You don't know what song Belladonna may get."

Sasha only let out another sigh. She looked down at the tiled floor below her, hoping that it wouldn't do _that_ much harm and distract her. "Fine…"

"Okay, then. Get ready," Mew responded as he pressed the 'Play' button.

As the beat began to play, she heard something from Jessica that caused a bit of confliction. "Sasha! Just ignore the floor altogether. Just think about Kane the whole time. It's mind over matter."

Kane gave Jessica a look, "Really?"

"Hey, she still likes you, so there's a chance that thinking about you will let her tone out and ignore everything around her," Jessica explained.

Despite his disdain for being brought up as an incentive or in an insult, the Ursaring understood where the Bruxish was coming from with her plan.

Sasha swallowed, as she heard R.J.'s growl coming from the other side, but once the lyrics started appearing on the screen, she simply started focusing and was in awe due to what the lyrics were saying. Her singing voice wasn't the best, but again, it wasn't about sounding great.

" _You were the shadow to my light_

 _Did you feel us?_

 _Another star, you fade away..._

 _Afraid our aim is out of sight…"_

As she continued to sing the song, she couldn't help but begin to tear up. She felt that the lyrics were a near perfect correspondence to how she felt about her marriage. The tiles underneath her started vibrating, but she continued to sing anyway, as if it was doing nothing.

"... _Where are you now?_

 _Was it all in my fantasy?_

 _Where are you now?_

 _Were you only imaginary?_

The Nidoqueen got into the groove of the song as the beat dropped. The tiles started shifting, turning a dark red, similar to what happened during Tim's turn. Intense heat began being radiated from the floor. Sasha could feel the intense burning feeling under her feet, but she simply continued with the song.

"... _Where are you now? Another dream..._

 _The monster's running wild inside of me..._

 _I'm faded... I'm faded…._

 _So lost, I'm faded... I'm faded..._

 _So lost, I'm faded…_ "

R.J. couldn't help but notice her crestfallen expression as she sang and laughed. "You're lost alright. Thinking that my husband would have anything to do with you!"

Sasha seamlessly toned him out, continuing to sing the song. Due to the burning in her feet, the Nidoqueen was stepping around to alleviate the pain. A lot of the contestants were actually enjoying the beat of the song and nodding along to it.

R.J. growled in annoyance, seeing that a lot of people were actually enjoying the Nidoqueen's performance in some way. Looking over, he even saw that Kane was nodding along! He clenched his fists. He was so tempted to knock out the Nidoqueen then and there, but then the whole 'never hit a woman' debacle would come into play, making him even less likeable. And not only that, but Kane would likely yell at him, something that rarely happened, but was very terrifying to the Beartic. He simply grumbled to himself as it continued.

"... _Where are you now?_

 _Where are you now?_

 _Under the bright but faded lights_

 _You set my heart on fire_

 _Where are you now?_

 _Where are you now?"_

The tiles underneath Sasha turned black, beginning to squirt a pitch-black substance at the Nidoqueen from the intersections. The sudden action made Sasha gasp, causing her to stop singing just as she was about to end.

"Ooh… So close," Victini winced. "You almost had a perfect round, but the oil gotcha."

Sasha sighed, shaking the now identified fluid off of herself. "Great…" she drawled.

"Well, go ahead and continue the song," Mew said. "You should be almost done, anyway."

Sasha nodded, facing the screen once again before finishing the song off. Once she sang the last couple of lyrics, she handed the microphone off to Victini before walking toward the ocean to wash the remaining oil off of herself.

Victini turned to Belladonna, who had been anticipating her turn for a while. "Alright Belladonna, you're the last one. You'd better hope the floor doesn't give you too much trouble."

Belladonna laughed, waving away his statement, "Oh please. This'll be nothing. I embrace this kind of thing!"

She snagged the microphone from Victini before stepping on the floor enthusiastically. The hosts exchanged looks of surprise before Mew cleared his throat. "Alright, Belladonna, let's see what your song is…"

He pressed the 'Shuffle' icon with his remote, causing the general shuffling to occur. Eventually, it stopped on a song that caused Belladonna's eyes to light up. "Your song is… 'We Like to Party' by the Vengaboys."

"Yes!" Belladonna cheered. "That's literally one of my favorite songs!"

"Of course it is," Art grumbled, rolling his eyes.

Zahku, who had been quiet throughout the majority of the challenge, groaned, "Why thorny man always so negative? Challenge almost over, just quiet."

Christine giggled, "The first thing I hear him say since this challenge started and I automatically agree with him."

Art responded, glaring at Christine, "Hey, I'm not negative, I just get annoyed, something that _you_ contribute to."

Christine rolled her eyes at him.

 **000**

" **That bitch is gonna give me an ulcer if I have to stomach more of her…" Art muttered. "How the hell is she even married? Who would marry that?"**

 **000**

"Alright Belladonna, go ahead and start singing," Mew instructed, pressing 'Play'.

The Golem nodded as the beat began playing. Belladonna, unlike the others, started 'dancing' a bit while on the floor. Due to it being her favorite song, the Megaton Pokemon already knew all of the words and, therefore, didn't need to look at the screen.

" _We like to party_

 _We like, we like to party_

 _We like to party_

 _We like, we like to party_

 _We like to party…_ "

After doing some math in her head, Honey figured out that if Belladonna didn't screw up, the Red Team would lose. She was happy about this. Though, as she actually thought about it, convincing her teammates to eliminate Tim was much easier said than done. So, she decided to fall back on her initial idea.

With another fake sneeze, she fired another poison needle, which struck Belladonna in the leg at the same time multiple purple spikes arose from the intersections of the tiles.

This sudden occurrence caused the Golem to hiss. Because she stopped, the beat stopped as well. "That's one screw up," Victini announced.

Belladonna groaned, stomping in irritation, "I would've had this perfect!" She suddenly groaned again, displaying the same behavior as Tim did earlier.

Noticing this, Tim rose a brow, "Wait, so the floor did it _this_ time? How'd _I_ get poisoned if the floor didn't even change when it was my turn?"

"Why don't you ask the only Poison-type on the island?" R.J. queried. He didn't know if he was right or not, but turning Sasha's team against her and getting her eliminated would be great for him, regardless.

Immediately all eyes went to Sasha, who was just returning from getting all of the oil off of her body. Upon seeing all eyes on her, she grew confused. "Why's everyone staring at me?"

"Sasha… Did you poison Tim while he was going?" Jessica queried, unsure of what to make of the situation.

The Nidoqueen was dumbfounded. Why would anyone think that? "No! What reason would I have?"

"That's what we'd like to know," Chip stated, folding his arms. "What reason _do_ you have?"

Still confused, Sasha responded with a question, "Why do you guys think it was me, anyway?"

"Oh I dunno…" R.J. began, egging on the situation. "Maybe because you're the _only_ Poison-type on this stupid island…"

"Literally the only way I could poison Tim is if I used Poison Jab. I don't have the Poison Point ability and it's the only Poison-type move that I have," Sasha explained.

"So… If it wasn't her… Then who did it?" Tim queried.

Art groaned, "Does it really matter? You got poisoned randomly, big whoop. You're healed now aren't you? And I doubt that when your team loses that _you_ are gonna be the one going, so can we just finish up this challenge so we can go?"

"For the first time, I agree with Art," Victini stated. "You guys can handle this issue _after_ the challenge is over. For now, Belladonna, eat one of the Pecha Berries that Max and Lynn procured, and you should be set to begin singing again."

Doing as instructed, the Golem went over to Max, who handed her a berry from his tail. After taking a bite and having the juices burst in her mouth, she felt much better as the poison was neutralized from her. "Much better…"

"Alright, get ready to start again. And… Go!" Mew announced, pressing the 'Play' icon once more. Belladonna immediately broke into song agai, continuing where she left off.

" _-intercity disco_

 _The wheels of steel are turning_

 _And traffic lights are burning_

 _So if you like to party_

 _Get on and move your body…_ "

As she continued, the floor underneath her started spraying a whitish-pink fluid at her, the smell of lilac and mango filling the area as she moved around. She slipped on the floor, as the fluid was soap. "Oh come on!" she exclaimed.

"That's screw up number two," Victini responded. "One more and the Red Team wins."

Belladonna groaned as she carefully stood back up. Once she did, the floor was suddenly completely soap-free, which caused her to sigh. So far, her constant moving on the floor was causing her to screw up due to what the floor did. She didn't want to just stand still, as she loved the song, but it seemed that it'd be the only way that she'd have a chance to win.

Mew responded, "Alright Belladonna, get ready to continue."

The Golem nodded, simply facing the screen, as the others before her did. She sang in the same enthusiastic tone, but she was annoyed that she couldn't move around now. Mew pressed 'Play' and the lyrics continued scrolling, despite Belladonna not needing them.

" _-piness is just around the corner_

 _Hey now, hey now, hear what I say now_

 _We'll be there for you…"_

" _The Vengabus is coming_

 _And everybody's jumping_

 _New York to San Francisco_

 _An intercity…_ "

Belladonna continued with the song, with everyone looking on in a rather bored manner. The floor underneath her didn't seem to be doing anything initially, but the tiles changed to a murky green color. Soon, a pungent odor filled the scene as a gas was emitted from the intersections of the tiles.

The Golem continued with the song, holding her breath as she continued. The others had to cover their noses or cover them as she decided to finish the song. She started breathing through her mouth, but stopped as she began tasting the gas.

The smell was the equivalent to a Skuntank spray, with some of the contestants having to move away from the scene, as the smell was too much for them to bear. Surprisingly, Zahku was the only one who stayed in his seat.

As her eyes started to water, Belladonna started wiping them away, but soon stopped singing again, dropping the microphone.

Victini, now wearing a gas mask, announced, "And with that… THE RED TEAM WINS!"

There was cheering heard in the distance, as the contestants came back over. The Red Team looked proud, while members of the Blue Team either glare at their opponents or looked down in disappointment.

Mew began, turning to the Blue Team. "Well Blue Team, looks like you guys are heading to elimination once again."

" _Great_ ," Art responded sarcastically. "Three loses in a row! We sure are showing _these_ losers…"

"Oh shut it, Art, you weren't any help with your stupid heckling," Christine snapped.

Mew ignored the conflict, stating, "Alright you guys, it's the afternoon and you guys ate about two hours ago. So, until dinnertime comes, feel free to go ahead and do whatever you guys normally do."

The contestants began to leave the area, with Tim and Max hanging behind for a while. Taking notice of this, Lynn cleared her throat, nudging Christine. "Uh… I'm gonna hang back with Tim for a bit, just letting you know."

A small smile formed on Christine's face. "You changed your mind?" she teased.

Lynn blushed in response, giving the Kricketune her answer. "Maybe. I mean... We're likely just gonna talk like usual…"

Christine scoffed playfully, continuing to walk away. " _Sure_ …"

Lynn gave her friend a jocular look, shaking her head as she started heading back to the beach. Mew and Victini were busy getting rid of all of the equipment, teleporting it all away from the vicinity. Once they were finished, they left as well, leaving Tim and Max alone.

The Gogoat approached the duo, the latter of which nudged the former to alert him of her. Tim had been deep in thought regarding how he got poisoned, as it didn't make any sense to him. When he was nudged by Max, he immediately looked to him before looking the other direction. He jumped a bit upon seeing Lynn there unexpectedly. He was _that_ deep in thought.

Stammering, he greeted the Mount Pokemon, "H-Hi, Lynn."

She responded with a small smile," Hey… Uh… Do you mind if we talk for a bit?"

Upon hearing that, Tim's heart sank. _She_ was going to talk to _him_? He immediately grew nervous, thinking that Max had said something to her regarding him. He let out a soft sigh before turning to Max. Understanding the situation, Max nodded, "I'll be… Somewhere else."

The Delibird flew away from the scene, leaving the two Grass-types alone. Once the Delivery Pokemon was gone, Lynn lied down with a sigh. Not wanting to prolong the situation, Tim cleared his throat slightly. "So, uh… What'd you want to talk about?"

Lynn blushed slightly. "Um… It's not really a secret, but… I have a feeling that people are hiding and listening in on us, so… I think I need to whisper it."

Tim rose a brow before nodding in understanding. He leaned his head down toward her, only for her to plant a kiss on his cheek. The Tropius' face lit up like a stoplight, his entire face turning a shade of crimson. "I really like you…" she admitted in a whisper.

Tim looked to Lynn in surprise, an even brighter blush on her face. He didn't know how to respond initially but, not wanting to sit in silence, he responded. "I… I really like you, too."

Lynn smiled before Tim continued, "I was trying to ask you this earlier before Chip took me away, but…" He took a breath, keeping his eyes clenched, "Will you go out with me?"

In response, the Gogoat nuzzled against him, making him open his eyes, looking down at her. "Of course I will…" she responded.

Tim smiled back, nuzzling her in response.

Having seen the interaction briefly, Honey smiled to herself.

 **000**

" **I guess Timmy thinks that having a girlfriend will make him less of a pathetic loser. Well, he's sadly mistaken," Honey commented.**

 **000**

Having seen them enter their cabin, Honey flew over toward the Blue Team's cabin. Glancing out of the window out of boredom, Jessica noticed this and immediately rose a brow.

 **000**

" **Honey's going to talk to the other team? What the hell is she planning?" Jessica queried.**

 **000**

Deciding to go incognito to listen in, Jessica floated out of the Red Team's cabin and headed toward the Blue Team's. On the way there, she saw that Tim and Lynn were walking back together with smiles on their faces. Curious, as she had talked to him about this earlier, the Bruxish decided to unconceal herself and floated over to them.

"So, I take it that you finally did it?" she playfully asked.

Tim chuckled, "Yep. We're…" He gazed down at Lynn, who nuzzled him slightly. "We're together…"

Jessica giggled, "Cute. Well, congratulations you two. Let's hope that you guys last long."

"Yeah, that's all that we really _can_ do," Lynn responded with a giggle of her own.

Tim changed the subject briefly, curious as to what the Bruxish was planning considering that they saw her appear out of nowhere to come and greet them. "So, uh… What were you doing out here? Were you like waiting for us or something?" he asked with a soft chortle.

"Uh… Actually no," she responded, looking toward the Blue Team's cabin. "I saw Honey go into the Blue Team's cabin and I was trying to see what she was doing."

Tim groaned upon hearing that. "Sure, she calls _me_ a traitorous stain on the team, but doesn't want to hear anything about how _she_ doesn't do anything and does stuff like _this_."

"Hey, hey, hey, stud. You just got yourself a girlfriend. Do you really want to go into a tirade about another girl right now?" Jessica playfully questioned.

Tim looked down at Lynn, who only looked back in response. He sighed, "I guess you're right."

"Yes, I am," Jessica responded. "I'll keep you posted, but you just enjoy some time with your new lady for now."

Tim chuckled with a nod, "Alright."

As the couple started heading toward the forest, Jessica went invisible once again. Unbeknownst to them, they had been watched the entire time.

 **000**

"See," Honey responded, gesturing to the scene she had just witnessed. "Your self-proclaimed team leader is now dating a member of my team. If that's not a sign of bad things to come, I don't know what is."

Art, Dade, and Zahku, who were in the cabin, simply exchanged uninterested looks, the Ferrothorn stating. "Look, R.J. and Kane are already married and they're on separate teams. Guess what? They're haven't been cheating for each other."

Honey rolled her eyes, "That's because they're on the same level. They're both 'intimidating', strong males. They don't _need_ to take care of each other all of the time. Tim is literally no one special, and he needs help if he wants to actually accomplish something. He was the only one on our team that failed, for fuck's sake!"

"He got poisoned by someone," Dade responded flatly.

"By who?" Honey responded, feigning her ignorance. "Sasha doesn't know any Poison-type moves other than one that requires her to physically _hit_ something. So, who is there to really blame?"

"Okay, look. Just get to the point you're trying to make. If we're free to do whatever the hell we want until dinnertime, I just want to take a nap, not listen to your rambling," Art stated bluntly.

Annoyed by him already, Honey decided to oblige and cut to the chase. "I want you to eliminate Lynn."

"What?!" Dade exclaimed. "Why would we do that?"

"Goat lady one of best players," Zahku responded. "No way. Cricket lady need go. Singing too bad."

Honey responded, "Exactly. Lynn is a good player. But how well do you really know her? She was certainly quick to help out Tim during the challenge. What happens if he gets hurt in another challenge? Is she gonna actually abandon her new boyfriend, or is she gonna play the nice, good girlfriend and help him out? Possibly costing you the challenge?"

None of the guys had a response to that, as the Vespiquen rose a good point. Seeing that she had them slightly, Honey continued. "And even further. She's supposedly a strong player and a good leader, right? Do you _really_ want to deal with someone like that when they actually dissolve the teams?"

They guys once again said nothing in response, until Dade chimed in, "But Christine-"

Honey rolled her eyes, "So she sounds like nails on a chalkboard. Big whoop. You can literally eliminate her any time that you guys lose again."

Seeing their conflicted looks, Honey considered her work there done. "Anyways, do it or don't, it'll be you guys' decision." She flew out of the cabin, leaving the guys to exchanged looks of unsurety.

Jessica, who had been next to the window, watching and listening, immediately floated after Tim and Lynn to warn them.

 **000**

 **Jessica cursed, "That rotten bitch! She's seriously trying to convince the other team to eliminate Lynn because she's dating Tim!? What the fuck does she have against the poor guy?!"**

" **I've gotta hurry up and warn her, maybe they'll be able to force a tie if all of the girls vote for one of the guys."**

 **000**

 **Honey shrugged, "Hey, it's up to them now. Either they listen to me or they don't. I know that Lynn is too smart and dedicated to this stupid game to throw challenges and that Tim, being the wuss that he is, wouldn't be upset at her because he knows that she wants to win."**

" **But, if I'm able to convince those idiots to get rid of her** _ **now**_ **, I know that I can make it further in this game than my asshole teammates think."**

 **000**

 **Art groaned in annoyance. "That bee bitch made a pretty good point. Christine is practically fodder that we can get rid of at any time, and then we have the Burmy and Makuhita. After that… it'll be three girls against me and R.J., and I don't enjoy those odds."**

" **Plus, getting rid of someone who could be a threat early on** _ **is**_ **a good way of thinking. Ugh… If I actually go through with this, it means that I'll have to deal with Christine's mouth even more. But, then again, we could** _ **try**_ **to lose and get rid of her then. After that, it'll truly be game time."**

 **000**

Portia and Belladonna were in the girls' side of the Blue Team's cabin. Portia still wasn't really in the mood to talk, instead she lied on her back, staring at the bunk above her.

Impressed by her singing, Belladonna decided to try and strike up a conversation about it to lift her spirits. "So… You were the only one of us to actually finish a song. That's gotta feel pretty good, right? _And_ you didn't sound that bad."

Portia sighed as she started getting out of bed. She didn't really want to talk just yet, despite wanting to just forget about the entire ordeal. She continued trying to block it out mentally like she had been doing for the past fifteen years, but even then, _that_ took a while. She hated feeling this way, as she felt that she was isolating herself and making others still feel bad for her when they didn't need to.

She couldn't even really surf again because of the memories that plagued her. She felt so stupid for not realizing that she was being taken advantage of, thinking that it was all a part of the surfing training. She still really liked the activity despite what happened, but what had happened when she was younger caused her to not pick up another surfboard for about four years.

She sighed, "I'm gonna go for a walk. I'll… I'll talk to you later, okay?"

The Golem was just happy that she was talking to her again, replying, "Okay."

Portia nodded before exiting the cabin. She started walking in the direction of the forest. On her way there, she heard the creaking of a door. Turning in the direction of the sound, she saw Chip exiting his team's cabin. She wouldn't verbally admit it, but the Rhyperior found the Machamp rather attractive.

She saw him as a jerk initially, as did everyone else, but lately he's been proving himself to be more than just that. His muscular frame and apparently high intellect made him someone that she only admired from a distance. However, knowing his lack of interest, she simply continued to the forest in order to try and clear her head.

 **-000-**

Walking down a path, the Drill Pokemon glanced around, taking in the natural scent in the air and admiring the plantlife. She soon noticed an old, rocky-looking 'staircase' that led to a slightly higher slab of land. She didn't really trust it, as she continued down the normal path until she reached a fork in it.

Taking the right path, she continued glancing around, watching as Spearow flew in a 'V' formation in the sky. She glanced to the trees on either side of her, rubbing her head.

"Come on, Portia. Snap out of it. It was years ago," she said to herself. "You're acting pathetic…"

Unbeknownst to the Rhyperior, there was a large, arbitrarily placed pile of leaves stretched across the middle of the path. She continued talking to herself, unknowingly stepping in the crunchy leaves. She was suddenly yanked upwards by a snare, hanging her upside down.

Panting from the shock, Portia looked around in confusion, "W-What the hell is going on?" Looking up at her foot, she saw that it was wrapped by a rope and hanging from a thick tree branch. She started wriggling in an attempt to use her weight and break it off.

Seeing that it wasn't really doing anything, the Rhyperior groaned, attempting to aim an attack at the tree. Before she could, though, she heard a familiar voice approaching. Turning to the voice, she saw a familiar Machamp jogging before actually walking toward her. "Uh… What's happening here?"

With a sigh, Portia responded, "If I knew, I would tell you. But, now that I think about it, this was probably something Marley did before she left. Though I'm confused as to how this was avoided for a couple of days with some people taking walks."

Chip chuckled, "Well, this is actually my first time taking this path. Just wanted to see if anything was different." Regaining awareness of the situation, he looked up and queried, "Uh… Do you need help?"

Portia responded, "It'd be appreciated…"

Chip nodded before approaching her and leaping up, unleashing an icy punch at the rope. The section that he hit became encased in ice. A simple punch snapped the rope, dropping the Rhyperior to the ground with a _THUD_!

"Sorry about the rough landing," Chip apologized, helping her up.

Portia sighed in response as she got up. "Thanks… And it's okay."

"I gotta say, you did well in the singing challenge," Chip complimented. "Didn't peg you as the singing type at all."

Portia sheepishly rubbed the back of her head, "Thanks."

"And… Sorry about the whole… Sexual assault thing," Chip responded, unsure about how to approach it. "That shouldn't happen to anyone."

Portia looked down, hating when people did that. "You don't have to apologi-"

Chip continued, "But hey, it happened when you were a kid, and the bastard is probably in jail getting assaulted by other bastard. And you've grown up to be pretty good, right?"

Portia blushed slightly, "Well, sorta… I started forgetting about him after a while, but it was still in the back of my mind. Then, when I come on this show, it's brought up again and the memories started rushing back."

Chip sighed, "Ya can't let what happened to you as a kid ruin or control your life. It was a traumatizing experience, but you can use that to help yourself grow. It's different for everyone of course, and some people can't, but there's always a sliver of a chance that you'll still turn out great despite the bullshit that's happened."

Taking in his words, Portia was surprised that the Machamp was saying this. She let out a sigh, as she felt that he was right, and as she thought about it, the assault by her uncle was what made her begin training to get a stronger resistance to water, making her a stronger woman and a better surfer. "I guess…" she responded.

"I'm not saying it's a good thing at all, but the fact that you've been functioning just fine, up until last challenge, is a pretty great thing," Chip explained. "Don't let it control you again, because I've noticed that you've had a frown on your face ever since it was revealed. You'll be fine."

Portia fiddled with her fingers. "Thanks…"

Chip nodded before continuing to jog. Portia watched him go, confused but happy that he was able to help her out a bit. She started heading back to the cabin, now wary about the path.

 **000**

 **Portia sighed, "Well, I guess I can get over it again. Chip actually made some good points. I guess I can continue and just ignore it since it was so long ago."**

 **000**

Kane and R.J. were in the glade, arguing over how R.J. was behaving toward Sasha. Kane felt that she was already upset enough, so trying to get a rise out of her and further try to rub it in her face was a bit too far.

"Why the hell do you care so much about that homewrecking bitch?!" R.J. snapped. "She constantly made it clear that she didn't care that you were married and was willing to cheat to have you!"

"Yes, I understand that, but it was made even clearer yesterday that she had no chance because I was gay!" Kane snapped back. "She was already upset, so rubbing salt in the wound isn't going to fucking help anything! Do you not trust me?"

R.J. gave him a look. "You know I fucking do… You didn't even need to ask that!"

"Then why have you been acting so damn snappy?! I know you usually act like this at times, but this is too much!" Kane responded.

R.J. answered with a growl. "I don't trust sluts like her that are willing to do whatever they can to steal someone else's man when they're not interested!" He felt tears begin to form, but fought them off as he continued growling, "You're _my_ husband! You've been there for me, you've taken care of both of us for years! No other stupid bitch is gonna take you from me!"

Seeing the Beartic shuddering and fighting back tears, Kane let out a soft sigh, looking down. R.J. sniffled as he wiped his tears away and folded his arms. The Ursaring approached him, embracing him in a hug without a word, as R.J. hugged him back, still sniffling. He lifted up the Beartic, who wrapped his legs around him.

"You don't ever have to worry about that," Kane responded, "We've been together for thirteen years, and our marriage has lasted six of those. If that doesn't tell you that I love you, I don't know what will…"

R.J., still teary-eyed, looked back at the Ursaring holding him before planting a kiss on his lips.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard, alerting the couple. Kane put the Beartic down as they turned around. Immediately R.J.'s eyes narrowed in a penetrating glare as he saw who was approaching.

Sasha, with Tonya in tow, nervously approached.

"What are-" R.J. started to growl before being hushed by Kane. The Ursaring gave him a look, making the Freezing Pokemon stop and stay quiet.

Kane approached them, wondering if something was going on since they're on the same team. "What's up, girls?"

Tonya looked to Sasha, who sighed before looking into the Ursaring's eyes. She got lost in them momentarily, but seeing R.J. behind him, watching, she reminded herself of what she came here to do.

She let out a depressed sigh, "Look, I just… I wanted to say I'm sorry for my obsessive behavior towards you. My married life isn't great, and you just remind me of all of the good qualities that I wish that my _actual_ husband had. In understand that you don't like me and I'll try not to bother you or R.J. anymore…"

Kane was surprised that she felt that she actually had to apologize. He chuckled, "Uh… Thank you. IBut, why'd you apologize?"

"Because, I kept on trying to get you to like me, I was too clingy, and… I just acted like a whiny brat," Sasha admitted, looking down in embarrassment. She looked back up at him with a simple request. "Can we… At least be friends?"

Kane smiled, responding, "Of course." She immediately hugged him, causing R.J. to growl and start to come over. Knowing this, Kane looked back at him and held out his paw, telling him to stop.

R.J. clenched his fists as the two separated. "Well… I guess I'll see you guys later." She and Tonya started leaving the glade, with Kane chuckling. He turned back around, only to be met with an annoyed glare from his husband.

"And… What was that about?" he asked in annoyance.

"Calm down, she just came to apologize for everything and asked if we could at least be friends," Kane explained.

R.J. was surprised, but still felt that the Nidoqueen was up to something. "Uh huh… Sure…"

Kane chuckled, kissing the Beartic once again.

 **000**

 **R.J. growled. "I still don't like that bitch."**

 **000**

After about four hours passed, the contestants were called to the mess hall for dinner. Their dinner, this time, consisted of lasagna and dinner rolls.

Lynn and Tim sat next to each other, as opposed to across from each other, with Max and Christine sitting across from them with smiles on their faces.

"Well, this should be cool for you guys," Max responded. "No more 'will they, won't they', just love."

Lynn giggled, taking another bite of the lasagna as Tim just took a bite without his utensils, as usual. Seeing this, Christine shook her head. "Really Tim? Lynn's your girlfriend now, and you still don't want her to help you eat 'normally'?"

"That's something a lazy guy does," Tim replied. "I'm fine."

Jessica suddenly floated over to their table, "Lynn, Christine, you guys are gonna have to convince Portia and Belladonna to vote for one of the other guys."

Lynn rose a brow, "Uh… Why?"

"Because, Honey went into the Blue Team's cabin to try and convince the guys to vote for _you_ ," Jessica explained.

Tim twitched, "She _what_?!"

"Why would she do th-" Max began before groaning to himself. "Of course…"

"She tried to convince the guys that you'll turn your back on them the second that you see Tim get hurt," Jessica continued. "Now, R.J. wasn't there, and Dade and Zahku seemed to be against it, but I don't know about Art. You guys may need to take him out."

Christine laughed, " _Gladly_."

"Thanks for the head's up, Jessica," Lynn thanked. "I owe you."

"No you don't. Just you still being here with Tim, would be fine enough for me," Jessica responded.

Tim smiled as the Bruxish headed back to her own table. He turned to Lynn, "I really hope you don't get the boot. Honey just loves fucking antagonizing me for some reason! It's so annoying!"

"Well, there's one of two possibilities…" Max responded. "Either she likes you and is just acting like a bitch for attention, or she dislikes you because you didn't do what she said when we first got here."

"I swear… If she likes me, I definitely won't reciprocate anything. Fuck her," Tim growled as he looked back and glared at her.

"MEMBERS OF THE BLUE TEAM, REPORT TO THE ELIMINATION AREA! IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO LOSE ANOTHER PLAYER!"

"Good luck, girls," Max said.

Lynn and Tim exchanged looks before briefly locking lips. Once they pulled away, Lynn gave him a smile, which he returned. The members of the Blue Team vacated the mess hall, leaving the Red Team members alone.

Jessica glared at Honey, "Honey, you really are a piece of work."

The Vespiquen rolled her eyes. "What are you on about now, loose lips?"

"You know _exactly_ what she's talking about, you miserable bitch!" Tim snapped. "Why the fuck did you try to convince their team to get rid of Lynn?!"

"Because she's a threat, _and_ she happens to be your new girlfriend, so it's a win-win for me," Honey explained simply.

"Wait, what's going on right now?" Kane queried, confused about the whole situation.

Max sighed, "Basically, Honey went into the Blue Team's cabin to tell them to eliminate Lynn, who Tim _just_ started dating after they semi-flirted back and forth for the past week."

Kane, Sasha, Tonya, and Chip looked at Honey in shock. The Vespiquen groaned, "Oh will you get over it? It's a valid strategy, _and_ it'll be beneficial for us. Plus, I don't even know if they'll go through with it."

"If they do… You are _definitely_ eliminated the next chance we get," Chip stated. "That's just fucked up."

Honey huffed, "Oh please. As if that relationship would last long anyway. You can get upset if you want, but I'll be right in the end."

Tim glared daggers at her.

 **000**

" **I… Want… Her… Gone…" Tim seethed.**

 **000**

The members of the Blue Team returned to the ceremonial area of the beach, which was still littered with fallen foliage from the surrounding trees. Dusting leaves off of the metal benches, the contestants took their seats.

Mew and Victini approached, as usual, only this time, Victini was the one with the chip bag. Mew greeted them with a sigh. "Three eliminations in a row. That's _really_ gotta suck."

"Yes, it does," Dade responded.

"Well, it'll suck especially for the person who goes home tonight," Mew responded. "Now, you guys already know the drill for the ceremony, so when I call your name, you'll receive a bag."

The contestants exchanged looks, with some of them knowing, or thinking that they know, how things were going to go.

"Dade, Zahku, Portia…" Mew began, as Victini tossed them their bags.

Zahku caught both his and Dade's while Portia caught hers without trouble.

"Belladonna, R.J., and Christine, you three are safe as well," Mew answered, with Victini tossing them their bags as well.

The three of them caught their bags with ease, with R.J. letting out a sigh of relief, as he wasn't at the bottom this time.

"Now… This is quite the surprising predicament, because either way, a strong player from your team gets eliminated," Mew said.

Art and Lynn exchanged looks, while the others simply watched on in anticipation.

"Now, it was sorta close to a tie… But with four votes to three, the one going home is…

…

…

…

…

…

…

...Lynn. Art, you're still safe."

Both Art and Lynn, as well as a few girls on the team as a whole, were shocked. The Ferrothorn caught his bag before chuckling, "Huh, didn't think I'd still be here."

Lynn looked down in disappointment. Christine scoffed, "Okay, what the heck happened? This should;ve been a tie!"

"It's okay, Christine," Lynn began. "I lost because I'm a threat. That's better than being voted out for being weak… Right?"

"But you were a good leader and a strong player as a whole! These numbnuts literally just listened to Honey instead of trusting in your capabilities!"

"Didn't you just hear, idiot?" Art responded. "She is a strong-willed, reliable leader, and she could be tough to take out later. There's literally no hard feelings."

"How did you even know that Honey came to us?" Dade queried.

"That doesn't matter!"

"Christine!" Lynn shouted, getting the Kricketune's attention as the Lapras appeared. "Just… Tell Tim that I'm gonna miss him and that I'll see him later."

Christine sighed before nodding.

"Well, Lynn, it was nice meeting ya. We'll be seeing you," Victini said as the Gogoat climbed onto the Lapras.

As the Lapras swam away from the island, Mew and Victini turned to the remaining seven members of the Blue Team. "Alright you guys, head on back, and we'll see you again next week."

"Wait, we get the weekends off?" R.J. queried.

Mew and Victini nodded, with the former responding, "Yep. So, enjoy your short time off. You guys' meals will still be provided at predetermined times. Now git!"

The Blue Team started leaving, with Christine keeping her distance from the rest of them. She couldn't believe the choice that they had made, and she knew that things were only going to get worse from there."

The hosts turned to the camera. "And with a that, we say goodbye to Lynn. Who'd think that she'd actually be gone so early?" Victini queried.

"Well, with that happening, I'm not even sure about what to expect now," Mew commented, "Who'll be eliminated next? Find out next time on our Island Challenge!"

 **000**

" **Eh, I guess I'll vote for Lynn. Really** _ **is**_ **better to get rid of her now rather than later," Art stated.**

 **000**

" **I was ensured safety in the game if I vote for Lynn, so… Sorry. No hard feelings," Belladonna explained. "Self-preservation is a key thing in this game."**

 **000**

 **Christine giggled, "So long Artie…"**

 **000**

" **Well, Lynn and Christine** _ **did**_ **lie to us and vote for Lucky,** _ **and**_ **Lynn is a threat for the future. I guess I'll go for her," Dade responded.**

 **000**

" **Art," Lynn stated.**

 **000**

 **Portia sighed, "I… I guess I'll vote for Art."**

 **000**

 **R.J. shrugged, "Eh, don't care about goat girl that much anyway."**

 **000**

 **Zahku huffed, "Still voting for cricket lady."**

 **000**

 _ **Votes:**_

 _ **Lynn - 4 votes (Art, Belladonna, Dade, R.J.)**_

 _ **Art - 3 votes (Christine, Lynn, Portia)**_

 _ **Christine - 1 vote (Zahku)**_

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 _ **Red Team - (Chip, Honey, Jessica, Kane, Max, Sasha, Tim, Tonya)**_

 _ **Blue Team - (Art, Belladonna, Christine, Dade, Portia, R.J., Zahku)**_

 **000**

 **Bet you weren't expecting this one! Oh… You're indifferent. Oh well, I tried. Tim and Lynn are now together,** _ **but**_ **Lynn is now eliminated thanks to Honey. She is just gonna keep painting a larger target on her back isn't she? I wonder how Tim is gonna react. Chip helped pull Portia out of her short rut, R.J. and Kane's relationship is now in the open, and Sasha… Actually apologized. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time on Total… Pokemon… Zero! See ya guys, BYE!**

 **000**

 _ **Elimination Order**_ **:**

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)**_

 _ **19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)**_

 _ **18th - Marley Banner (The Pranking Prodigy)**_

 _ **17th - Lawrence "Lucky" Addams (The Unlucky Charm)**_

 _ **16th - Lynn Jamison (The Calm Leader)**_


	7. Water You Doing

**Next**

 **000**

It was a Sunday afternoon on Jeje-Amawa Island. As the sun slowly descended, turning day to night, the contestants were exiting the mess hall after having dinner, which was nothing more than microwaved TV dinners, similar to what they had eaten the night prior.

Max entered his team's cabin with a sigh, seeing Tim's still empty bunk. Kane approached him from behind in order to look inside as well. With a sigh of his own, he rhetorically asked, "Still nothing?"

Max flew up to his bunk without saying a word as Kane, and eventually Chip, entered their side of the wooden building. Chip's bed creaked as he sat down on it with a groan. He sighed as he lied down, saying, "Well, we're likely to see him tomorrow for the challenge. If not… I don't know what to tell you."

Max responded, blowing out a breath, "I mean, I know he's gonna come back, I just feel bad for him."

Kane agreed with the Delibird's sentiment. "Yeah, he gets a girlfriend that he's been working on all week, and she gets eliminated because Honey convinces her team that she's a threat _and_ because she's dating Tim."

Chip shook his head, "Honey's definitely getting the boot next. She's just been a major pain in the ass _and_ she hasn't been helping the team at _all_."

At the mention of that, Max recalled something that Tim told him before their last challenge. He looked to Chip, his curiosity building. "Hey Chip, Tim said that he was gonna tell me more about something regarding getting rid of Honey after the last challenge."

Chip rose a brow, surprised that Tim had told Max about their plan. It was fine, though, as the Delibird would likely vote for the Vespiquen anyway. He explained, "Yeah, we just talked to him in order to get confirmation that he'll definitely vote for Sasha with Jessica and me."

Max and Kane both grew confused, as the Machamp made a declaration a few seconds ago that Honey would be the one to go next.

Kane was definitely confused, and also a bit annoyed that the Nidoqueen was a target. "And… Why were you planning on getting rid of Sasha instead of Honey? You literally just explained why she deserves to go," he asked sternly, his arms folded.

"Believe it or not, it's because of you," Chip explained. "Sasha was, and probably still is, infatuated with you. And you know that if she asked you to help her with a vote, you'd do it."

Kane gave him a look of annoyance, "I'm not that easily influenced. Just because I'm nice doesn't mean I let people control what I do. If I agree with things that people suggest or say, then I do it on my own volition. We need to get rid of _Honey_ , not Sasha."

"Uh huh… And what would you do if I told you that Sasha and Tonya were helping Honey?" Chip revealed nonchalantly.

Kane's eyes widened, as did Max's. Neither of them even thought that the two girls really liked Honey all that much. Sure, they sat with her during breakfast and dinner, but usually _Honey_ was the one that went over to sit with _them_.

"Wait, they're helping her?" Kane reacted in shock. "How?"

Chip, having to explain, sat up with a soft groan. "Jessica eavesdropped on them one day and found out that they were planning on controlling the team since Honey was able to convince me to vote for Xavier in order to save myself."

Upon hearing that plan, Max could only deadpan, "That's the dumbest plan I've ever heard. No one on the team really likes Honey, maybe aside from those two, so her idea was already flawed."

Chip sighed before turning to Kane, "Actually, we figured that since you and Sasha were still 'friendly', that she'd be able to convince you to vote with them. And since I 'owed' her, I'd end up voting with them, too. So, it wasn't _entirely_ flawed."

Kane glared in annoyance before rolling his eyes, "So what now?"

"Well, since we know that you aren't catering to Sasha's whim, we _could_ go ahead and get rid of Honey the next time that we lose," Chip responded with a chuckle. "Jessica's gonna try to convince Tonya to betray her and we'll be all set."

"We'll be saying goodbye to Honey the very next time we lose," Max said. "Perfect karma."

"Yep," Chip responded with a nod as he lied back down on his bed.

Kane popped his back as he started heading to the door, "Alright, well. I'm gonna go head to the glade. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow."

"Alright, see ya," Max replied with a wave as the Ursaring exited the cabin.

 **000**

" **Did they seriously think that I'd do whatever Sasha said just because she had a crush on me?" Kane queried. "Well they're wrong. Honey is definitely the one to go next and after that, if Sasha ends up getting eliminated, then… I'll feel bad, but it's the game."**

 **000**

In the other side of the cabin, Sasha and Tonya were just lying in bed, Honey's actions still eating at them slightly. The way Tim acted after he found out that Lynn was eliminated was a bit saddening. Honey mocked him after hearing that her plan had worked, and he responded by using Air Slash, launching a spiralling light blue orb in her immediate direction. He left after that, and no one had seen him since.

"I hope Tim's okay," Sasha remarked. "Hopefully he hasn't just gone AWOL. We can still use him in the challenges."

Tonya remarked, "There's literally no way for Honey to be safe in the game, now. The entire team is against her and we're just playing along."

Sasha nodded in agreement, "Yeah, she's talking about getting rid of me in the last challenge, but now she's talking about giving me a second chance now that I'm over Kane? Bullshit."

"I just hope that we're able to get rid of her soon and that I don't run into anymore pranks," Tonya stated.

Being reminded of that, Sasha turned to her friend, "Oh, speaking of that, what happened with that?"

Tonya sighed, "I was hit by a log and fell into a mud pit."

Sasha winced, "Ooh, that had to hurt."

Tonya responded with a shrug, "My head hurt for a while, but I was okay. I just hope that Marley didn't leave any worse ones."

Sasha giggled with a nod as the sound of the creaking door got their attention. Jessica entered the cabin with a sigh. After she had finished dinner, she immediately went back in the forest to try to look for Tim. Having no luck, she returned back to the cabin for a break.

She groaned in annoyance as she floated past the two girls, heading to the furthermost bunk beds. "Honey is going to end up messing up this whole team if she keeps acting like a rotten bitch. I know that this is a competition, but we should still be able to get _some_ enjoyment out of it."

"Yeah, I can agree with that," Tonya chimed in. "I've been having a pretty cool time here, aside from the whole… Honey thing."

Jessica, seeing this as an opportunity to talk to the girls, posed a question to the two. "Why are you two even still in an alliance with her?"

Both girls immediately turned to her in surprise. How did she even know? The girls exchanged looks, which Jessica acknowledged. She expected them to act like they didn't know what she was talking about. However, given that she apparently already knew, instead of playing dumb, they were straight with her.

Tonya let out a sigh, "Well, originally it was just going to be us voting together as one and hopefully getting the majority. Then, she started talking about controlling the team because we helped out Chip, so he'd have to help us, and because Kane was convincible."

"There _was_ a plan for us, mainly _her_ , to be good team players so that there'd be no real reason to vote us out," Sasha explained further. "But, that went out the window immediately. And apparently, because I was upset about Kane, she got annoyed and decided that she wanted to get rid of me. But, that changed since we won, and she decided to give me 'another chance', since I did well in the challenge."

Jessica sighed. She didn't ask for a rundown, as she knew a majority of that information already. "I already know all of that. I asked you why you were _still_ with her. She's an abrasive, hypocritical bitch that doesn't do anything but fling insults."

"Yes, we get that. That's why we're not _truly_ allied with her anymore. Yes, we're in an 'alliance', but she's gotten so unbearably bitchy and negative that we're pretty much done," Tonya explained. "We're just playing along to give her false hope now."

The Bruxish was surprised to hear that. They were actually ahead of her. " _Huh, well, looks like we'll be getting rid of Honey sooner than I anticipated_ ," she said to herself. She nodded at the girls, "Good idea. The faster we cleanse this team of her, the better."

"Where _is_ she anyway?" Sasha queried, raising up and walking toward the window, gazing out of it curiously. "She's usually here before you."

Jessica responded flatly as she lied down in her bed, "Well, I don't care about where she is as long as I don't have to hear her."

 **000**

Because she was able to convince them to get rid of Lynn easily, Honey figured that she could convince the males from the Blue Team to get rid of other possible hindrances with ease. She was let into the cabin by Art, who groaned upon seeing her.

With a scowl, the Ferrothorn questioned the Beehive Pokémon, "What the hell do you want now? You had better not expect us to give in to everything you've got to say."

Honey rolled her eyes as she entered the cabin, "Oh hush, you know that I was right. Lynn was a threat, and now she's gone. It's good for everyone."

Zahku countered, "It not good for banana neck man."

Honey scoffed, "Tim is just a wimpy bitch. He literally tried to attack me because I was the one who convinced you guys. He shouldn't have come to this show looking for a relationship in the first place. We're not here to make friends or find love; we're here to win 100,000 bucks and bragging rights."

"Get to the point…" R.J. groaned exasperatedly. "We're getting rid of Christine next, anyway, so what you say won't really matter."

Honey shot, "Oh pipe down. You're the exact same as Lynn. You're a threat with a stupid partner on the opposing team, so _you_ could very well get the boot next if I decided to convince the girls…"

R.J. snapped at the Vespiquen, with Art extending one of his feelers in order to keep him from attacking her. The Beartic gave the Ferrothorn a look of agitation, but he turned back around, facing the wall.

"Look, if you're just gonna antagonize us, you can take your ass out of here," Art stated sternly. "Either say what you came here to say or get out."

Honey huffed, folding her arms. "Sounds to me like you're a bunch of ungrateful saps. I guess I can take my business elsewhere."

"Good!" R.J. growled, "Your dumbass will probably be the next one eliminated now that your team knows that you've been talking to us."

Honey giggled mockingly. "You'd think that. But if my team keeps winning… There's no chance of me getting eliminated. And hey, you never know what kinds of things these hosts may decide to do."

The guys exchanged looks as the Vespiquen opened the door. "You boys have fun…"

The Beehive Pokémon exited the cabin, slamming the door behind her. There was silence in the cabin following that, with Dade nervously querying, "So, uh… Should we be worried or…?"

"Pssh, worried about what?" R.J. responded. "That bitch isn't gonna do anything. She can't even get along with her own team."

The Burmy nodded in understanding, but replied, "Yeah, but… What if she's able to convince Portia and Belladonna?"

Art gave him a look, "And what would that do? They're just two girls. Am I supposed to be quaking in fear if she decides to talk to them? We have the numbers to vote against them if that happens to be the case."

"And I doubt that those two are dumb enough to listen to her anyway," R.J. added, walking toward the door. "I'm pretty sure they don't even like her, so why worry about it?"

He proceeded to exit the cabin, heading toward the glade. He glanced around, the lights from the cabins and mess hall illuminating the campgrounds as per usual. The Beartic followed the usual path he took to the glade before noticing a figure heading in his direction.

He saw that the figure was holding something rather large, causing him to become mildly nervous. He just continued walking toward the glade with the figure steadily approaching. The would-be weapon in the figure's hands wasn't risen, and upon stepping more into the light, R.J. saw that it was only Christine holding her violin case.

He let out a sigh of relief; he should have known that the hosts wouldn't have left them alone with a possible unknown assailant. Christine noticed the Beartic's sudden reaction and huffed. "What's with you?"

R.J. responded simply, "Didn't see you that well, so I thought that you were some random attacker for a bit."

The Kricketune rolled her eyes, still miffed that he played a part in eliminating Lynn and causing Tim to act the way he did. "Whatever," she responded as she brushed past the Beartic. The action made the Freezing Pokemon growl and turn back to glare at the retreating musician.

 **000**

" **If that bitch is still pissy that her only friend is gone, then she can** _ **definitely**_ **hit the road next," R.J. stated sternly. "She's a nuisance to everyone anyway,** _ **and**_ **she sucked in the last challenge, so… Fuck her."**

 **000**

The Kricketune entered the girls' side of the cabin with a sigh. Portia and Belladonna greeted her, but got no response, which they understood. Lynn was the one that Christine normally spoke to, after all.

Christine placed her violin case against the wall before climbing onto her bunk. Despite knowing how she was feeling, Belladonna attempted to finally apologize for Lynn's elimination. She knew that she and Lynn had come to her and Portia on Friday, asking for assistance in eliminating Art instead, but she had already talked to someone else. The Kricketune had been rather bitter and distant from the others since it happened, but given that they had a challenge tomorrow, Belladonna knew that Christine would have to get over it and not blow her own chance in the game.

The Golem cleared her throat, "It's been nearly two days, Christine. Don't you think acting like this is something that Lynn would frown upon? I mean, I'm pretty sure some the guys already have it out for you, so being like this isn't really gonna help anything."

Christine rolled over to face the two, a disgruntled and perplexed look on her face. "I just don't get it. How were there only three votes for Art? I know that all of the guys voted for Lynn for sure since there are four of them, but… There should've been four for Art, too. I know that I voted for Art… Did you girls?"

Portia rose her hand, answering, "I did…"

Belladonna guiltily fiddled with her nails. "Uh...Truthfully?"

Portia and Christine looked at her in confusion; had she not voted with them? Seeing their confused looks, the Megaton Pokémon sighed. "I… I voted for Lynn," she admitted.

Eliciting looks of shock and betrayal from Portia and Christine, Belladonna quickly followed up with, "Before you yell, let me explain."

"Please do!" Christine demanded angrily. "I need to know what the hell you were thinking! Lynn was practically the team leader, we _asked_ you to vote with us to keep her safe because of Honey involving herself in our team's elimination, and you vote _against_ her instead?!"

Understanding her rage, Belladonna calmly explained her case. "Look, I feel kinda bad about it. But, I was approached and told that if I voted against Lynn, I would be safe in the game for a longer time. And since I blew it in the last challenge, I didn't want to take that risk."

Christine burst in irritation, "And who the heck told you that?!"

The Golem let out a sigh, responding, "They said that it would be better if I didn't reveal them and that if I did, I'd be eliminated."

Portia rose a brow at that logic, inquiring, "But, how would they know if you did?"

"Apparently body language…" Belladonna said, confused about the answer herself. "But, that's the truth. I'm sorry, but I just didn't want the chance to be eliminated."

Christine took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. It was the dumbest reasoning she had ever heard. It was practically confirmed, on the guys' side, that _she_ would be the one eliminated just because they didn't like her _and_ apparently because her singing sucked. Where in the world would Belladonna suddenly get the idea that she was in trouble in any way? Either she was lying, or she was much more paranoid than she was letting on.

Assuming the former, Christine simply turned away from them in her bed. Suddenly, Portia said something that posed a few questions.

"Wait, if there were four votes for Lynn, and Belladonna was one of them," the Rhyperior began. "Doesn't that mean that one of the guys went against the plan?"

Christine sat up, "That's… Probably true. So, if one of the guys was actually against voting out Lynn, that means that he's likely not agreeing with Honey or the other guys, so we actually have a chance to vote out R.J. and Art!"

"Well, it's either Dade or Zahku, and I'm not entirely sure about either of them," Portia remarked. "But, I would guess Zahku, since he's a pretty tough dude."

Christine huffed in agreement, "I can see that; Art and R.J. probably bullied Dade into voting with them. So, we just have to find time to talk to Zahku and see if we can get him on our side." She turned to Belladonna with narrowed eyes. "There is an _our side_ now _right_?" she asked sternly.

Belladonna nodded in response, looking down in disappointment.

"Good," Christine said, lying back down. "Now, goodnight. Let's hope that we can actually win this challenge tomorrow."

Portia decided to go ahead and get some sleep as well, lying down in her bunk and turning to the wall. Meanwhile, Belladonna simply lied down in her own bunk, wondering what would happen next. Closing her eyes, she drifted off to sleep with the competition in mind.

 **000**

The next morning, majority of the contestants were sitting in the mess hall, waiting for the hosts to show up with their breakfast.

There was a bit of awkward silence in the air, as most of what the contestants wanted to talk about was already said and discussed the night prior.

Jessica, having new information to share with Chip, and vice versa, wanted to talk, but with the silence, she didn't want to be overheard or looked at. Eventually, Kane entered the mess hall, carrying R.J., who was still asleep, like a toddler. Exasperated by the display, Honey spoke up. "We fucking get it, you two are gay. You don't have to fucking remind us every day. It's literally nothing special."

"And the _wonderful_ silence we had is now broken," Max sarcastically retorted.

Kane ignored the Vespiquen's comment, deciding to tune her out. She wasn't worth the time or effort, and he wasn't going to risk possibly strangling her, though the thought _had_ crossed his mind, mainly in a dream.

He sat down with R.J. sitting in his lap, still asleep. Art rolled his eyes upon seeing this. Growing impatient, he annoyedly inquired, "Where are these damn hosts?"

Christine immaturely responded, "On your mind."

"Oooh, _burn_. You sure showed me…" Art retorted, mocking her. The Kricketune glowered at the Thorn Pod Pokémon.

Soon enough, the two hosts appeared inside of the mess hall. Victini set the breakfast platters on the table before distributing them to the contestants. Mew began counting the contestants, noticing that they were short one.

"Okay, we're missing a player," the New Species Pokémon acknowledged, looking around.

"Who cares?" Honey responded boldly. "Tim is a loser. If he doesn't come, we have a reason to vote him off."

Jessica giggled at her statement, amused by the Vespiquen's lack of awareness. "No, no, no… You seem to still have us mistaken for fools. When we lose another challenge, _you_ will be the one going home."

Honey rolled her eyes in response, while the hosts exchanged looks of annoyance. Mew cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention once more. "Anywho… Today's challenge will once again take place on the beach. Meet us down there in half an hour. And Red Team, if Tim doesn't show up by then, you guys might end up getting a penalty."

Victini nodded, adding, "Yeah. So, it may be in you guys' best interest if you found him. Other than that, enjoy your breakfast and we'll see you guys at the challenge."

The two hosts floated out of the mess hall, leaving the contestants to begin their first meal of the day.

 **-000-**

As conversation began to erupt in the mess hall, Jessica couldn't help but look around as Chip started to dig into his breakfast box. At the table beside them, she noticed that Portia was ogling Chip quite a bit, a blush forming faintly on her face.

The Bruxish rose a brow at this. Upon realizing that she was being watched, Portia immediately turned her attention back to the breakfast box in front of her. Finding it sudden, as the Rhyperior hardly ever showed interest in the Superpower Pokémon before, Jessica looked to Chip, who was just scarfing down the eggs, sausage, and biscuit from the box.

"It seems like you've gained an admirer, big boy~", she said teasingly, getting Chip's attention.

Chip rose a brow, wiping his mouth before responding in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

Jessica giggled as she explained, "Well, I just happened to notice that Portia was watching you and blushing."

Surprised, Chip glanced over at the Rhyperior, who was simply eating her breakfast, her cheeks looking a tad bit flushed. His eyes widened as he looked back down at his box in surprise; he barely did anything to really warrant this. He was attractive, sure, but why would she suddenly find him attractive when she hardly showed it before? Unless…

He let out a soft sigh, "I don't think she really likes me. It's probably just a temporary thing since I helped her out of her depressed slump last Friday."

Jessica scoffed, "And why is it not real because of that?"

Chip began, "Because, sometimes girls or guys who are feeling down, lacking self confidence, or who are close to being hurt usually fall in love or gain short crushes on the people who help them. Then, it fades away after a couple of days."

Jessica hummed before glancing back over to Portia. Her eyes wandered back over to them, only to dart right back to her breakfast upon them still watching her. Jessica giggled, "Yeah, no, I think it's real."

Chip huffed, "Well, I don't know what you want me to do in that case. Sure, she's kinda nice, but she's not really my type."

Jessica gave him a look, "Not everyone can be a curvy or pretty. Why don't you just give her a chance?"

Chip sighed, looking back over for a while, "I'm mean... maybe, but I don't know. Plus, I'm pretty sure that Honey would target her next because she'd be dating me."

Jessica groaned at the mention of Honey. "Don't remind me," she fumed. "But hey, we've got good news. Sasha and Tonya both hate Honey. They're just playing her."

Chip nodded in response, "And apparently Tim told Max about our plan to weaken Honey, so I had to explain to him and Kane our thought process."

Jessica deadpanned, "Well so much for our alliance." She followed with a sigh, querying, "What'd they say?"

"Well, they're both surprised that we were going for Sasha," Chip explained. "But, after I explained our reasoning, Kane got a bit annoyed and said that he's not that easily influenced, and also that we need to focus on getting rid of Honey, rather than her."

Jessica giggled, "Well, given that _everyone_ is against Honey at this point, except for the bitch herself, I say that we'll have an easy out at the next ceremony we have."

Chip nodded as he closed his breakfast box, finished with it. He rose up with a groan, stretching. "Well, I'm gonna see if I can find Tim. We don't need this penalty."

"Alright then, I'll see you at the challenge," Jessica responded as she watched the Machamp dump his box in the trash bin and head out of the mess hall.

She glanced back over at Portia, who had watched him leave. A look of understanding formed on her face as she decided actually begin her own breakfast.

 **000**

" **Portia seems to like Chip, but like he said, it** _ **could**_ **just be for the moment and she'll get over it, but I doubt it," Jessica stated.**

 **000**

Max, watching Chip exit the mess hall, decided that he wanted to go with the Machamp to search for his friend. However, given that he still had some breakfast left, he also wanted to finish it. He sighed, putting his and Tim's breakfast boxes out of the mess hall with him.

Keeping an eye on Chip so he didn't lose him, Max headed to the cabin in order to place his and Tim's boxes inside for later. He flew after the Machamp, who was heading toward the forest through a path on the opposite side of the campgrounds.

He flew alongside the Machamp, who was a bit surprised initially, but understood why he was with him. "'Sup, Max," he greeted. "You coming to look for Tim, too?"

"Look at you, asking the obvious questions," Max chuckled in response. "He's pretty much the main guy I've talked to on a regular basis, so of course I'm gonna look for him. Plus, if we don't find him, the team gets a penalty. I don't want that to happen."

Chip nodded in understanding. "Yeah, neither do I. Any idea where he could be?"

Max gave the Superpower Pokémon a look, admitting, "If I did, he'd probably be back at the campgrounds already."

"Fair enough," Chip shrugged. As they proceeded through the forest, the Machamp brought up a question in order to engage in a conversation for a while. "So, still wanna know where I got these tatts? I don't think I got to explain it to you."

Max was surprised that the Machamp remembered the question he had asked a few days back. "Sure," he answered. "They're still pretty cool."

The Machamp chortled, flexing his muscles as they continued walking down the path. "Well," he began," I actually got these as a reward from a bet."

Max was intrigued by this, inquiring, "What kind of bet?"

"It was a bet between me and a couple of my friends to see who could bed down the most people within a week. The winner got to get a couple of tattoos of whatever they wanted and the losers had to pay," Chip explained with a soft chuckle.

Max was a bit confused about the conditions of the bet. Weren't the losers of the bet usually the ones that get the punishment or have something done to them? "That's… Kinda weird. But, whatever, I guess. How many people did you have sex with and more importantly, _how_ did you get them to agree?

The Machamp smirked, folding his arms, "All I really did was head to one of the gay bars around my city when it was pretty packed and asked if anyone wanted to hook up."

"Oh…" Max responded in surprise. "Well, I take it that you got a ton of suiters."

Chip sheepishly chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "You'd think that. Y'see, there were like 100 or more guys, and a few girls, there. Once I asked that out loud, literally only about six or seven guys even turned to me."

Max stifled a laugh, "Well, not everyone is gonna be eager to partake in sex with some random stranger who asks."

Chip nodded affirmatively. "Yep, and I'm kinda glad that it wasn't that easy. I still bedded down six of the guys, though."

Giving kudos to the Machamp, Max remarked, "Impressive. And were any of them really good? Did a relationship form for a short period? Or was it strictly a bunch of one night stands?"

"Oh, I handled them all... two at a time… all in the same night," he said. "Luckily I had good stamina…"

Max was a bit disturbed, but also impressed by the Machamp. "So, was that enough?"

"Apparently so," he responded, "My friend-"

He was interrupted, as he ended up stepping in a snare, disguised as a pile of leaves. He was flung behind the bended tree, slamming him into a pool of mud before recoiling back and hanging him, upside down, in front of Max.

"What the hell was that?!" the Delibird exclaimed.

Chip could only groan in response, holding his head from the whiplash. "Arceus, my head…"

"Don't worry Chip, I'll get ya down from there," Max assured the Machamp as he flew up toward the rope. Just as he prepared to use Aerial Ace, the rope was suddenly sliced down by a bunch of leaves launched from the opposite direction.

Chip dropped to the ground, still groaning from the head pain as Max looked ahead, his eyes widening. From the distance, a Tropius slowly approached. "Hey, Tim!" he greeted happily, flying toward his friend.

Continuing and eventually landing in front of him, Max folded his arms. "Where the hell have you been?" he scolded, smacking his friend's leg in irritation.

Tim sighed in response. "I've just been getting my head together. I knew that if I stuck around there, I'd probably try to attack Honey _and_ the idiots that voted for Lynn. So, I just removed myself for a while until it was time for the challenges again."

"So… You're okay now?" the Delibird queried. "No pent up anger? No need to attack anyone?"

Tim took a deep breath. "No... No, I'm good. I know I'm gonna hear Honey's mouth when I get back, so I'm just gonna tune her out and not respond. I finally understand that if I don't respond, she'll just keep going and make _herself_ look like an idiot."

Max smiled in response, "Well, that's definitely better than what's been going on. Come on, let's head back. And uh… Maybe you can give Chip a lift because he's got a headache from what just happened."

Tim looked forward, seeing a muddied Chip groggily stand up, holding his head. He smacked his lips before nodding in agreement. "Yeah…"

 **000**

 **Tim let out a sigh. "I just needed a short break after the complete and utter stupidity that happened Friday. Honey.** _ **Honey**_ **, was able to convince Art and Dade, who are supposedly smart, to eliminate Lynn because she was a** _ **threat**_ **? How the hell was she really threatening?! She was strong, but so are Portia, Belladonna, R.J., Zahku, and Art, himself!"**

" **If we lose another challenge, Honey had better be the next one gone," Tim stated.**

 **000**

Still in the mess hall, Kane was still eating and talking with R.J. and Art. Now that the competition was back underway, he felt that he could express his thoughts about their team's decision. "You guys really shouldn't listen to Honey anymore," Kane suggested. He explained, "Eliminating Lynn was a pretty dumb move. She really wasn't a threat. If anything, Honey was just trying to piss off Tim and weaken you guys."

"Hey, you worry about your team and we'll worry about ours…" Art responded bluntly.

"That's pretty hard to say considering someone from _my_ team influenced your decision last time…" Kane responded with a glare. "All I'm telling you to do is not listen to Honey anymore. If she comes to you again, fucking ignore her."

"A bit too late for that," R.J. responded with a yawn, leaning against him. "She came to us last night trying to tell us what to do again, but we pretty much made her fuck off."

With a groan, Kane glanced over at the Vespiquen's table before looking away. "That bitch _really_ thinks that she's better than everyone."

"Well, according to her, we're not really here to make friends, form relationships, or really have any fun. We're just here for the money and the bragging rights…" Art paraphrased. "So, she's more than likely in the mindset of 'These losers aren't serious, so this'll be easy'."

"I'd say you're giving her too much credit, but she _did_ convince you guys to get rid of a good player, somehow, so… I guess that's plausible," Kane responded.

Art rolled his eyes. "Whatever. You guys really need to get over that. She wasn't even on your team. I can maybe understand Tim, but everyone else on your team needs to get over it already. Hell, even Tim should get over it by now since they only knew each other for a week."

"So he shouldn't be upset that his girlfriend got eliminated the very same day he got her?" Kane tonelessly asked, narrowing his eyes at the Ferrothorn.

Art groaned in annoyance, "I'm leaving. This conversation is just gonna get dumb and I don't wanna deal with it. Keep talking to your husband and hopefully he'll give me the cliff notes if you say something worthwhile..."

The Ferrothorn proceeded to exit the mess hall, leaving his plate behind. Kane let out an exasperated groan, "Maybe I should just keep my fucking mouth shut."

R.J. gave him a look. "You better not," he stated in a serious tone. "Just because he walked away doesn't mean you shouldn't talk at all. Now, I admit, the thing with Lynn was stupid; but then again, I didn't really care about her at all. And neither should you."

He turned Kane's face to his, locking eyes with him. Keeping the same tone, he continued, "This is a competition, and people are gonna do and say whatever they can to get into your mind, psych you out, and get you eliminated. And despite what that entitled, hypocritical bitch may think, a lot of us _are_ actually having a pretty good time _and_ taking the game seriously. Now, I'd better not ever hear you doubt yourself again… Got it?"

Kane smiled, bringing the Beartic's chair even closer, "You got it, babe…"

R.J. planted a brief kiss on his husband's lips before patting his face and pulling away. He went back to his breakfast soon after, with Kane chuckling.

 **000**

 **R.J. huffed, folding his arms. "I don't like my man being upset and I don't like him doubting himself, either. Honey is just a pathetic excuse of a woman who thinks that she's above others when she's not. I would have been happy to beat the shit out of her for insinuating that she'd get me eliminated, but Art held me back."**

" **All I'm gonna say is… If that bitch gets my husband eliminated somehow, her head is mine," he snapped.**

 **000**

Watching the two bears, Honey couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Pathetic… Those two definitely need to go next. Which shouldn't be a problem since you're over him now."

Sasha, whom she was talking to, rose a brow in shock. She wasn't _completely_ infatuated with Kane anymore, but she was still friends with him and didn't want him to go so soon.

"Why would we vote him out? I may be over him, but he's a good guy," Sasha defended. "I don't think we should eliminate him just because he disagrees with you."

"What?" Honey scoffed, "I don't give a shit about that. He's _married_ to someone on the other team, and like with Lynn , I don't feel like dealing with him _or_ his husband in the merge."

"Wait, so what happened to just controlling the team?" Tonya queried. "And I honestly don't think that it's gonna be possible given that everyone else on the team hates you."

"Well, if that happens, then you two will have to take over," Honey responded. "And if you win, I'll be taking my sixty percent of your winnings for forming this alliance in the first place."

Sasha was dumbfounded upon hearing that. She seriously expected them to hand over 60,000 Poke just because she was the 'founder' of the alliance? "Uh… I don't think that'd be fair," she explained. "We'd make it further because you'd get yourself eliminated since you didn't follow through with our 'being nice' plan. How does that warrant you getting more than us?"

"Because I _always_ get what I want," Honey stated bluntly. "So, unless you want me to ruin your reputations and maybe even your lives, I'd suggest you abide by my rules. And for questioning me, make it seventy percent. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

The Vespiquen began flying out of the mess hall, leaving the two aggravated girls there. The Accelgor scoffed, "Th-That bitch seriously thinks that threatening us will make us give up our prize if we win? She has another thing coming."

"Oh, I'm gonna _love_ getting rid of her," Sasha expressed with a sadistic giggle.

 **000**

 **Honey folded her arms, "My father owns a very large real-estate company, so money flows in like a waterfall. My mother, brother, and I always get what we want, even if we don't need it, we take it just so we can say that we have it."**

" **Not only that, but my great-great-great-great-great grandfather was a king in Kalos, meaning that I'm part of a royal family. I'm quite literally better than everyone else in this game. If I was being truthful, I would have just made the hosts give me the prize and send the rest of these losers home on the first day. But, that would've been far too easy."**

" **So, I might as well show these losers, and the people watching this, that I can make it far and win this on my own," Honey explained. "I'm already sure that Tonya and Sasha are both planning on going against me at some point, so I'll just have to see if I can either keep my team winning, or hope that these stupid hosts do some of those 'weird' elimination instead of the wonted ones."**

 **000**

Once most of the contestants finished their breakfast, they headed down to the beach for the challenge. The weather was exceptionally sunny, making it perfect for a day on the sandy beach.

The hosts waited for all of the contestants to approach, most of whom were surprised at the appearance of Tim, who seemed to be rather stone-faced. Next to either one of them was a large, transparent tube with a smaller, horizontal tube sticking out of it.

"Hello contestants," Mew greeted. "Welcome to your next challenge!"

"Uh… Is it like a blowjob simulator or something?" Dade queried, confused about the object before him.

Nearly everyone gave the Burmy a sardonic look, finding his question idiotic.

Victini stifled a laugh, however, responding, "You wish it was."

Mew took over, explaining, "Today's challenges, as well as the ones in a couple of days following, are going to be following a theme. Today's theme is… Water."

"Huh… I guess this is kinda cool," Portia commented, a smile forming on her face.

Victini responded with a nod, "It should be. And on a hot day like this, it's definitely warranted."

Mew took back over, beginning to explain the challenge. "Now, this first challenge is going to be a set of head-to-head races to see who will be able to free themselves the fastest."

He and Victini each opened up the top of the tube beside them as he explained what the contestants would be doing. "Now, one player from each team will be shackled to the bottoms of these tubes. There will be a total of ten keys at your disposal that you will have to use to unlock your shackles and the top of the tube. The player that gets out first wins a point for their team."

Victini added, "There will be five participants from each team. The remaining players will be required to participate in the second challenge of the day, so choose wisely. The team that wins this challenge will get an advantage in the next one."

Art spoke up about a concern upon hearing that rule and the reward. "That'd put us at a double disadvantage over them in the second challenge. If they win, they'll have another thing helping them. Plus, they'd have three players participate and we'd only have two."

"Actually, no," Victini countered, causing a quizzical look to form on the Ferrothorn's face. The Victory Pokémon explained, "Since Jessica is the only Water-type contestant, she does not have to participate _and_ she gets immunity if the Red Team loses."

Upon hearing that, Jessica's eyes went wide and a gaping smile formed on her face. "Yes!" she cheered.

"Yep," Victini continued, "This means that the Red Team will be equal to the Blue Team today, so unfairness is not a factor."

Art huffed, rolling his eyes. As long as their team wasn't at a disadvantage, he didn't care.

Mew pointed to the horizontal tube sticking out from the main one. "Now, as you can see, we've offered you an air supply that will only open when you require air, so no need to worry about water leaking out."

"So, go ahead and choose your five participants for the first challenge, and by extension, the two for the second one," Victini said.

Following those instructions, the competitors separated into their teams.

 **-000-**

Kane let out a sigh before patting Tim's side. "Well, I'm glad you decided to come back, Tim. You doing okay?"

Tim was about to respond, but Honey cut him off before he could even get a word out. "Who cares about how he's doing? If he wasn't here, he'd have cost us the challenge. Plus, he just showed weakness."

"Honey, shut up!" Chip snapped. "We don't have time to hear you bitch at him. Let's just focus on getting this challenge _right_ and we can talk to Tim more afterwards."

Honey glowered at the Machamp in response, but decided to stay quiet for once. Talking smack wouldn't do anything for her, as she actually had to participate in the challenge this time around.

"Huh, whaddya know, she's actually shutting up," Jessica commented with a giggle.

Honey gave her a look of annoyance, saying, "Shut it, skank. You're lucky that _you_ don't have to participate."

Max let out a sigh, growing exasperated from the interactions. "Can we please stop the petty arguments? We just got a teammate back _and_ we have challenges to plan for."

"Max is right," Tonya agreed. "We need to s-spend less time hurling i-insults and more time actually thinking things th-through for the challenge. Now, I have an idea about what we can do."

"Well, I'm all ears," Kane said, folding his arms. "What've you got?"

The Accelgor suggested, "We can have our two best swimmers handle the second challenge, and the rest of us can handle this one. This one is just a matter of us holding our breaths, or not even that, just getting unlocked quickly."

"That sounds like a good idea," Sasha remarked, fiddling with her claws. "Hold off on using our best players until the end. Though… The question becomes who _are_ our best swimmers? Besides Jessica, of course."

Chip hummed in thought, initially agreeing before bringing up another point, "Well, I think that _I'd_ probably be one of the best swimmers. But, we need to think about Tim, too. He doesn't really have a way to grab the keys or anything, so it'd be an instant loss for him."

Honey huffed, folding her arms while mumbling under her breath, "Maybe he actually _should_ have stayed away…"

Jessica cautioned, "Well, I'm not sure if we want to risk that or not. I think a majority of them over there are fine with water. Well, aside from Dade, but he's too short to do anything anyway."

"I'll just go with Chip," Tim declared tonelessly. "They just said that the theme was water, and we don't know what the second challenge is. It may not even be swimming. It'll be fine."

"You sure, dude?" Max queried, noticing his friend's solemn demeanor.

"He already said he'd do it," Honey said with a glare. "Why try to change his mind?"

Deciding to take the Tim route, Max simply ignored the Vespiquen, still facing the Fruit Pokémon, waiting for an answer. After a few seconds, Tim responded, "Yes, I'm fine."

Max nodded in affirmation. "Okay then. Well, we've got Chip and Tim participating in the second challenge and the rest of us doing this one. Let's hope we don't screw this up."

 **000**

"Alright," Art began. "I say that because Portia and Belladonna are strong in water, they should be the ones to handle the second challenge."

Dade cleared his throat, casting a disapproving look at the Ferrothorn. "Um, and what am _I_ supposed to do? I probably won't even be able to use the keys or reach the breathing tube!"

"Then you're just gonna have to be a sacrificial pity point," R.J. said straight-faced.

Christine spoke up, explaining, "Art won't be able to do anything, either; his feelers won't allow it. So, what? Is he gonna be a 'sacrificial pity point', too?"

"She has a point," Belladonna agreed. "Out of all of us, Dade and Art are the ones who'd have the most difficulty with this."

"The next challenge is gonna deal with water in some way, too," Art countered. "Either we do it _now_ and still have a chance at three possible wins _or_ we risk losing the second challenge altogether by having Dade and I go then."

Portia reasoned, "Okay, so we'll have Dade and Art participate in the first challenge, and they'll just lose. So, the rest of you will have to just be fast in order to make up for it."

"That sounds like it can work," Christine nodded as she glanced over to the other team, whose members were still standing together, discussing what they needed to do. "Although, I'm a bit worried since they seem to have faster players, whereas we just have generally stronger ones."

"Well, we're just gonna have to deal with it, now aren't we?" R.J. retorted.

Christine rolled her eyes with a vexed expression.

 **000**

Both teams returned to the center of the beach, where the hosts were waiting. With their return, Victini inquired, "Alright, so is everything settled?"

"Yeah. Should be," Sasha commented, looking around before folding her arms.

Mew nodded before querying, "Okay, so, who's gonna to go first for each team?"

The members of each team exchanged looks of initial unsurety, as they hadn't thought about the orders at all, really. Eventually, volunteers decided to step forward, or were shoved forward due to plans.

For the Red Team, Sasha had let out a sigh before stepping forward; at least her turn would be over with. Meanwhile, for the Blue Team, Dade was pushed forward by R.J.'s foot, much to his chagrin.

Seeing the choices, Mew rose a brow, a bit worried about how things would go for the Bagworm Pokémon. "Uh… Alright, Sasha and Dade. Um..."

Victini, knowing what Mew was worried about, hummed to himself. "Well, uh… Dade, it seems that you're too short for this challenge to work in your favor. So, I guess we'll just give their first point to the Red Team and spare you the struggle and possible drowning."

Dade let out a sigh of relief. He didn't even have to participate! "Thank Arceus…"

Like Dade, Sasha was rather surprised that they were just going to give her the point due to the Burmy being unable to complete the challenge. While the Red Team was ecstatic that they received an easy point, they were surprised that there wasn't much of a reaction from the opposing team.

They decided not to say anything, as the Blue Team's lack of a response caused suspicion to arise. The ensuing silence prompted Mew to respond, "Alright, next set of participants."

Honey, with an unwilling sigh, flew forward. "Fine. I'll go and get this shit over with. The faster I get this dumb challenge done, the better."

"Ooo, look at Honey, actually taking initiative in a challenge," Victini commented. This comment earned the Victory Pokémon a glare of annoyance from the Vespiquen.

Seeing that Honey was going, Christine decided to go as well, eager to put the Vespiquen in her place for getting Lynn eliminated. She stepped forward with a dour expression. "I'll go, too. Might as well make her look like the slacker she is _and_ get my team a point."

Honey narrowed her eyes at the Kricketune, who could only glare back.

Mew chortled to himself, noticing the tension. "Alright then, let's get you girls inside of the tubes and get the first _real_ round started," he reported.

 **-000-**

Honey and Christine each entered their own teams' tube. Mew placed Honey's shackle around her slender waist due to her lack of legs. The grip around her waist made the Vespiquen blush slightly, but she got over it in a matter of seconds, her blush being replaced with a grimace aimed toward Christine.

Due to Honey's lack of legs, in order for it to be fair, Victini also placed Christine's shackle around her waist. The Kricketune hummed to herself as she felt the cool steel against her body. She peered at the keyhole in the center and glanced at her thin arms, an idea springing in her mind.

As the tops of each tubes were locked, both girls began thinking about what they were going to do. Their keys were at their midsections, as was the breathing tube. While they thought about their strategies, Victini announced that they were about the begin.

"Alright you two, the challenge is about to get underway. Remember, use your keys to unlock yourselves, and the first person out of their tube earns a point for their team," Victini reiterated. "The water's about the start filling the tubes."

Just as he said that, water suddenly began filling the tubes from the bottom. The other contestants simply watched on, some in silence, others whispering to each other or talking to themselves.

As the water reached their waists, Mew nodded to himself. "Alright… GO!"

 **-000-**

Honey decided to go ahead and start breathing through the tube as she grabbed the keys. The water continued to rise as she attempted to shove the first key into the keyhole. She growled in frustration, hoping that it could be a 'one and done' type of situation. She didn't want to be in there longer than she had to be.

Eventually, the water overtook her, and she breathed only through her mouth. She tried the next key, inserting it and trying to turn it. It had the same result, which was none. She moved onto the third one, continuously hoping that the next key would be the one that got her out.

Meanwhile, Christine was breathing through her mouth at a normal pace. She hadn't even touched the keys. Instead, she was using her arms in order to try and pick the lock for a quick escape. Fiddling around with the inner mechanisms, she was eventually able to unlock herself. She looked upwards at the top, knowing that she'd have to abandon her air supply while she tried to pick the top lock as well.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Sasha opined. "She can't just pick the locks like that!"

"Oh be quiet over there, you have damn near the fastest person on the island on your team," Art countered. "You don't get to complain."

Eventually, despite beginning to slowly struggle for air, the Kricketune was eventually able to unlock to top and pop it off, exiting the tube.

"Yes!" she cheered, extending her arms to the sky. She glanced over at the other tube and saw that Honey had just unlocked herself then.

The Vespiquen noticed that the Kricketune was already out of her tube and growled to herself. She held her breath as she started going through all of the keys in order to find the right one that unlocked the top of it. Periodically heading back down to the breathing tube for more air. Eventually, on the ninth key, she was able to unlock the top and pop it off.

She panted heavily, wiping her face as she gazed over at the Cricket Pokémon, who was climbing out of the tube. "How the hell did you get out so fast?" she inquired, angry, but curious.

Christine giggled in response. "My arms played a pretty big role…" she answered, waving her arms once again.

"Yes they did. A role in breaking the rules," Victini stated, folding his arms.

Upon hearing that, Christine, as well as a few other members of the Blue Team, were shocked. "What?" she responded. "I didn't break any rules."

Mew replied with a straight-face, "We told you guys to use the _keys_ to unlock yourselves. Not your arms or any other possible appendages."

"But you didn't say that it wasn't allowed, either!" R.J. argued. "That's a loophole, if anything!"

"Well, we disagree," Victini responded. "So, with her being the one to actually follow the rules, Honey earns the Red Team another point."

The Red Team, once again, was ecstatic. This time, the Blue Team expressed their irritation with a few members' groans. The guys had to give Christine credit and admit that it was a pretty smart move; they still found her annoying, though.

Honey's wings were still wet, so she flapped them quickly in order to dry them off before getting out of the tube.

Mew began, "Now, that round took a surprisingly short time. SInce that may be the case for the other rounds, we're gonna add something that'll make things a bit more difficult for you."

Kane rose a brow, "You already have us holding our breaths underwater while we're unlocking the tops to get out. Isn't that tough enough?"

"Nah," Victini responded, waving away his comment away. "You still have access to the breathing tube, so it's not _that_ tough."

"What do you plan on adding?" Jessica inquired, despite not having to participate.

"You'll find out in this next round," Mew responded. "Speaking of, who's up next?"

From the Blue Team, R.J. shrugged before stepping forward. "I guess I'll get my turn over with, too."

Kane smirked upon seeing that. He almost wanted to see how his husband did against other people. However, all eyes went on him as soon as they saw that R.J. was participating. He had beaten him in the guessing challenge, and he was the 'dominant' one in their relationship, so they figured that it would be good for him.

Kane sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Uh… I'm not so sure about me going this round. R.J. is much better in water than I am."

"Well, we're saving Tonya for last, and between you and Max, I'd say that _you_ have a better chance," Jessica reasoned.

The Ursaring sighed, glancing over to the other team, where he saw his husband sneering at him. With a sigh, Kane acquiesced, "Okay. I'll go."

"Alright, let's get you guys in the tubes," Mew said, clasping his hands together.

 **-000-**

Each bear was placed inside of his own tubes. Passing competitive glares to each other, the bears had their legs shackled. Kane playfully winked at R.J., who smirked to himself.

Noticing the expressions on their faces, Honey exclaimed, "You'd better not lose on purpose, Kane!"

Chip gave her a look, "He literally just told us that R.J. is stronger in water than he is. Plus, he wouldn't lose on purpose."

"I don't like the looks they're giving each other," Honey opined, folding her arms.

"Well, they're married, so they're gonna act that way and _still_ focus on the challenge," Jessica responded. "I don't see why that's so hard for you to understand."

The Vespiquen rolled her eyes, ignoring the Bruxish.

Before the tube tops were fastened and locked, Mew and Victini both decided to go ahead and add the extra 'obstacles'. "Alright," Mew began, holding a white bucket. "We're about to add some friends to make it a bit more difficult for you."

Kane let out a sigh, while R.J. simply folded his arms in wait. Both hosts dumped the contents of their buckets into the tubes. Small white fish filled the floor of the tubes, accompanied by a bit of water.

"Tynamo… Seriously?" R.J. deadpanned.

"Yep, while you're trying to unlock yourselves, Tynamo will be swimming around and giving you guys some shocks," Victini explained. "The rules stay the same. Use the keys to unlock yourselves, unlock the top, and exit."

The tops were fastened and locked, with Mew and Victini heading back to the others. "Okay guys, more water is about enter the tube."

After stating that, water began filling the tubes, allowing the dozens of Tynamo to swim a bit more freely. The water continued to rise and the Tynamo began to produce a bit of electricity as they swam around them. Once the water was at their waists, like the girls before them, Mew announced that they could begin.

"And… GO!"

R.J. grabbed the keys before him before taking a deep breath and bending down to start working on his left shackle. Due to some _escapades_ with Kane back home, he could hold his breath for up to five whole minutes. The Tynamo didn't bother him too much, as their shocks were relatively weak compared to larger Electric-types. After fumbling with the first key, he immediately moved onto the second one.

On the opposite side, Kane had taken a breath and was trying to unlock his right shackle while the Tynamo delivered their were weak, sure, but it was still pretty annoying to feel. He moved onto the third key. Inserting it inside, he started wiggling it in order for it to click. He eventually gave up, moving onto the next key.

R.J. was on his fifth key, still calm. The Tynamo weren't giving him any real pain, but, like Kane, he was getting irritated by their shocks. It was almost comparable to a mild joy buzzer. With the fifth key not working, he moved onto the sixth key as one of the Tynamo surrounded itself in electricity and slammed into his lower back.

This happened just as the Beartic had unlocked his first shackle. The blow caused R.J. to growl as he quickly started breathing through the tube again. He swatted at the attacking Tynamo in retaliation. The sudden attack prompted multiple of the other Tynamo to glare at him. Noticing this, R.J. swiftly went back down to unlock his other shackle, not wanting the entire school to attack him at once. Due to him being in water, the attack would be much stronger, and he could very well be knocked out and drown.

Kane annoyedly inserted the seventh key into his shackle, still holding his breath. Eventually, he was able to free himself of his right shackle. He began shaking a bit due to the air he was losing before standing back up to get more air from the tube. He went back down, using the same key to unlock his left shackle.

He looked over at R.J.'s tube and saw him already working on the top of it. The Ursaring swiftly did the same, having to sort through the keys yet again in order to find the one that unlocked the top.

R.J. was being tackled repeatedly by the Tynamo, which was much better than being shocked. Though, some of the EleFish Pokémon were still administering shocks. He was close to being paralyzed, feeling his limbs slowly go numb. Luckily for him, he found the correct key that unlocked the top and popped it off. He climbed up and out, panting heavily as he sat on the top.

"Man… Fuck… These Tynamo…" R.J. panted. Suddenly, he felt himself get pushed off of the tube top, as a bunch of the Tynamo had tackled his butt, sending him off the side of the tube.

"Well, R.J. earns the Blue Team their first point!" Mew announced.

A few members of the Blue Team cheered, with Art and Christine being the only ones to remain quiet. This time around, the Red Team was the team that didn't have any real reaction. Kane had warned them beforehand _and_ it was still pretty close.

R.J. groaned in pain, having landed on his stomach. He glanced over, seeing Kane approach him with a smirk. "You alright, there?" he queried as he extended his hand.

The Beartic, grabbing his husband's hand, got himself back up, smirking at him. "Looks like I'm the one who won this time…"

Kane chuckled, "Considering that you have some _experience_ with holding your breath more, I wasn't really that surprised."

R.J. placed his hands at the Ursaring's shoulders with a smirk as Kane hugged him close, planting a kiss on his lips. This kiss was immediately interrupted by the hosts.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Victini shouted, making the males break their focus and turn to him. "No time for makeout sessions. Do that _after_ the challenge."

R.J. chuckled after hearing that, whispering in Kane's ear, "We'll do more than enough once this challenge is over…"

Kane rose a brow, surprised that R.J. was behaving this way. He chuckled, "I dunno what's gotten into you, but I think I like it…"

The two bears moved away from each other, returning to their respective teams. Honey glared at the Ursaring as he came back over. Sasha, having been watching the two, took a few breaths, jealous of the Beartic on the other team. When they were walking back, she could have sworn that she saw R.J. sneer at her.

She let out a huff, unsure of what to make of it.

 **000**

" **I don't know if R.J. was trying to intimidate me or what, but I hope that he knows that even though I still like Kane, I'm not trying anything," Sasha explained.**

 **000**

" **Like I said before, I still don't like that bitch," R.J. stated firmly. "I love Kane to death, but I** _ **don't**_ **trust that skank. No matter what she says, I know she wants my man, and I'm not gonna let that happen. He is** _ **mine**_ **."**

 **000**

"Alright, so we've got a two v. one situation right now," Mew acknowledged. "One more point and the Red Team wins, so Blue Team, you'd better send someone fast for this round."

"Well, we _were_ already close to winning before Kane's turn," Jessica admitted. "But I guess we can send in Tonya to go ahead and win for us."

Tonya shrugged in response, "Okay, I guess."

"Wow, so have to choose between a cynic and a weirdo for our losing round," R.J. commented sarcastically. " _Lovely_ …"

"Let's let Zahku go," Dade proposed. "I mean, he beat up Chip before, and we don't really know what else he's capable of."

"Zahku okay with that," the Makuhita responded with a shrug.

"Alright, Zahku vs. Tonya. Let's see what happens this time around," Victini insisted in curiosity as the two participants, as well as the hosts, headed back toward the tubes.

 **-000-**

The Accelgor and Makuhita were placed inside of the tubes. Similar to Honey's situation, due to Tonya having no visible feet, her waist was shackled instead. This action was repeated for Zahku, who maintained his composure the entire time.

Once both of them were locked in, the hosts proceeded to dump the Tynamo into the tubes. Tonya shuddered slightly as the feeling of the Tynamo slipping around her body, while Zahku showed no reaction.

The tops were screwed on and both contestants stood in wait for their cue. Tonya was eager to begin, while Zahku still kept his same reaction as the hosts moved back toward the other contestants.

"Alright, let's see how this goes," Mew commented.

The water began filling the tube, once again allowing the Tynamo to swim around in the water as it reached the halfway mark for them. Once the water reached their waists, Victini announced to them that they could start. "Alright… GO!"

In an instant, Tonya grabbed the keys and immediately began working on the shackle. The Tynamo swimming around, irritated by the two earlier participants, were feistier, dishing out more shocks than they usually did. Tonya simply ignored the EleFish Pokémon, continuing to go through the keys at a fast pace.

Zahku was taking his time, feeling the keyhole before looking at the teeth on each key intently. Eventually, upon identifying which key would fit the lock, he inserted it inside and was easily able to unlock himself. He swam upwards, feeling the next keyhole with his fist. Oddly enough, the Tynamo around him didn't do anything, despite their agitation.

Tonya was able to free herself with relative ease due to her natural speed. She started going through the ten keys once again, with the Tynamo still shocking her. One of the Electric-types tackled her hands, causing her to drop the keys. Having to swim back down a few inches, she caught the keys before they hit the bottom of the tube. She felt herself running out of air and breathed through the designated tube before going right back up to the top.

Zahku finally got the correct key and unlocked the top before popping it off.

"And Zahku actually earns the Blue Team their second point without even taking a breath of air!" Mew announced. "That's… very weird, now that I think about it.

 **000**

" **Zahku can hold breath for up to half hour. Lots training helped," Zahku stated.**

 **000**

The Makuhita hopped out of the tube just as Tonya popped the top off of her tube as well. The Accelgor panted heavily before sighing in disappointment. If the Tynamo hadn't knocked the keys away, she'd have definitely won. Looking over at her team, they had looks of shock on their faces, though Honey's look was more of anger.

She rolled her eyes as she pulled herself out and moved back over to her team. As expected, the first person to say something was Honey, who scolded, "What the hell was _that_? You just got beat by some fucking foreigner who can't speak proper English!"

Tonya let out a sigh. "Look, I admit, I think I was going too fast and started fumbling the keys. And then in the last few minutes, one of the Tynamo made me drop them and Zahku got out first."

"Well, now we're hosed," Honey retorted. She looked at Max before continuing, "We just have _him_ left and I don't think that he's gonna be able to get anything done quickly."

Max ignored her once again, before looking over at the hosts. "So, is it my turn now?" he asked tonelessly.

Art followed him, explaining. "Well, considering that I'm up next, I think it's safe to say that _you_ get the point anyway. I don't think I'll even be able to fit in that damn thing, let alone handle the keys…"

Agreeing with the sentiment, Mew nodded. "That is correct. Therefore, the Red Team wins!"

A few members of the Red Team cheered in response, while the Blue Team remained relatively unbothered, having expected the results to be as such.

"Now," Victini replied. "We're gonna give you a thirty minute intermission while we set up the next challenge. Until then, go on and take a break."

 **000**

As the contestants made their way back to the campgrounds, they began separating into their different groups. R.J. suddenly walked up behind Kane and hopped onto his back. Kane, surprised by the action, was close to falling over, but kept himself stable, holding onto him.

The Beartic whispered sensually into his ear. "So, you wanna… have a quickie?"

Kane's eyes widened in shock upon hearing that request. R.J. usually wasn't one to ask for sexual encounters, especially not in public. He usually just climbed over him or pulled him down onto him back at home to signal that he was in a mood. Something was definitely up.

"Uh… I'll talk to you guys later," the Ursaring told his teammates as he walked toward his and R.J.'s sleeping quarters.

Returning to the glade, there was now a bed-like structure on the ground. It was constructed of wood and leaves, with the pillows in the usual spot and the sheets covering it. Once there, Kane laid R.J. onto the shabbily made structure before letting out a sigh, folding his arms.

"Okay… What's going on with you?" Kane inquired.

"What do you mean?" the Beartic retorted, feigning obliviousness.

"You know what I mean," Kane stated tonelessly, sitting down on the 'bed'. "You know that you never like sex in public. Kissing is okay, but full-on sex is a no."

"Well… things change," R.J. chuckled, slumping over his shoulders.

Kane stifled a laugh, not falling for it. "Yeah, no," he said, making R.J. release him with an annoyed growl. "You know that you can't fool me that easily."

R.J. cursed to himself before feeling the Ursaring's paws around his waist, bringing him into his lap. "So, just tell me what's got you acting so saucy and let's talk about it."

R.J. huffed, folding his own arms as he straddled Kane. "I still don't trust that bitch, Sasha. I just _know_ that she's thinking about you. So, I'm just reinforcing the fact that you are _my_ man and that _I'm_ the only one who can toy with you."

Kane let out an exasperated sigh. "Didn't we _just_ talk about this? You don't need to rub it in her face! We're friends and nothing more."

R.J. grumbled to himself, with Kane giving him a look. "Okay, ya know what," the Ursaring began. "You two need to get along and get to know each other better."

"What?!" R.J. bellowed. "There's no way in the Distortion World that-"

Kane silenced him with a kiss. Their eyes locked, as he pulled away slowly. "Just do it for me… Okay? You may even have some things in common."

R.J. growled, still absolutely hating the idea, but seeing the look in Kane's eyes, he could only sigh in response. "Fine… I'll _try_ …"

Kane smiled at him. "Thanks, hon."

R.J. rolled his eyes with a scoff, "Whatever. You can put me down, now."

"Aww… Suddenly you're not in a mood to be nailed?" Kane sarcastically responded as he eased his grip on the Beartic's hips.

R.J. got off of him, but immediately lied down in the bed. "I'm taking a nap…"

Kane chuckled, kissing his cheek before standing up. "Well, enjoy it. I'll come back for you later."

The Beartic cleared his throat in annoyance. "You know that I can't sleep without you being close…"

A playful grin formed on Kane's face as he turned back to the Beartic. "Really? I'm pretty sure that a week is enough time for you to become accustomed to this place, babe."

R.J. responded with a pleading look, which Kane couldn't resist. With a sigh, he walked back over to their bed, lying down next to him. Feeling the Ursaring's arm drape over him, R.J. felt a feeling of comfort wash over him and shifted against his husband. "Love you…"

"Love you, too," Kane responded with a smile.

 **000**

Tim, Max, Chip, and Jessica were all sitting inside of the mess hall. Due to his weekend absence, Max, Chip, and Jessica all had a few questions for him regarding his location and state of mind. At the moment, Tim was relatively unbothered. Sure, he hated Honey for what she orchestrated, but stooping to her level and giving her the satisfaction of a response wouldn't do anything.

"So, you're just through with Honey altogether?" Jessica inquired. "Good on you."

"Humph," Tim responded. "Just figured that responding to her will only make things worse. Apparently, _she_ can talk shit to _you_ , but if you don't wanna take her crap, she just keeps doing shit that'll anger you."

"She's pretty damn pathetic," Chip stated. "You've gotta wonder what's going on in that weak mind of hers…"

"I still just think that she either likes Tim or is holding a grudge…" Max opined with a shrug.

"And where did this idea come from?" Jessica queried in confusion. Honey seemed to be almost incapable of liking anyone.

"Just the fact that she seems to have it out for Tim the most out of everyone. _And_ she purposely got Lynn eliminated after they got together," Max explained. "So, I just thought about how some guys act like assholes to get the attention of certain girls they like, and how some girls act like haughty bitches in order to get certain guys to like them."

"That's when we're kids and teenagers," Chip responded. "I'm pretty sure we're all adults here. Though, I can see some adults still acting like they're hot shit to get attention."

Max shrugged, "Eh, like I said, it could also be that she's acting so petty because he didn't act like a servant to her when we first got here."

"And I remember how cordial and tolerable she used to be the first few days on the competition," Chip chuckled. "Sure, there were a few insults and jabs here and there, but she was still decent at best. Though I'm sure Jess and Tim disagree."

"Oh, I just found her insults amusing for the most part. Sure, it was annoying sometimes, but it was never anything I hadn't heard before," Jessica giggled. "Though, I do agree, she used to be somewhat tolerable, but now it seems like she's showing her true colors. Now everyone's against her."

"Well, hopefully, if we lose this next challenge, we can get rid of her," Tim stated. "She has no one to blame but herself. She and her alliance vote for me and Max to try and scare us, then she goes on about trying to control the team, she hurls insults and underestimates everyone, she barely contributes, she colludes with the other team to get my girlfriend eliminated, and now she's gonna get what she deserves."

The others nodded in agreement.

 **000**

Honey had followed Portia and Belladonna, as they were heading back to the cliff. The Vespiquen was planning on trying to convince them to vote for Art or R.J. if and when they lose again, preferably R.J.. The guys were already gullible enough to vote for Lynn, so maybe the girls would be just as easy.

And, with the knowledge she had of the guys' plans, it would be easy to convince them if they actually saw Christine as an ally of sorts.

As the two of them sat on the edge of the cliff, staring out at the deep blue sea, Honey slowly approached them. "Hello ladies…" she greeted, startling them as they turned toward her.

"Honey? What are you doing here?" Belladonna queried, tightening her glare at her.

"I'm here to give you guys a proposition," Honey offered. "I'm sure that you two are rather upset with the results of your last elimination."

"You mean the elimination that _you_ caused?" Portia clarified, folding her arms in a huff.

Honey rolled her eyes. Of course they already knew that she was involved. Looks like it was going to be a bit harder than she thought. She took in a sharp breath, "Yes. It is true that I convinced your male teammates to vote for her due to her capabilities in the future. However, I believe that it was beneficial for all of us, as she would have more than likely made it farther than any of us would have preferred."

Belladonna sheepishly rubbed the back of her head, looking at Portia. "I mean… She's not entirely wrong."

Portia sighed, "While she may have had a point, colluding with _our_ team is just totally unfair."

"I understand that you feel that way. But, I would still like to give you guys a proposition that could ensure that such _collusion_ never happens again," Honey offered again.

The Rock-type females exchanged looks before Belladonna let out a sigh. "What kind of proposition?"

Honey cleared her throat. "Well, I'm just going to go out on a limb and say that neither R.J. or Art are well liked or respected on your team."

"And you'd be correct... for the most part," Portia stated.

Honey nodded, continuing "And, I think it's rather obvious that the two of them have a disdain for Christine."

"Yep," Belladonna spoke up, earning a look from Portia.

"Okay then. So, I can tell you that they're planning on eliminating Christine if you guys lose," Honey explained. "So, if you want your friend to stay, I suggest that you get rid of either Art or R.J., preferably the latter. Do this, and your team won't hear from me again."

"Uh… And why do _you_ want this to happen?" Portia inquired, curious of the Vespiquen's mindset. "Didn't they just help you get what you wanted?"

"That is true, but the fact of the matter is that R.J. is in the same boat that Lynn is in. He's a strong threat who has someone wrapped around his finger on _my_ team. Plus, you just admitted that he isn't the easiest to really respect or like," Honey responded. "Now, Art is also a threat, but his attitude makes me think that he'll push away more people than he'd like, so that's why it's not him I'm asking you to eliminate."

"But, we're pretty much outnumbered," Belladonna stated, hoping that the reminder would change Honey's plan. She, Christine, and Portia already had the situation thought out.

Honey scoffed, "I'm pretty sure you can convince Dade or Zahku to vote with you. Those two shrimps are essentially the punching bags of the team, so I'm sure they'd love to be rid of R.J.."

Portia, now having heard their plan from earlier repeated by Honey, just rolled her eyes. They already had it planned out, so what harm would agreeing do? Plus, it'd get Honey off of their backs. "Okay… Fine. We'll try to convince Dade and Zahku."

"Good," Honey responded. "Glad that this happened easily. I'll see you girls in the next part of the challenge."

Once the Vespiquen left, Portia and Belladonna turned back toward the cliff.

 **000**

 **Portia shrugged, "She practically told us what we already knew and had planned. So, all we have to do is do what we were already planning and Honey will leave our team alone. It's a win-win."**

 **000**

 **Belladonna let out a sigh. "Hopefully he goes for it…"**

 **000**

Zahku was walking toward the lake, with Dade standing on his head the whole time. The Burmy was completely surprised by Zahku's skill set, so he figured that he'd learn a bit more about it in the meantime.

As they reached the lake, Zahku took a seat at the edge, looking out in the distance. He took a deep breath, inhaling the natural odor of the scene. While there, Dade cleared his throat, ready to begin a conversation.

"So, you have a lot of skills that are pretty cool," Dade began. "How many do you have?"

Zahku hummed before shrugging in response, "Zahku just experienced. No set number of skills."

"How long have you been training?" Dade inquired. "I mean, you beat Chip, you're practically fearless, and you just stayed underwater for quite a while without taking a breath.

"Zahku train for long time," he responded. "Forget how long."

"Wow, you really _are_ mysterious…" Dade stated. "Well, what do you think we should do now? I'm kinda tempted to go for R.J. instead of Christine. Honey was actually kinda right about him being like Lynn, after all."

Zahku rose a brow, "You believe desperate bee lady?"

The Burmy was surprised by his description of her. "You think she's desperate?"

"She insecure about game longevity," Zahku responded. "She come to our team to convince to vote out good players for herself. Very sad."

"I actually think it's pretty strategic," Dade complimented. "Get the other team to vote out players that will give her issues later on. It's pretty standard, but apparently it's effective since we contributed."

"Zahku didn't vote for goat lady. Zahku voted for bad singer," Zahku admitted. "No reason to agree with pathetic bee lady."

Dade rose a brow, "Wait, you didn't vote for Lynn with us? Then how'd we still get four votes for her?"

The Makuhita shrugged in response. "One of girls?"

Dade hummed, "Well, that's our only option if we want to make sense of this. But that would mean that one of the girls is willing to work with us. Or at least agree with some aspects."

"Zahku doubts," the Makuhita responded with a shrug.

"Well, we won't know unless we try, right?" Dade countered. "I think we may have time to talk to someone now if we can find them. Let's go."

Zahku sighed to himself, wanting to just relax. "Zahku wishes to lounge, but if plant coat friend is serious… He will help."

"Great!" Dade cheered. "So. I think we should maybe see if we can talk to Christine. I'm sure she knows that Art and R.J., and apparently you, are gunning for her, so she'll definitely go for it."

Dade got on Zahku's head as the Makuhita got up and started walking away from the lake.

 **000**

Sasha and Tonya were walking around the island, having casual conversation pertaining to their lives outside of the game.

As it would turn out, Tonya hadn't really been in a real relationship before. She never found anyone that she was really attracted to on a special level, and she hadn't truly thought about it.

"So, you never had a relationship and you haven't thought about having one?" Sasha inquired. "That's kind of… odd."

Tonya shrugged, "I don't really see it that way. I mean, I still find guys hot. I just don't pursue relationships."

"Is it because you haven't found the right person or you don't think that you will? Or is it a private issue that I shouldn't be asking about?" the Nidoqueen responded.

"Partially the former," Tonya responded. "Haven't really found any guys that I'd be willing to go out with or connect with. And then I haven't thought about having a relationship because I honestly don't care that much."

Sasha shrugged with a slight nod, understanding her angle. "I can see where you're coming from. Sometimes relationships are just… too complicated. Plus, what's the point of caring when apparently half of all marriages end in divorce anyway? I'd be proof of that statistic if my shitty husband ever decided to just give me a divorce already."

Tonya giggled in response as the two continued walking, "Well, if there's one thing that I'd long for if I was in a relationship it'd be _intimacy_."

Hearing that, a smirk formed on the Drill Pokémon's face. "Oh really? Well, you wouldn't be wrong. Back when we _used_ to be intimate, my husband used to just take me, throw me onto the table or bed, and just... plow me like a field. Just… nonstop kissing, position switching, and… so much c-"

"Okay!" Tonya interrupted, not wanting the Nidoqueen to go any further. "I get it," she giggled, patting her friend's side. "Sorry that it all ended. It sounds like you were having the time of your life..."

Sasha smiled, "Yeah, I was. But, now things have changed." She let out a depressed sigh, "I just want a guy who'll consistently love me, be honest and loyal, not cheat… And who is _not_ already taken!"

Tonya couldn't help but sympathize with her, "Well, like I've said before. You'll find a guy like that sooner or later."

Sasha nodded, "Thanks." She turned to the Accelgor with a sly grin, "Maybe we can actually find a guy for you, too. If we're able to stay in contact after this, anyway. I mean, if you're interested anyway."

Tonya gave her a thoughtful look. "Maybe…"

Sasha chuckled, "That's not a 'no'. So, let's see what happens after all of this."

Tonya nodded as they continued walking.

 **000**

Art was snoozing away in his bunk, unbothered by the other contestants and what they were doing. He just wanted to rest. He was trying to think about what he could do to ensure that he remained in the game. He had a feeling that, sooner or later, the others were going to gang up on him and R.J. and get vote them out.

Sure, they had just gotten rid of Lynn, but Honey had just convinced himself, Dade, and Zahku. He had to actually _tell_ R.J. what was going on for him to understand since he wasn't there. He knew that R.J. would work with him due to their agreement, which was lucky enough to remain after he revealed his marriage to Kane, but Dade and Zahku were both still wildcards.

They expressed interest in eliminating Christine last time, before switching their target to Lynn, so there _was_ a chance. However, he still wasn't sure… especially if they girls were against them. They could probably sway the Burmy and Makuhita with ease. He was going to have to find a way to get the two of them to still work with him and R.J. despite their… disagreements… in the past.

 **-000-**

Outside, Christine was about to enter the cabin to confront the Ferrothorn. She knew that he was the only one in the cabin, so it would be the perfect time.

The Kricketune entered the cabin, throwing the door open and letting it hit the back wall. The Thorn Pod Pokémon on the top bunk was startled awake by the sound. Looking down, he immediately groaned in annoyance, turning away from her. "What do you want, lady?"

"What I want… is to know why the hell you're so damn hostile and annoyed with me when I've barely done anything to you," Christine responded.

Art yawned, "Well, I'm pretty sure disturbing me while I'm sleeping counts as doing something to me. So, why don't you get out of here and go complain about Lynn's elimination to someone else."

Christine glared at him before closing the door, allowing the two of them to talk a bit more privately. "Listen here, you prickly prick. I don't like your fucking attitude, so I'm going to respond however I want and do whatever the hell I want. Just because I actually have a fucking heart and care about people doesn't mean that I'm weak or annoying. If anything, that just makes _you_ an insensitive, annoying SOB."

Silence filled the room, the Ferrothorn looking at her with narrowed eyes. After a few more seconds, he responded. "Ya hear that?"

Christine looked around before glaring at him, "What are you talking about? You haven't said anything in the past twenty seconds…"

"Exactly. That was the sound of me not giving a damn about what you think," Art responded. "I'm here to win-"

"And so am I," Christine interrupted. "And I don't appreciate the fact that you have it out for me just because you're threatened and 'annoyed' by me."

"Threatened?" Art laughed. "Please, there's nothing threatening about you in the slightest. Being rid of you will just relieve me of a headache that happens every time I hear you talk."

Christine scoffed, "You act as if _your_ presence brightens my day."

"It may for all I know. You're always eager to jump on things that I say…" Art responded. "May be the only excitement you've had in a while or something, I don't know."

Christine growled in response. "You're a fucking cunt. I hope that you don't even make it to the merge."

"Again, I don't care about what you think," Art deadpanned. "Plus, it's a game; get over it."

The Kricketune simply exited the cabin, fed up with the Ferrothorn's attitude and responses. Upon exiting, she saw a few members of the opposing team exiting the mess hall, specifically Tim, Max, and a couple of their teammates.

She decided to actually greet them, given Tim's situation. She wasn't as close to him as Lynn was getting, but she could still just talk. They hadn't spoken since she broke the news to him, anyway. They hadn't really spoken at all, really.

As she prepared to approach, she found herself being stopped by Dade and Zahku, who were approaching from the forest.

Dade began, "Hey Christine. Do you mind if we talk about uh… a possible elimination?"

The Kricketune's eyes widened a bit as she watched Tim and the others enter their cabin. She let out a soft sigh, "Sure."

"Okay, uh… Let's go into you guys' side," Dade offered.

The three of them began heading into the girls' side of the cabin. Upon entering, Zahku sat on Lynn's empty bunk, with Dade hopping off of Zahku's head and sitting next to him.

Christine sighed as she stood before the two of them. "Alright, what's up? What do you guys have in mind? Hopefully something dealing with Art."

The two guys exchanged looks, with Dade responding, "Well, _close_. It deals with eliminating R.J.. We know that he and Art have it out to get you since, well… We live over there with them, well... mainly Art since R.J. doesn't sleep there anymore."

Christine hummed, "Well, I'd prefer it if Art was the one who got eliminated. You guys just separated one couple, so why separate another one?"

"Pretty much the same reasons that Honey told us to go for Lynn," Dade responded.

Christine tightened her glare at the two upon hearing that, making Dade sweatdrop, while Zahku remained nonchalant. Chuckling sheepishly, the Burmy said, "S-Sorry, again."

"Zahku not sorry. He no vote for goat lady," the Makuhita spoke up.

Christine's eyes immediately went to him. So Zahku _was_ the one that didn't vote with them. This just made things a lot better for her. She decided to try and play it off, "You didn't? Wait… So how did Lynn still get eliminated?"

"We're thinking that one of you girls voted for Lynn instead," Dade explained. "But, since it's obviously not you or Lynn herself, I'm guessing it was Portia or Belladonna. If you want, after we get rid of R.J., we can get rid of whichever one of them did it."

Upon hearing that, Christine sighed, "No, no… That won't be necessary. I still think that we should get rid of Art first and foremost, but… Hey, maybe since he and R.J. are pretty much 'friends', if we vote him out, it'll scare him into not being such a prick anymore."

"Yeah, plus like I said, R.J. is like Lynn. A bit of a threat in the future _and_ has insurance on the other team if he makes it far enough," Dade explained.

Christine gave him a look. She was down for eliminating R.J., but comparing him to Lynn based on something that _Honey_ said, was a no-no. "I'm sorry, but Honey was just saying stuff to scare you guys into voting for Lynn, and it obviously worked. There's no need to compare her to R.J. based on Honey's words. Plus, R.J. was already a _much_ bigger threat _and_ an annoyance, but whatever."

"I just know that I never want to be in the water with him if he's pissed," Dade stated.

Suddenly, Victini's voice echoed throughout the island. "CAMPERS! RETURN TO THE BEACH FOR YOUR SECOND CHALLENGE!"

"Well," Christine began, "Time to see if we'll be bidding farewell to someone or we'll be dealing with them for another day."

 **000**

Everyone returned to the beach, where they were faced with an enormous, red water slide-like contraption that led into the ocean. Seeing this, a fair amount of the contestants were in awe.

Victini cleared his throat before deciding to explain the challenge. "Alright, welcome back. It's time for the second challenge, and I'm just gonna say that those of you who are going to participate have your work cut out for you."

"Great…" Tim deadpanned.

"Now," Victini continued. "The four participants of this challenge will be sliding down this water slide, grabbing flags on the way down. Once you are completely down the slide, you have to swim over to that buoy in the distance and dive down. You'll see a cube down there, and you will have to dump all of your flags inside of it, and then swim back up and hit the buoy to stop the clock. The two players whose combined time is lower will win it for their team."

"And Red Team, since you guys won the first challenge, you guys will have an entire minute shaved off of your final time once it is over," Mew added.

"Wait, so the number of flags that we collect doesn't play a factor at all?" Art queried. "I call bullshit."

"Well, Art, believe it or not, they _do_ play a role," Victini replied. "So, just keep your mouth shut and be patient."

"Now, if all participants would take their places at the top of the slide, we can begin the challenge," Mew followed.

"Wait, what about the rest of us? We won't really be able to see much…" Christine responded.

"After the producers watch this episode's feed, we'll be able to afford a couple of monitors so that we're able to show you everything," Victini responded. "But, for now, you can either sit around and wait, entertain yourselves, or leave… Though we'd prefer if you didn't."

R.J. nuzzled Kane affectionately upon hearing that they could leave. He still felt a bit groggy from the nap, wanting to just go back to sleep. Art was fine with leaving as well, but he figured that he'd enjoy watching the possible trainwreck.

The others were rather indifferent about staying or leaving, as Chip, Tim, Belladonna, and Portia made their way up the ladder leading to the top of the slide.

 **000**

At the top of the slide large, the four participants were engaging in casual conversation as they awaited further instruction in front of the eight-foot-tall opening. And, being who a couple of them were, things were a tad bit awkward.

"So, Tim, what all did you do while you were away?" Belladonna queried.

The Tropius let out a sigh, "Nothing. Just cleared my head. I knew that I'd end up trying to hurt everyone who got Lynn eliminated, so I just left to get over it."

Belladonna sweatdropped, becoming a bit nervous. He didn't know that she voted for Lynn, but they were still at a close proximity and he obviously wasn't completely over it. "Oh… Well good…"

"Well, for now, you just need to try to focus on the game and _not_ on Lynn," Chip told Tim. "Honey is gonna pay, but we still need to try and win."

Tim froze momentarily, as a new idea came into his head. If he threw the challenge, they could get rid of Honey tonight and just worry about winning the rest of the challenges going forward. He knew that he had been ignoring her the whole day and said that he was over it, but the opportunity was _right there_. Not wanting Chip to become suspicious, though, he decided to play along. "Sure… Whatever…" he responded tonelessly.

Meanwhile, Portia was blushing a bit due to being near Chip. She knew that both he and Jessica noticed her looking at him during breakfast, so she felt really embarrassed and awkward about it. He didn't seem to care that much, but that just worried her more. What if he didn't really like her or care?

She was going to need to talk to him in private at some point, because this crush was going to end up distracting her. Noticing the blush and expression on her face, Belladonna nudged her. "You okay, Porsche?"

The Rhyperior snapped out of her thoughts, looking down at her friend. "Hmm? Oh, uh… yeah. I'm okay."

She looked back at Chip and immediately blushed faintly again. Noticing this, a smirk emerged on Tim's face, while Belladonna rose a brow. Chip simply ignored the situation, looking out at the buoy in the distance.

Just then, Mew and Victini floated up to the top with them. "Wow." Victini began. "We really did good with the structure up here. No cracking or bending at all from all this weight," he continued, rubbing one of the metal poles.

"You guys ready?" Mew inquired, looking around. "Anyone need a recap?"

The four of them exchanged looks, with Chip answering, "I guess not."

"Alright, good," Mew responded. "Blue Team, since you guys lost, we're gonna let you ladies go first."

"Oh, well, I have a quick question now that you mention it. How will it go? Does the other person go right after their teammate, or will we wait for them to get back to shore before we go?" Tim queried.

"You'll wait," Victini answered. "It's a bit more interesting that way, for me at least."

"Alright then…" the Fruit Pokémon responded, unsure of what to make of the Victory Pokémon's comment.

"Okay, we're about to start," Mew began.

"Yep," Victini responded as he pulled out a stopwatch. "So, Portia, Belladonna, whichever one of you is going first, be ready to go in the next minute."

"Oh, I'll go first," Portia volunteered, raising her hand.

"Alright, then," Mew agreed. "Portia first, then Belladonna."

"Alright Portia, get into position and be ready to go," Victini instructed.

The others moved back, allowing the Rhyperior to have enough space. Portia did as she was instructed, grabbing the rim of the huge slide before taking a seat, allowing the water being produced to wash over her rump.

"Alright, and in three… two… one… GO!" Victini called, starting the stopwatch.

 **-000-**

Portia thrust herself forward, getting a bit stuck initially, but shaking a bit allowed her to slide down much easier, though she still slowed down every so often. The reinforced slide didn't really budge, so to grab flags, Portia would just have to be lucky to grab some with her hands as she went down or hope that her waist clipped a few and they slid down after her. She continued making her way down the slide, worried about how much she was wasting. She continued to slide while also propelling herself forward, grabbing the occasional flag that caught her eye.

Eventually, she got out of the slide, landing in the water with a bunch of flags in her hands. As she hoped, her waist was able to knock a few flags loose and they slid down after her, allowing her to collect those as well.

She began swimming toward the buoy. Despite her heavy weight as a Rhyperior, as a surfer, due to her training, she could keep herself above water and swim just like any other Water-type.

The Drill Pokémon continued swimming across the ocean, all the while keeping the flags clenched in her fist. She wasn't a _fast_ swimmer, but she was still making her way to the buoy with little to no difficulty.

The water wasn't that brisk, instead it was calm and refreshing. She hadn't been this far out in the water before, but… it was very soothing. She felt very relaxed there, so she would likely have to return there if she wanted to clear her head.

She came upon the buoy. Looking down, she saw the large cube and took a deep breath before diving underwater. She swam down toward the large, plastic cube. Once she was close enough, she tossed all of the flags into the cube before swimming back up to the surface. Once she was back up, she tapped the buoy.

 **-000-**

Victini stopped the stopwatch. Looking down at it, he read off the time. "Eight minutes, thirty-seven seconds."

"Not that bad," Mew commented.

Belladonna let out a sigh. "Well, that's gonna be a pretty tough thing to follow. I think I'll be able to make it down faster, though."

"Hey, just don't forget about the flags," Victini reminded. "They're much more valuable than you may think."

Portia was teleported back to the top of the slide, with Mew's assistance. Dripping wet and panting, Portia decided to take a seat to catch her breath, as it was a pretty lengthy swim.

"How was it?" Chip curiously inquired.

The Rhyperior looked at him and slowly eased up on her panting. She cleared her throat before responding, "It was pretty cool. Tiring, but cool."

"Alright, Belladonna, you're up," said Victini. "Get yourself ready."

The Golem took a breath before taking a seat, the water washing over her butt as well. She peered down the slide and whistled, "This… Looks awesome."

"Yeah, it was fun going down, but… I kept slowing down because of… well… my size," Portia explained with a blush. "But since you're smaller than me, you should have no problem going down."

Belladonna nodded in response. "By the way, how many flags did you get?"

"Oh, I don't really know. I didn't think to count," Portia sheepishly answered.

"Wait, so the flags are just gonna stay in the box until it's over?" Tim queried. "How does that make sense?"

Pulling out a small tablet, Mew hummed, "Well, we have Portia's flag count already, so the flags should be reset already."

"Wait, so once we put the flags in the cube, they get reset afterwards?" Chip asked rhetorically. "Smart move, I suppose."

"Yeah, saves us some work," Mew responded. "So, no worries about the amount of flags available per turn." He looked back to Belladonna, "You ready, Belladonna?"

"How many flags did she get?" the Golem queried once again, aiming the question at Mew this time.

"Nine flags were recorded for Portia," Mew answered. "But, that doesn't mean that you still shouldn't try to get some for yourself."

Belladonna nodded in understanding. "Well, in that case, I'm ready."

"Great," Victini responded, "So, in three… two… one… GO!"

 **-000-**

Belladonna lurched forward, and started sliding down. However, it didn't happen as she expected. DUe to her spherical body, she ended up rolling down. Not wanting to hurt her face, she ended up curling into her rocky shell and started trying to knock flags off of the inside. It was a really fun experience for her, as she loved these types of rides.

She was hitting a good amount of flags, and eventually she reached the bottom, landing in the ocean. She immediately began swimming upwards, getting back to the surface. She managed to knock six flags free, and they came sliding down, allowing her to grab them. With them now in her grasp, she began making her _awkward_ swim toward the buoy.

The Golem wasn't afraid of water and was fine with swimming but, like Portia, she wasn't that fast. And her body shape didn't help her much, either. She panted heavily as she continued to swim forward, the waves beginning to hit her due to wind.

Groaning in annoyance because of this, the Golem continued pushing forward. Eventually, she reached the buoy, out of breath. She still held on to her flags, but she also held onto the buoy so that she could catch her breath.

She rested her head on the floating device. She looked down before taking a deep breath and sinking down. She headed toward the cube, throwing her flags inside of it before propelling herself back upwards. Once she was back up, she grabbed onto the buoy.

 **-000-**

Stopping the stopwatch once again, Victini looked at the time. "Okay," he started, "Belladonna took ten minutes and forty-one seconds to finish."

Mew teleported the exhausted Golem back to the top of the slide, with her panting as she sat against one of the walls of the top. The Megaton Pokémon asked, between breaths, "How… How did I… How did I do?"

Victini responded, "Okay, so Portia got eight minutes and thirty-seven seconds, and _you_ got ten minutes and forty-one seconds, add those times together and your team's overall time is nineteen minutes and eighteen seconds."

Belladonna let out a disappointed sigh. "Well, I got six flags. Does that count for anything else?"

"Actually, yes," Mew responded with a smile. "Portia got nine, and you got six. That makes fifteen. Now, what we didn't tell you is that for each flag you retrieved, ten seconds will be shaved off of your time."

"Wait, seriously?!" Portia queried in shock, "Why'd you wait to tell us that?!"

"We figured that it'd be more fun this way," Victini answered with a smirk. "Now, you guys got fifteen flags. That means 150 seconds will be shaved from your time, so… your final time is sixteen minutes and forty-eight seconds."

"Now, you guys can head on down and inform your team, if they decided to stick around anyway," Mew responded.

The two Rock-type females exchanged looks.

 **-000-**

At the bottom, the contestants that decided to stick around for the results were simply lounging about, allowing the wind that was blowing to cool them off a bit due to the heat.

Max, Zahku and Dade were building a sandcastle, though they hoped that a Sandygast wasn't formed. Christine was simply waiting by the water, watching as the participants performed the challenge. Jessica was actually in the water, watching along with the Kricketune. Tonya and Sasha were chatting with Kane, while R.J. slept against him. Honey was the only one unaccounted for, as she didn't really felt that she needed to stay out in the heat. In boredom, Art was scribbling in the sand.

Noticing that Portia and Belladonna were coming down, Art went over to the ladder to question their progress. Once they were at the bottom, the Ferrothorn immediately asked, "Well? How did you two do?"

"We got sixteen minutes and forty-eight seconds," Portia responded. "And that's just because the flags we collected took away ten seconds each."

"Okay, and what did the two bozos get?" Art responded as other members of their team began coming over.

"They haven't gone yet," Belladonna responded. "We just need to hope that they don't beat our time," she said, looking back up.

 **-000-**

Tim was sitting on the slide, ready to go down when instructed. The Tropius already knew his plan. He was going to try to stop himself right at the end, not collect any flags, and just wait out the entire sixteen minutes. Knowing how athletic Chip was, he knew that the only way that he'd be able to throw the challenge and be rid of Honey was to leave no room for Chip to do his thing.

"Alright Tim," the Machamp began, folding his arms. "Now, I know that your main goal right now is to eliminate Honey, but _don't_ try to throw the challenge. I already know that's what you're gonna try to do…"

Tim twitched to himself, which the Superpower Pokémon immediately saw. How did he already know what he was thinking!? Instead of denying it, Tim responded, "And why the hell not? We'll be able to vote out Honey won't we? Isn't that what the whole team wants?"

Chip responded with groan, "Yeah. But, we can do that at literally any time."

"You said that Honey was definitely the next one to go! What, did you change your mind all of a sudden?!" Tim retorted, becoming suspicious of the Machamp.

"What? No! I want that bitch out of here as much as anyone else," Chip defended. "I just think that we should hold off and keep our winning streak _for now_. Plus, we don't know what Honey could be capable of. She already convinced the other team to vote off someone, and while we all might hate her guts, she could probably do something and have one of us go home instead!"

Tim growled, as the Machamp somewhat had a point, but also sounded like he was pulling this out of his ass. He _had_ helped Honey before, maybe his alliance with Jessica was just a ploy and he was working with Honey this whole time. It just didn't add up.

"Uh… Are you two finished? We… kinda have a show to do here," Victini responded.

Chip gave Tim a look, "Just… do what's right."

Tim looked at the hosts. "I'm ready."

"Okay, in three… two… one… GO!" Victini exclaimed, starting the stopwatch.

 **000**

" **Okay what the fuck what** _ **that**_ **?!" Tim exclaimed. "Chip was one of the main ones talking about how 'Honey is** _ **definitely**_ **next if we lose again'. Now, we have an opportunity to make it happen, and he doesn't want to go through with it? What the fuck!?"**

" **I swear, if he's working with Honey, he is gone. G-O-N-E, gone!"**

 **000**

 **Chip simply sighed, "I don't want to throw the challenges. I just don't like that shit. I'd rather lose due to actual physical limitations and poor time than not even trying."**

" **Plus, I** _ **really**_ **want Honey gone, but I don't like the air around her. I mean, this may be a poor argument, but if she convinced some of the smartest guys on the other team to eliminate a good team player, then I have a right to be a bit paranoid about her persuasion techniques. I just want it to be a sure thing that she's eliminated and I don't really feel that right now for some reason..."**

 **000**

Not trusting Chip's judgment, Tim stopped himself at the end of the slide. He didn't have any flags, and he didn't care. He was just going to sit there until he felt that enough time had passed. The water flowing under his butt felt very weird, but he was fine with it as long as Honey was gone.

From the sidelines, Jessica noticed that whoever was next hadn't come out yet despite the others usually being out by now. Swim over to check on the progress, she looked up to see Tim just sitting there. Stunned, the Bruxish asked, "Tim, what the heck are you doing!?"

"Throwing the challenge so that we can get rid of Honey once and for all. We all want it to happen, so I thought 'Let's speed up the process so that I don't ever have to do this again'. And I think you may wanna rethink your alliance with Chip," the Tropius explained.

Jessica rose a brow. "And why is that?"

"Because he was just trying to stop me from doing this and tried to put some doubt in my head about Honey's elimination _after_ spending all of that time saying that she should go next," Tim elucidated. "I don't think I trust him that much now…"

Jessica let out a sigh, explaining, "Chip just doesn't want to throw the challenges, Tim. I can assure you that he's trustworthy. I dunno about the Honey thing, but I'll talk to him about that later. Now, I don't know if Mew and Victini are gonna let this slide, so maybe you should start getting a move on in case they decide to disqualify you or something."

Tim let out an annoyed groan in response. He jumped into the water, coming up a few moments later with a large gasp for air. He coughed a bit. "Arceus, I fucking hate this… Wait, I don't have any flags to put in the cube, so what do I do?"

"Just swimming to the buoy would be your best bet," Jessica opined. "Can't really do anything else, right?"

With a sigh, Tim began his swim toward the buoy, using his wings to boost him forward. He was sure that he had wasted a good amount of time sitting in the slide, so he was hoping that maybe they'll even get penalized for his actions. Eventually, he reached the buoy, tapping it with his head.

 **-000-**

Victini let out a huff as he stopped the time. He looked to Chip, expressing, "Well, he obviously didn't listen to you. No flags; fourteen minutes and fifteen seconds."

Chip groaned in annoyance. "For fuck's sake Tim!" he exclaimed, holding his head. "So, I just have to try and grab as many flags as I can and swim as fast as I can, too."

"Pretty much…" Mew responded.

The pink feline teleported the Tropius back up to the top. Immediately, he asked, "How long was I?"

"Well, sitting on your ass at the bottom of the slide wasted a ton of time, which is, apparently what you wanted. Your time was fourteen minutes and fifty-nine seconds."

"Nice," Tim commented a smile, ignoring the scowl he was getting from Chip.

"What the hell, dude!?" Chip exclaimed.

Tim sighed, "Jessica already told me. Dude, it's just this one time. We're not gonna purposely lose any other challenges after this. It's not that big a deal. Plus, we'll be getting rid of an annoyance. It'll be fine."

Chip groaned as he walked up to the slide and took a seat. "I'm ready to go. I'm gonna try to salvage this."

"Dude, seriously?! Let it be!" Tim exclaimed.

Chip ignored him, waiting for the hosts' count. Victini obliged, stating, "Three… two… one… GO!"

 **-000-**

The Machamp shoved himself forward, hoping to use his four arms to his advantage. He got some enjoyment out of it, but he needed to stay focused. He began grabbing as many flags as he could in order to decrease their time.

He understood Tim's unbridled hatred toward Honey due to what she's done and said, but he wasn't going to throw a challenge over it. And, in the back of his mind, the Machamp knew that it didn't really matter and this was still just a competition. Getting eliminated was just part of the game, so it shouldn't be _that_ serious.

Eventually, the Machamp slid right out of the slide, four flags in each of his arms. Due to his athleticism, the Machamp had no trouble getting across the ocean. The waves knocked his back a couple of times, but he was able to power through and reach the buoy. He immediately dove underwater and headed to the cube.

Once he was there, he swam inside slightly to make sure all of his flags got inside. Once that was done, he swam back up quickly, breaching the surface and tapping the buoy.

 **-000-**

"Wow, fastest time," Victini said. "Five minutes and fifty-eight seconds."

Upon hearing that, Tim groaned in annoyance. Mew teleported the Machamp back to the top, where he wiped his face and placed his hands on his hips. "Okay… Please tell me that I made up for time."

Mew turned to Victini, who sighed. "Well, the good news is… you got the fastest time, the bad news is, you guys' time put together in twenty minutes and fifty-six seconds…"

Tim smiled, while Chip groaned.

"But, the good news is that you guys got the one minute deduction from winning the last challenge, bringing you down to nineteen minutes and fifty-six seconds…" Mew responded. "The bad news is… well… it's still longer than the Blue Team's time."

"But, more good news is, Chip, you got sixteen flags, deducting 160 seconds from you guys total as well," Victini explained.

"And… lemme guess, more bad news?" Chip deadpanned.

Once Mew did the calculations on his tablet, he showed Victini, who hissed. "Yep… Sorry boys. Even after all of that, your final time is seventeen minutes and seventeen seconds… meaning that the Blue Team wins."

"And Chip, if you had managed to grab three more flags, you guys would have won by _literally_ a single second."

Chip's mouth went agape upon hearing that.

 **000**

The hosts, as well as Tim and Chip, came down, with Tim still having a smile on his face and Chip looking vexed.

Immediately, Victini made the announcement, "Well, after that refreshing challenge, our winners are…. The Blue Team!"

Upon hearing that, the members of the Blue Team cheered, while the Red Team was astounded that they had lost.

"Wait, what the hell happened?!" Tonya exclaimed in confusion. "I heard that the other team had over sixteen minutes! How did we lose with Chip?!"

Victini chuckled, "Well, seems that Tim wanted Honey gone _really_ badly, so he didn't get any flags and decided to wait a long time at the bottom of the slide before actually doing the challenge."

"Yep," Mew followed. "And Chip had just gotten sixteen flags on his own, _but_ he needed three more to get your team the win."

"Tim… You threw the challenge? What the heck dude?!" Max exclaimed.

Tim sighed, "Look, I'm sorry guys, but after we get rid of Honey, we can all go back to normal, I promise."

"Actually, tonight's elimination will be a pretty special one, so _everyone_ will need to be in attendance," said Victini. "But, for now, head on to the mess hall for dinner and feel free to relax for a while and we'll call you all down when it's time."

 **000**

 **Tim let out a sigh, "Well, I think a few of the others are mad at me for throwing the challenge, but I don't get it. I'm just trying to speed up the process so we can eliminate Honey and be normal again. I'm not gonna do it again, I'm pretty sure I'd be eliminated if I did."**

 **000**

Finishing his dinner rather quickly to just head back to the cabin, Chip found himself being followed. It wasn't that subtle, either, as he heard and saw her following him as he reached the cabin.

"Uh… Can I help you, Portia?" the Machamp asked, turning around to face the large rhino behind him.

The Rhyperior let out a sigh before asking, "Can… can we talk?"

Chip let out a sigh, "Is this about you having a bit of a crush on me because I helped you?"

Portia blushed in response, giving the Machamp his answer. He approached her, "Look Portia, I think you're a pretty cool and strong girl, but I don't really think what you feel is real."

"W-What?" she asked, confused.

"I mean, we barely talked before, and then, you suddenly gain a crush after I help you? It just… It feels disingenuous," Chip explained. "Now… Maybe if we spent a bit more time talking, it can actually start building up. Don't you think that'd be better?"

Portia was still blushing, but nodded in understanding and agreement.

Chip nodded, stepping down to pick the large Pokémon up, surprising her. "Huh… You're pretty light for me. That could be fun…"

Portia couldn't help but continue blushing before being put back down, her legs quivering a bit. As Chip returned back to the cabin, Portia smiled to herself. There was actually a chance.

 **000**

 **Portia giggled, "Well, I guess I** _ **was**_ **just crushing on him because he helped me. But, he's willing to maybe talk to me and stuff. Maybe we'll be able to get together."**

 **000**

 **Chip took a breath, "Well, maybe Portia and I can start something as time goes on. Who knows?  
**

 **000**

Honey, having heard the news of her team losing, couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed and defeated. She didn't think that Tim would have the balls to throw the challenge just to get rid of her, but apparently he did. She sat alone at her table, with Sasha and Tonya having their dinner over at Kane and R.J.'s table. She knew that they would ditch her when the time came.

She _really_ didn't want to leave yet. She wanted to wipe that smug smile off of Tim's face at this point. The Tropius continuously sneered at her whenever he had a chance, which was very irritating and immature in her mind. Though, she couldn't really talk about immaturity given her history.

Letting out a sigh, she decided to exit the mess hall. However, on her way out, a certain someone just couldn't resist getting another dig in on her.

"Well, looks like we'll finally be free of your bitchiness," Tim commented. "And the fact that you're apparently _royal_ just makes this even better."

"You know Tim, you're just making yourself look like a vindictive cuck, you realize that, right?" Honey retorted, annoyed by his statement. "You claimed to be over me and ignored me for most of the day. And yet, you literally threw an entire challenge just because I'm playing the game _my_ way, and you're dead set on targeting me for talking shit, when trash talk is a part of any competition. If I bother you that much, then you have a weaker mind than the guys I got to eliminate Lynn."

The Vespiquen left the mess hall, leaving the others to look at Tim, who only held a look of irritation on his face. "Of course she talks shit even when she's doomed…"

"Tim, there's no point in making a big deal of it now," Max responded. "You've been letting her get to you and it's really dumb."

"Hey, she's been acting like a bitch the entire time. I don't even know why we let her stay this long. She should've left right after Kay…" Tim grumbled.

Max sighed, shaking his head.

 **000**

" **I hate to say it, but Honey's right with regards to how Tim's acting. He said that he was fine, but as soon as he had a chance, he decided to throw the challenge," Max explained. "I understand that she's been annoying him since the start and she got Lynn eliminated, but we're ALL gonna be eliminated sooner or later. I really hope he gets his act straight…"**

 **000**

When the time came, all of the contestants were called down. They started making their way to the elimination area.

Sasha let out a soft breath as she walked alongside Kane and Tonya. Tonya rose a brow, inquiring, "Something wrong?"

Humming in nervousness, the Nidoqueen responded, "Well… I don't really like how they said that this elimination was a special one. It makes me think that something else is gonna happen."

Kane scratched the back of his head. "Well, hopefully it's not an automatic elimination," he said. "If it is, Honey's safe since she technically won her round…"

"And you'd be on the chopping block…" Sasha reasoned. She looked to Tonya, "And… so would you…"

Tonya sighed, "Let's just hope that it's not automatic … _if_ that's what's special about it."

They all reached the foliage and shell covered section of the beach, with the Red Team taking their usual seats on the benches. The Blue Team simply stood on the sidelines, not knowing the role they had.

Soon enough, Mew and Victini appeared before them, the ceremonial chip bags nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, where are the chips?" Max queried. "I had a bit of a hankering for some…"

"Not tonight, Max," Mew responded. "Or the next two nights for that matter…"

"What? Did you run out of money?" Art asked sarcastically.

Victini gave him a look, "Do you mind not mentioning the budget every time we have something new or when something is different?"

Art rolled his eyes, not giving a verbal response.

"Now," Mew began. "The _real_ reason that there will be no chips in this ceremony, or the two after, is that for these three themed challenges, we decided to do something different for the eliminations."

Everyone grew confused and worried, unsure about how to feel.

"Yep," Victini followed. "For these eliminations, instead of the losing team all voting for who they want gone, the _winning_ team decides who gets eliminated."

"WHAT?!" the Red Team exclaimed. The Blue Team was surprised, but smiles formed on their faces a few moments later.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Tim bellowed.

Honey scoffed, "Well, what do you know? Tim fucking throwing the challenge can actually screw _any_ of us over now."

The Tropius exclaimed, "How was I supposed to know?!"

"Oh I don't know…" Chip responded sarcastically. "It's not like winning, more often than not, has more advantages than _dis_ advantages."

"So," Mew continued, looking over to the Blue Team, "You guys can go ahead and huddle up before making your final decision."

"Why didn't you guys tell us this at the beginning of the challenge?!" Kane inquired, a bit vexed at the situation.

"Because, we like to have a few surprises for you guys," Victini responded simply. "So, Blue Team, get to it."

The Blue Team got in a huddle a good distance away. There were a few murmurs heard, as well as a few no's from a few of them. Eventually, with only one of them having an upset expression on their face, they returned over.

"Well, that was kinda quick," Mew acknowledged. "What's your decision?"

Art chuckled, "Well, since _we_ lost a good competitor in our last elimination ceremony, with involvement from a member of their team, we feel that it's fair that _they_ lose a good player as well. So, we're choosing to eliminate…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

...Chip."

There was a collective gasp among the members of the Red Team, with Chip looking down in defeat.

Tim only shook his head in disbelief. "No… No, that's not right. It's _my_ fault that we lost because I wanted to get rid of _this_ bitch," he said, gesturing to Honey, who was surprised by the choice as well. "She should be the one eliminated, not Chip!"

"Well, too bad, so sad…" R.J. responded, folding his arms. "You shouldn't have done what you did…"

Chip sighed as Victini began talking, a Lapras swimming up to the island. "Well Chip, you're one of the best players physically and mentally, but sadly, that was your downfall. It's time go."

"Just needed three more flags…" Mew added.

Chip rose up, popping his back. "Well, it's been… quite an experience here. I guess I'll see you guys around."

Jessica sighed in disappointment. "I gotta say, you really proved to me that you're more than just an asshole meathead. I'm actually gonna miss you…"

Chip chuckled, "And you proved to me that you're not just some slut who wants to fuck anything that moves. I may actually miss you, too."

"Chip, I'm sorry," Tim began. "I should've listened to you, but-"

Chip stopped him with a hand. "It's fine. Just… never do this again."

Tim, despite still being upset, nodded.

The Machamp looked over to the Blue Team, seeing that Portia was looking down, dejectedly. "Portia. Come 'ere…"

Hearing her name called, the Rhyperior approached him. "Chip, I was against eliminating you, I swear. They just-"

"It's fine. I just don't want you to act glum again. This is just a game," Chip responded. "Hell, they made a pretty good choice. You'll be fine."

Portia sighed. "I guess…"

Chip kissed her cheek when she leaned down to his level, causing her to blush.

"Well, I'll see you guys around," the Machamp said as he headed to the Lapras.

A few of the others waved as the Transport Pokémon swam away with him.

The Blue Team started leaving, with the Red Team simply exchanging looks as they stayed put.

Jessica cleared her throat. "Okay. We just lost our most capable player."

"Yeah, it… really sucks," Tonya said.

"I was a bit afraid that I'd be the one gone…" Kane stated. "When Art said a good player, I just thought about either myself or Chip since we're the ones some of them would consider good or threatening."

"Your husband being who he is probably saved you…" Honey stated, folding her arms. "If they had eliminated you, R.J. would have stopped participating and turned on his own team."

"Why couldn't they just eliminate _you_?!" Tim exclaimed, glaring at Honey.

"Tim, now is _not_ the time. You're pretty much the reason that Chip just got eliminated," Sasha responded.

"I have to agree, there…" Tonya concurred.

"The hostility on the team just needs to stop altogether," Max opined. "It's really annoying and immature to be flinging stupid insults back and forth when we're all on a _team_. We're supposed to be pushing each other to do better, not putting each other down just because."

Jessica nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We need to work together. It's not every player for themselves yet. So, Honey, Tim… you two need to get over yourselves and learn to be tolerable of each other. We can't leave room for error. We need to win so that _we_ can choose who goes."

The Tropius and the Vespiquen glowered at each other. They were enemies, but they both knew that their rivalry would likely screw over their team.

Honey didn't really care about the rest of her team, but coming close to being eliminated made her compliant. She had a feeling that she would be the one gone next if the Blue Team won again, so she was going to have to make nice with Tim, and her entire team for that matter, so that they worked well together.

"Fine…" she responded, folding her arms.

Tim growled to himself, before replying, "Whatever…"

"Tim, this is serious…" Max stated, giving his friend a look.

Tim groaned, "Okay, fine."

"Good," Kane responded. "Now, let's hope that we're able to win the next challenge."

The Red Team began taking their leave, with Mew and Victini turning to the camera.

"And there we have it. Chip is gone and the Red Team has been taken down a peg, all thanks to Tim," Victini said.

"Yep. And with the next two eliminations following this same format, the contestants are gonna have to work hard to make sure that their team is the one on top," Mew added.

"Until then, we hope you enjoyed this episode of our island challenge," Victini finished.

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 ** _Red Team - (Honey, Jessica, Kane, Max, Sasha, Tim, Tonya)_**

 ** _Blue Team - (Art, Belladonna, Christine, Dade, Portia, R.J., Zahku)_**

 **000**

 **I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time on Total… Pokémon… Zero! See ya guys, BYE!**

 **000**

 _ **Elimination Order:**_

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)**_

 _ **19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)**_

 _ **18th - Marley Banner (The Pranking Prodigy)**_

 _ **17th - Lawrence "Lucky" Addams (The Unlucky Charm)**_

 _ **16th - Lynn Jamison (The Calm Leader)**_

 _ **15th - Christopher "Chip" Torwood (The Buff Brain)**_


	8. Hot Stuff

**Another one**

 **000**

Portia, Belladonna, and Christine entered their cabin following their decision to eliminate Chip. The Kricketune and Golem were both completely stunned by what they had just seen happen between Portia and Chip before the latter finally left the island.

Christine hopped onto her bunk, folding her arms as Portia sat on her own bunk with a sigh.

Belladonna broke the imminent silence, turning to the Rhyperior. "So, when exactly did you and Chip become an item and _why_ didn't you tell us? We _could_ have just gotten rid of Honey and made things better for all of us!"

Portia blushed in response, "We're not an item. We just… I just… I have a crush on him."

The two other girls had looks of surprise on their faces, though Belladonna's had an inkling of an understanding as well.

"Ahh, _that's_ why you kept blushing up on the top of the slide," Belladonna reasoned with a smile.

Portia nodded, "We talked about it when I followed him out of the mess hall earlier, and he said that we could talk more and maybe have it slowly become a real relationship. But… he's gone now, so it'll have to be put on hold…"

"Look at you," Christine giggled. "You got out of your depressed state and now you have a possible future boyfriend. You're lucky."

Portia giggled, "I guess."

"Well, let's hope that luck is on all of our sides, because we need to win these next challenges if we don't want the other team to pick off the rest of our good players" Belladonna said.

Christine huffed, "Hell, I'd be fine if they did that. That means that both Art and R.J. will be gone most definitely."

"Um, I don't think that Kane will allow his team to eliminate R.J.," Portia explained. "So, any of us could be a target if they win."

Christine groaned in annoyance upon recalling that. Both Kane and R.J. were sure to be adamant about not eliminating each other. She let out a sigh, "Well, there's not much we can do about that. Like Belladonna said, we're just gonna have to hope that we win these next challenges. We just eliminated their strongest player, so they're gonna be going much harder."

Belladonna and Portia nodded in agreement.

 **000**

Returning to their cabin, Tim and Max only remained silent. Because Kane decided to head straight to his and R.J.'s area, they were going to be the only ones there. Given that they were friends, it was okay, but it was going to feel a bit lonely with just the two of them being there.

Entering, the Delibird immediately flew up to his bunk, folding his arms. Tim, still upset about what he unintentionally caused, sulked into the cabin. He closed the door with his head, resting it there for a few seconds before letting out a sigh.

"Why does this game hate me?" he inquired to himself.

Max didn't respond, not knowing what to say. However, before he could, Tim continued talking while beginning to pace around the cabin. "I had good intentions. I just wanted Honey off of this island. She's talked a lot of trash and got my girlfriend eliminated, so it's only fair that she gets eliminated, too, right?"

Unsure about whether or not he was actually asking him a question, Max stayed quiet. However, it seemed that Tim really _was_ looking for an answer, as he turned to the Delibird. "Max?!"

The Delibird jumped from the sudden exclamation before letting out a sigh. "What do you want me to say? I mean, you screwed up, bro. Chip's gone, and now we just have go on without him."

"Yeah, but why the hell did the hosts wait until the end to tell us about this!?" Tim inquired. "It's just… It's bullshit!"

"Well, they said that they wanted to have some surprises for us, and winning is essentially the main goal of the game," Max began explaining. "I doubt they anticipated that you'd purposely make us lose, so you can't really blame them."

Tim let out a groan of annoyance. "Whatever…"

"No, not whatever," Max responded. "You're acting weird and I don't like it. I thought were doing okay at first, but when it came time to do the challenge, you let your hate boner for Honey guide you. I thought you were gonna ignore her."

Tim would've snapped at him, but he felt that he was right. He had left the campgrounds to get over his frustrations and come back as a more serious player, all the while ignoring Honey's ignorant comments. Instead, he just came back with a crummy attitude, threw a challenge in a desperate attempt to get rid of her, and it cost his team their most valuable player.

He let out a dejected sigh, staring down at the floorboards. "I don't know. I'm usually not like this," he explained. "I'm usually nonchalant and cool around people, but here, hearing Honey's condescending, ignorant comments and dealing with her attitude is just bringing out my anger… and I hardly ever get angry to begin with! It's mostly just intense frustration."

Max nodded, "I see…"

He continued, "And I've never really been made fun of, or insulted, on such a regular basis, either. Or if i did, I didn't know about it, which I'm fine with. So, I never really had to bite back against anybody prior to now."

With that knowledge present, Max chuckled softly, "Well, you _were_ introverted from what I remember you telling me. And from what I've seen, there are two types or introverts: the ones that don't want _anyone_ talking to them, and the ones that still remain calm, but are generally shy and quiet. And I think enough people have realized, through the media and news, that the quiet people are the ones that you steer clear of, so that may have been a factor."

"I guess," Tim responded with a soft sigh as he got onto the bed across from Max. With Chip gone, at least the two of them could have separate beds. "I just can't help but feel like shit knowing that I let the team down. Now we'll probably have to work twice as hard in these challenges."

Max shrugged as he lied down, "We'll just do what we have to. Remember, this is just a game. Plus, things aren't always going to go the way that you want them to. It's just the way life works."

Tim grumbled to himself as he got into his sleeping position, "Well, life sucks."

"Better than being dead," Max retorted.

 **000**

Art let out a sigh of contentment as he got into his bed. He felt like a weight was off of his shoulders now that one of the best players in the game was gone. He could only chuckle at the fact that a member of the other team screwed up and allowed this to happen.

As he prepared to drift off to sleep, he heard Dade comment, "You really got lucky there, Art."

Immediately, the Ferrothorn's eyes popped open. He looked over to the Bagworm Pokémon with an annoyed expression. "And how do you figure that?" he responded tonelessly.

"Well, if Tim hadn't sabotaged his team, they would have won, right?" Dade explained. "And if they had to choose anyone to get rid of, it'd be you."

A feeling of nervousness suddenly washed over the Ferrothorn, as the Burmy was right. If they had to choose anyone to get rid of, _he_ would be the prime target, aside from R.J.. However, because R.J. is married to Kane, he wouldn't be getting eliminated that way.

The next two eliminations were going to follow this same formula, so he was going to have to either ensure or hope for his team's victory, or try to convince someone from the other team not to vote for him if their team loses. And, considering that _he_ was the one who said Chip was being eliminated, he had his doubts that they'd listen to him.

His thoughts were interrupted by Dade, who shouted, "Hey!"

He shook his head, getting out of his thoughts. "Well, we're just gonna have to make sure that I don't go anywhere, right?" he responded as he turned around. "Now, leave me alone so I can get some sleep."

Dade and Zahku exchanged looks, with Zahku shrugging in indifference.

 **000**

" **I think Art is actually afraid now," Dade said. "This 'winning team chooses who goes home' thing really is nerve-wracking for the big, serious players. Meanwhile, a little guy like me isn't in danger because I have no physical strength and I'm the least threatening person on the island."**

 **He started chuckling before it slowly trailed off, ending in a sigh. "I'm pathetic…"**

 **000**

As the sun beamed down, showering the island in heat, while also including a faint breeze, a few of the contestants woke up and began making their way to the mess hall. Others either remained in their cabins, not wanting to leave the shade that the cabins were offering, or they went down to the water to relax for a bit before the hosts got there.

Down by the water, Kane was sitting with R.J. at the shore as the water that reached them washed over their rears. R.J. let out a yawn as he smacked his lips. Kane chuckled at this, saying, "You really aren't a morning person…"

R.J. responded by getting closer and leaning against him, "You already know that I'm not… Why the hell do you wake me up so early?"

Kane chuckled, "Because, we need to get to the mess hall early so that we don't miss anything important."

R.J. groaned in response, "All they do is tell us where to go for the challenge. We can just ask whoever or follow the others to get there…"

Kane gave him a look, "Nah, getting up is fine now. When we get back home, _then_ you can start sleeping in again."

R.J. moaned in disapproval, with Kane flicking water at him to wake him up a bit more. The Beartic wasn't amused, wiping his face before scooping up a bit of water and splashing it onto the Ursaring in retaliation. Kane smirked at him, "You're lucky that I'm a bit tired, too. Because I'd pin you and splash you so quick."

R.J. scoffed in response to that claim, "You wish…" He rose up from his place on the shore, with Kane smacking his butt as he stretched. He gave the Hibernator Pokémon a blasé, yet playful, gaze in return as he rose up behind him.

Popping his back, the Ursaring started heading to the mess hall. "Come on, Rich, you're gonna start your talking with Sasha today…"

Upon hearing that, R.J. immediately stopped, folding his arms. "In that case, I'll just stay right here until they call us for the challenge."

Kane turned back and gave him a look, "Baby, you said that you'd try. Come on. It won't even be that bad."

"And how do you know?" R.J. inquired in disbelief. "We've both seen the movies where the chick says that she's over a guy, but gets pissy and jealous about whoever the guy is with."

"Those are movies," Kane reasoned with a glazed expression. "And while it does happen sometimes in real life, you can't just categorize every girl who says that as crazy."

The Beartic growled, "Fine, but if she says anything I don't like, I'm smacking the shit out of her…"

"NO, you are _not_ ," Kane said sternly, grabbing his hand. "Why the hell does the conversation even have to be about me? Try to _really_ get to know her without bringing me up…"

"And what if she asks personal questions about you?" R.J. responded.

"Then just answer them…" Kane deadpanned. "It's not like she can do anything but dream with the info."

R.J. grumbled to himself as Kane casually picked him up, holding him over his shoulder. "Hey!" R.J. shouted in protest. "Put me down!"

"Oh hush, you know you like being carried," Kane responded, making R.J. blush with a growl.

 **000**

Sasha, Jessica, Tonya were sitting together at a table in the mess hall. Since Chip was gone, Sasha and Tonya decided to join Jessica at her table to chat about a possible strategy and target.

"So, what's the game plan, now?" asked Sasha. "Any specific strategies that you think will work?"

Jessica giggled, "Well, we don't know the challenge yet, so coming up with a strategy is a pretty daunting task in that regard."

"I think she means in general," Tonya responded.

Jessica hummed momentarily before shaking her head. "No… nothing really comes to mind in terms of an immediate strategy. At most, since these next couple of challenges are automatic eliminations by the winning team, the most valid strategy is to try to win and hit them hard."

Sasha nodded in understanding, while Tonya shrugged, finding it reasonable. Wanting to change the subject briefly, Tonya posed a question to Jessica.

"So… Did you and Chip ever share any _moments_?" the Accelgor queried. "You guys seemed to share a pretty emotional goodbye."

Jessica scoffed with a smirk. "Trust me, as much as I found him attractive, I didn't go through with anything. It's not like he would've consented anyway…"

"Fair enough," Tonya responded before getting back on track. "So, what are we gonna do about Honey?" she asked with a sigh. "Do you really think that she's gonna behave?"

Sasha giggled, "I don't think she has much of a choice. Saving herself from elimination is the main thing she has to worry about, and working with us to actually _win_ is the only way to ensure it."

"Actually, she'd be safe either way," Jessica deadpanned, a look of disappointment on her face. "Over there, they just care more about breaking us down. So, the next one to go would probably be either me, Kane, or maybe even Tim."

"Well, If they eliminate Kane, it's over for them," Sasha stated threateningly. "And I'm pretty sure that R.J. would agree."

"Oh! Speaking of R.J., if we win, do you think we should target _him_ first or Art?" Tonya inquired.

Jessica giggled in response to the question. "Neither," she answered.

Both Sasha and Tonya were dumbfounded. They had just eliminated _their_ best player why not return the favor? Sasha addressed this concern, saying, "Okay, you've lost me. They just eliminated our star player and we're supposed to just let _their_ best players stick around?"

"Wouldn't that be stupid on our part?" Tonya added.

"Not in the slightest," Jessica responded. "In fact, it'd be very, very obvious. If we took out one of _their_ key players like they did ours, they'll have the same amount of determination as we do now. Plus, I feel like they're already anticipating it, so what better way to throw them off than by eliminating one of their 'lesser' players. Who knows? They may not take out one of our better players if we come to an agreement."

Sasha rose a brow. "You really think that they won't retaliate if we take out a 'lesser' player?"

"Hey," Jessica began. "We each have our own annoyances on our teams. We have Honey, and apparently Christine is theirs. So, if we win, we can eliminate Christine, maybe get on their good side, and then they eliminate Honey if they win again."

"Okay… But what if that doesn't work?" Tonya inquired. "What if we lose the next challenge?"

"That's just a risk we'll have to take," Jessica replied. "There's a chance that _we_ could win the next two challenges and there's a chance that they could."

"Speaking of that," Sasha chimed in. "I don't think Kane will be too pleased if we eliminate R.J., so if we _do_ end up winning both challenges, who are we going for? Or are we still gonna try to get on their good side?"

"If we do end up winning both of these challenges, I say that we go for Christine first, just in case, and then if we win again… I actually say Portia," Jessica explained.

"Wha- Why Portia?" Sasha argued. "Art would be our best choice!"

"Art mainly has just brains and is _somewhat_ strong," Jessica explained. "He can barely do anything already due to what he is. Portia has a common body-type, is very strong, has some form of intellect, _and_ isn't bothered by water, which she is doubly weak against. I think that's a bigger threat than a guy that can't really do basic tasks. Plus, she'd be able to pick things up with Chip, so it's a win-win."

That explanation seemed to have changed the girls' minds, as their eyes widened and they exchanged glances. Tonya stated, "Okay, so… Christine to get on their good side, and Portia if they lose again."

Jessica nodded. "Exactly. So, we're gonna have to do our absolute best in these next few challenges if we want a good chance."

The other two girls nodded in agreement and understanding. Kane came in carrying R.J. soon after, with the Beartic's disgruntled look still etched on his face. Seeing this, Sasha smiled to herself.

"Well, I'll talk to you later," the Nidoqueen said as she rose up, leaving the Accelgor and Bruxish at the table.

As she was switching tables, Mew and Victini teleported into the building. Victini placed down the breakfast boxes before letting out a groan and popping his back. "Good morning," he greeted. "You guys' challenges will take place around the volcano today, so in about half an hour, meet up at the section of the beach in front of it."

"Lemme guess… Today's theme is 'Fire'?" R.J. said tonelessly upon hearing that they were going to be around the volcano.

"You'll find out when we get to the challenge," Mew responded, though his facial expression let the Beartic know that it was indeed, a Fire-type theme. "For now, just relax for a bit. And let everyone else that isn't here yet, too."

The two hosts exited the mess hall, allowing the few contestants that were there to retrieve their breakfast.

 **-000-**

Honey threw open the cabin door before hovering out of the room, the heat smacking her in the face. She moved her hand in front of her face before grumbling as she headed toward the mess hall.

On her way there, she heard a hissing sound coming from behind her team's cabin. Raising a brow, she initially dismissed it as a while Ekans or Seviper, but when she turned away, she heard her name be called from the same location.

Turning back, she saw that it was a familiar Ferrothorn, causing her to narrow her eyes at him. "What in the Distortion World are you doing? Why are you sitting back here?"

"I need to talk to you," he responded.

"About what?" Honey inquired with a glare. "Your team just eliminated _my_ team's best player, so why would I want to help you?"

"Because my team got rid of Lynn under your discretion, so you fucking owe us…"

"You literally just got back at us by eliminating Chip! I don't owe you anything," Honey retorted as she started flying back.

Art groaned, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "Fine. How about an alliance? You help me, I help you…"

Honey stopped upon hearing that offer. She turned back to the Ferrothorn with a look of engagement. "Okay… you have my attention."

Art grumbled to himself. "Of course I do… Basically, I need you to convince your team not to eliminate me if you guys end up winning a challenge."

"In what world do you think my team will listen to anything I have to say?" Honey retorted. "They'll just chalk it up to me betraying them or just wanting to keep you in to do my bidding. That alone gives them a reason to _want_ to eliminate you…"

Art groaned in response. Was he really gonna have to converse with someone else on the opposite team so that he didn't have a target on his back? "This is going to be hell…"

"Well, if you're trying not to get _my_ team to eliminate _you_ , I expect the same treatment for me on _your_ team…" Honey responded. "I suggest that you eliminate Tim just because he's a major thorn in my side."

Art gave her a look upon hearing that comment, making her roll her eyes in response. She responded, "Whatever. And I already know that, rather than you, you'd prefer that the music bitch gets eliminated, right?"

"You have no idea how happy that'd make me…" Art responded in his same toneless manner.

Honey rose a brow, "You're able to be happy?"

Art narrowed his eyes at her, unamused by the rhetorical remark. "Really?"

"What? You never really show pleasure in anything, so how am I supposed to know?" the Vespiquen answered with a shrug.

Art grumbled to himself as he walked past the Beehive Pokémon, deciding to go ahead and show his face in the mess hall, as well as get breakfast, as he saw the hosts fly out earlier. He had an alliance with Honey now, which he was already unsure about. He didn't necessarily trust her, but he knew that it was his only way to get her to help him. Given her reputation on her team, it was pretty poor choice on his part, but it was better than nothing.

He just needed to figure out who to talk to about his situation. There was no doubt that he was the one gone if they lost. As he entered the mess hall, he looked around assess his choices. The only members of the Red Team that were there so far were Kane, Jessica, Tonya, Sasha, and Max. Honey entered the mess hall a couple of moments later, but he already knew about her situation.

It seemed that he'd have to rely on Kane. He was probably the most respectable person on their team, so it had a chance of working. Luckily for him, his only real ally on his team was married to him.

The Ferrothorn walked over to their usual table. He saw that their breakfast was six french toast sticks with syrup, he rose a brow in interest, as they actually looked pretty good. He looked to the Ursaring next to R.J., asking, "Hey, Kane, could ya grab me one of the boxes? It looks like the hosts actually made a non-generic choice for once…"

Kane stifled a laugh, "Sure, why not…"

As the Ursaring rose up, both Sasha and R.J. gave the Thorn Pod Pokémon a look. "You know, you could've gotten it yourself…" Sasha remarked.

Art ignored her, as he didn't care about her opinion at all. Soon enough, Kane returned, sliding the Ferrothorn his box before taking a seat back next to R.J.. He wanted to go ahead and try to talk to Kane about his worries, but due to Sasha being there, he was worried that she's snitch and tell the others not to do it. He needed her to go away.

"Hey, Sasha, no offense, but could you… move away? I need to talk to these two about something important," Art stated, gesturing to the bears.

Sasha narrowed her eyes at the Ferrothorn before looking at Kane, seemingly wanting _him_ to tell her to go. Seeing this, the Ursaring let out a sigh. He turned to Art, "Uh… How long is this talk gonna take?"

Art deadpanned, "Does it matter? It's a seat; it's not like it's going anywhere. Plus, once I'm done, you can just call her back over. I don't care…"

Kane gave the Ferrothorn a look before gazing back at Sasha. "You can come back in a few minutes," he said.

Sasha nodded in understanding before raising up, passing a glare at Art as she walked back to the table with Jessica and Tonya.

R.J. let out a breath, "Finally! I thought that skank would _never_ go…"

Kane gave the Beartic a look of disapproval before looking back to Art. "Alright, what did need to talk to us about?"

"I don't want your team trying to get some shitty vengeance by trying to eliminate me if you guys win," Art explained, "So, if you don't mind, could ya call off the manhunt and go for someone more deserving?"

Kane snickered, "Like who? No one here _deserves_ to be eliminated, though Honey is pretty damn debatable."

"Well… _Christine_ is a bit of an annoyance…" R.J. chimed in, taking another bite of a french toast stick.

Kane rose a brow, "Christine? Really? I'm pretty sure she's a decent person."

"Oh please," Art responded, rolling his eyes. "She's overbearing and annoying. She always has to be against something we say or do, as if we've done something to her. Plus, she's practically the most useless person on this team. Hell, even _Dade_ is more useful than she is."

Kane shrugged, "Okay, so you have a point."

"I know I do," Art responded. "So, if you wouldn't mind sharing that with your teammates, it'd be greatly appreciated."

"Uh huh… and what's in it for us?" Kane responded, making both R.J. and Art raise their brows. Seeing their looks, the Ursaring continued, "Don't look so surprised. This is a two-way street. You want protection, but what can you do for me and _my_ team in return? These next couple of challenges can go either way."

R.J. smirked at his husband's attitude, while Art groaned in annoyance, as he just went through this same thing with Honey not too long ago. "What _do_ you want? You're pretty safe already because of _this_ one…" Art stated, gesturing to R.J.. "And he's safe because of you. I don't know what the hell else you'd want, because we have to choose _someone_ to go."

"Eliminate Honey if you guys end up winning again," Kane responded with a shrug. "Simple as that."

Knowing that _that_ wasn't gonna happen, the Ferrothorn continued, "Uh huh, yeah, predictable…"

R.J. chuckled, "These team-based eliminations are _really_ getting people on edge."

Art groaned, "You have no fucking idea…"

 **-000-**

Portia and Belladonna were sitting with Dade and Zahku. They hardly ever interacted, so maybe they could find some things in common. Heck, Dade was even interested in what Chip and Portia's interactions were like, given what happened before he left.

"So, Portia," he began. "Were you and Chip dating or something?"

The Rhyperior blushed in response, to which Belladonna giggled. Deciding to respond for her, the Golem explained, "They weren't dating, Portia just had a crush on him and they were gonna try to work things up so that they could be official."

"Ah…" Dade responded, nodding in understanding. "Well, sorry…"

Portia let out a sigh in response. "It's okay. Right now I'm just focused on the challenges so that I'm able to make him proud."

Zahku was indifferent to Chip's elimination as a whole, as he didn't really care for the Machamp, despite his change in demeanor. "Zahku just work for himself. Wants to see if he strong enough."

"Dude, so far you've beaten up Chip and lasted underwater without taking more than one breath," Dade responded. "I'm pretty sure you've proven yourself to be strong."

Zahku responded, "Zahku still need training."

Belladonna rose a brow, "How much training are you planning on doing?"

"Zahku just want to be stronger," the Makuhita responded with a shrug.

Belladonna didn't ask anything more, as to not come off as annoying. Dade decided to speak up, posing a question, "So, if we're able to win again, who do you girls think we should aim for?"

The girls exchanged looks, as with all of the talking they did with Christine the night prior, they didn't really discuss who _they_ were going to choose. Instead, they were more paranoid about the possibilities of the other team.

"Hmm…" Portia hummed. "I'm not sure, but if we wanna keep knocking them down, I'd say that we should go for either Jessica or Kane."

"Okay… so Jessica," Dade stated. "I'm not gonna risk getting the crap kicked outta me for eliminating R.J.'s husband."

"Yeah, I think that eliminating Jessica would be the best case scenario," Belladonna opined. "She's pretty darn smart, _plus_ based on how she and Chip talked before he left, it seemed like they worked well together, so she could be just as big as a threat."

Portia nodded in agreement. "So, now it's a matter of us acing this next challenge."

Dade let out a groan, shuddering. "Volcanoes… fire… intense heat… all very bad for me…"

"Well, maybe this time not every single person will have to participate," Belladonna responded.

Dade sighed, "I hope so…"

 **000**

Christine was sitting across from Max, who was chewing on his second-to-last french toast stick. As he dipped it in the syrup provided, Christine inquired, "So, Tim is just… done with breakfast altogether?"

Max shrugged, pulling the breadstick out of the syrup, "That's what it sounded like to me."

Christine sighed, "And it's because Lynn's gone, I'm guessing."

Max nodded, "Pretty much. Plus, he's still upset about what he did yesterday _and_ he told me that he doesn't eat breakfast as often when he's at home, so I'm just gonna leave it at that."

Christine sighed, shaking her head, "Jeez, I know that he cared about Lynn, but he doesn't have to just... _not_ talk to us in the mornings. Couldn't he just give his breakfast to you?"

"I brought it up," Max responded. "He said that he may come around if he feels like it, but as of now, he doesn't really care for breakfast. He just wants me to let him know when it's time for the challenges."

Christine rolled her eyes before starting to head out. "Well, I'm gonna go ahead and go to our challenge location. You enjoy those sugar sticks…"

As the Kricketune exited, Max shrugged to himself before focusing back on his breakfast. Seeing that he was now alone, Honey decided to try and better acquaint herself with the Delibird. She had to start _somewhere_ , anyway. And, with him essentially being Tim's only real friend, maybe she could get some information out of him or get him to act as a mediator between the two during challenges. Either one would do.

"Hey there, Max…" she began.

Max gave the Vespiquen a look before going back to his breakfast. "What do you want?"

Expecting this behavior from him, Honey continued, "Well, I was wondering if you could fill me in with regards to Tim. We're being forced to work together now, anyway…"

"I'm not stupid," Max deadpanned. "I may be nonchalant, but not stupid. I don't have any info for you…"

Honey groaned in annoyance, though she should have expected him to act this way. She didn't consider him as a worthy player at all, and she underestimated him. She sighed, "Look, I know that we aren't friends in the slightest, but we're gonna have to work together."

Max gave her a look, as she continued. "Now, you're not gonna give me information. That's fine, you wanna protect your friend. _But_ , given that I don't care for him and vice-versa, I think you should have a role for when we start challenges."

Max rose a brow, "Uh… What kind of role do you have in mind? I'm not gonna be a servant if that's-"

"No!" Honey interrupted before letting out a moan of exasperation. "Just… act like a moderator or something for us so that we don't try to kill each other."

"You're both grown adults. If you can't handle each other on your own, what makes you think that I'll do you any good?" the Delibird inquired, folding his arms. "And why me and not Kane or something? I feel like he'd be much more successful."

"Because I'm assuming that you know Tim better, so you can control him and de-escalate situations that involve him," Honey explained. "Now, can you do it or not?"

Max didn't really want to be involved in the situation, as he just felt that the entire thing was immature and stupid. Was it really that hard for the Tropius and Vespiquen to not spew venom at each other over nothing? He let out a sigh as he took another bite of his toast. "Fine, I'll help. But you'd better not be planning anything…"

"How the hell could I be planning anything if the _winning_ team is the one choosing who goes home on the _losing_ team?" Honey responded.

Max narrowed his eyes at her, recalling what happened with Lynn. "Whatever…"

Honey flew out of the mess hall, a small smile on her face.

 **000**

 **Max was eating the last french toast stick from his box, "Yeah, I don't trust Honey at all. I know that she's up to something. She wouldn't ask for information on Tim and** _ **then**_ **randomly decide to involve me in something that could be handled easily."**

 **000**

Once a majority of the contestants finished their breakfast, they did as they were instructed and made their way to the section of the beach that the volcano was overlooking. The heat had gotten a little less intense, but it was still very hot.

Sitting on the yellow sand, was a table that held a blender, a bottle of hot sauce, and had a couple of boxes on top of it. Underneath the table was a couple of boxes that were turned in a way so that the players couldn't see what was inside of them. Across from the table was a canopy with a blue top, offering shade.

"Greetings players!" Mew introduced as the fourteen players stood under the canopy to avoid the harsh sunlight. "Ready for your next challenge?"

"Not really," Dade opined.

"Well, that's too bad," Victini responded with a chuckle. "As R.J. spoiled during breakfast, today's theme is indeed, 'Fire'."

"What th- I didn't spoil anything," R.J. argued. "You said something about the volcano and I just figured 'Fire' since yesterday was 'Water'!"

"Same difference," Victini retorted.

The Beartic huffed, folding his arms.

"Now," Mew began. "There will be three challenges today, and, like yesterday, _everyone_ has to participate in some way."

"But, also _unlike_ yesterday, there will no need to hand points out, as there's a challenge that everyone will be able to participate in," Victini said. "So, no complaining…"

"So by that information, I'm guessing that _you_ guys will be choosing who participates in what this time around, right?" Art responded.

Victini and Mew were unamused by the Ferrothorn's inference, with Victini responding, "Do you enjoy ruining the fun and surprise of activities?"

Art groaned in annoyance, rolling his eyes.

"Anyways…" Mew drawled, "As Art has already revealed, for today's challenges, _we_ have taken the liberty of choosing who does what, so you won't waste all of your time arguing and guessing what comes next."

"Well… _thanks_ , I guess," Honey thanked. "Unless the challenge nearly kills me…"

Ignoring the Vespiquen, the hosts proceeded to explain the first part of the challenge.

"Now, what better way to start off a fire-themed challenge than with spicy foods?" Mew rhetorically inquired.

"Uh… sauna stuff?" Max proposed.

The hosts gave him a look before Mew continued, "Anyways… two players from each team will be pulling out slips of paper from these two boxes. Whatever ingredients you pull out, that'll be what is blended together for you to drink. You must finish your spicy drink completely to move on to the next round. This will continue until there is one player or one team remaining. The players that can handle the spiciness will earn their team an advantage in the next challenge."

"And… Max and Jessica will be going for the Red Team, and R.J. and Dade will be going for the Blue Team," Victini revealed.

"Oh, that's bullshit!" Art exclaimed. "You chose a Water-type to participate in a spicy food challenge. It's obvious that she's gonna be the one to win!"

"No, there's not a guarantee, because if she does anything to cool her mouth before the challenge is over, she's out," Mew stated, giving Jessica a look.

The Bruxish grumbled to herself upon being given the restriction.

"And how the hell are we supposed to have a chance to win if you put the pipsqueak with me?" R.J. queried.

"Hey!" Dade shouted in protest.

"This is the only challenge that he'd be able to do that wouldn't give any free points," Victini explained. "So, deal with it."

R.J. growled.

"So, you four come on up and we'll get this started," Mew instructed.

The four participants made their way forward, with R.J. having to pick up Dade and put him on the table. The other contestants simply sat under the canopy, watching.

 **-000-**

"Alright," Mew began. "Since the Blue Team won the last challenge, they get to pull first."

R.J. queried, "So, how many ingredients do we each pull out?"

"Three," Victini answered. "All of them will have a hot sauce base, courtesy of Greasy Al's Death Sauce. Made with Tamato Berry extract, jalapeños, and an Orre Reaper."

"Oh joy… You're gonna kill all of our taste buds," R.J. remarked, though he was very nervous on the inside.

"Nah, that's not how that works," Mew responded, waving away their concerns. "If anything, your sinuses will be cleared."

"Gee… That's great," Max deadpanned.

"Yep," Victini responded. "So, Dade and R.J., go ahead and pick your ingredients, one at a time."

R.J. rolled his eyes as he reached into the box, pulling out a slip of paper. "Crushed red pepper," he read. He scoffed. " _Lovely_."

Dade went forward, hopping into the box. He resurfaced a few seconds later with a slip in his beak. He dropped it outside of the box, allowing R.J. to pick it up. "You got… curry."

Dade groaned, "Well, I'm off to a bad start already..."

R.J. pulled out another slip of paper, reading off, "Spicy Chicken sandwich… Really?"

"Hey, that sounds pretty good to me," Dade commented. "I actually enjoy those sandwiches sometimes."

The Beartic gave him a look, grumpily responding, "Well, you didn't pull it now did you?"

Max chimed in, "Say, are all the same choices in both boxes? I wanna try for that sandwich."

"Yes, both team's choice boxes have the same ingredients," Mew answered. "It wouldn't make sense for them to be different."

"Yeah, it'd be pretty unfair if one team's box had spicier foods," Jessica affirmed.

Dade went ahead and pulled out another slip of paper. Once again, R.J. picked it up and read it off for him. "Spicy noodles…"

"Huh… Not that bad," the Burmy commented.

R.J. grumbled to himself as he reached into the bbox a final time, retrieving his final ingredient. He pulled out his slip and looked at it, raising a brow, "Habanero Jelly…"

"Okay, and Dade?" Victini inquired, turning to the Bagworm Pokémon.

Dade came out with his last slip. He flipped it over himself, reading it off on his own. "Hot Crisps."

"Alright," Mew responded with a nod, turning to Jessica and Max. "Red Team, you're up next. Start pulling."

Max glanced at Jessica, "Ladies first."

The Bruxish rolled her eyes as she used kinesis to lift out a slip, causing the sound of grinding teeth to fill the area momentarily, causing some to cover their ears if they could.

"What the hell was _that_?" R.J. complained, shuddering from the sound.

"It happens sometimes when I use my Psychic abilities," Jessica explained. "Didn't really have a problem before, but oh well. Uh… I got the Spicy Chicken Sandwich."

"DAMN IT!" Max bellowed in disappointment. "Chivalry has screwed me over…" He let out a sigh as he reached into the box to pull out a slip of his own. He groaned upon seeing what he got, "Pepper Jack Cheese…"

"Hey! We got shit like curry and Habanero Jelly, don't you complain about getting cheese!" R.J. snapped back.

"Uh… remember that the boxes are the same," Victini reminded. "They could very well get some of the same things that you guys did."

R.J. chuckled, "Well, hopefully they have to deal with the same stuff as us…"

Jessica went ahead and pulled again, though there was no sound this time, like all of the other times she used it. She smiled slightly at the ingredient she got. "Horseradish…"

Max pulled once again as well, and a smile grew on his face. "Hey, Buffalo Wings. Nice!"

R.J. grumbled to himself, while Dade simply remained indifferent.

Jessica pulled once again, and sighed in disappointment, "Curry… great…"

"HA!" R.J. laughed, causing others to look at him in confusion. It wasn't that big of a deal, as all of the foods were spicy in some way. Sure, some were spicier than others, but the spicy aspect was still present in all of them.

Seeing the looks he was getting, the Beartic cleared his throat and remained quiet as Max reached in the box to pull out his last ingredient.

"Uh… Butt… Juh-loh-KYE-uh… flakes?" he read slowly, unsure of how to pronounce the name of the ingredient on the slip. Luckily, Art was able to fill him in, chuckling a bit under his breath.

"It's pronounced Bhut Jolokia, but we all know it as the ghost pepper," Art answered, causing Max's eyes to widen.

"So… ghost pepper flakes…" the Delibird restated. "Great…"

"Yep, and all of you guys are gonna be using a hot sauce that has traces of jalapeños, an Orre Reaper, and Tamato Berries as a base," Art reminded. "So… there's a chance that you guys are gonna get very sick."

"And that why we have puke buckets and jugs of milk at the ready, _and_ we're by the water," Victini responded, gesturing to the items and scene as he listed them.

"Uh… I don't think that'll be enough to help them…" Tim commented. "Plus, if more than one of them finish, they have to do it again…"

R.J. let out a sigh as the sun beamed down. He really despised spicy foods, and upon being reminded that all of the spice could get him very sick and leave a long-lasting burning sensation in his mouth, he mentally began to panic. But, he figured that the faster he got it over with, the faster he could try to get the tastes out of his mouth. "Okay, I want to get out of this sun, so can we just get this over with?" he asked.

"Hey, we're ready when you guys are," Victini responded with a chuckle.

Mew grabbed all of the ingredients that were pulled, by the contestants, out of the boxes under the table. Placing them on top of the furniture piece, Mew started methodically putting the designated ingredients together into the blender before dousing them Greasy Al's Death Sauce and blending them. He did this for each of the beverages, switching the blender jar out each time to avoid cross contamination. Eventually, he finished, taking out four separate glasses with straws already in them.

"Alright," the New Species Pokémon began, rubbing his paws together. "First we have R.J.'s… Crushed Red Pepper, Spicy Chicken Sandwich, and Habanero Jelly drink," he said, pouring the drink into a glass.

R.J. shuddered as the chunky substance filled the glass. Mew slid it to him, with the smell alone making him gag to himself.

"Next up, Dade's curry, Spicy Noodles, and Hot Crisps drink," Mew said as he poured the orange-colored drink into the glass.

Dade sighed to himself as the glass was slid toward him, "I guess I'm going to be combusting from the inside out."

"Pretty sure that's gonna be the case for all of you," Belladonna commented, folding her arms. "Even _I_ wouldn't drink that and I love spicy stuff!"

Dade gave her a look, but rolled his eyes as Mew poured Jessica's drink next. "Spicy Chicken Sandwich, horseradish, and curry drink," he said, sliding it to the Bruxish.

"Mmm… I'm _really_ looking forward to this…" the Gnash Teeth Pokémon sarcastically remarked.

"And finally, the Pepper Jack cheese, Buffalo Wing, and Bhut Jolokia flake mixture," he said, pouring the fluid into the glass. The yellowish-orange drink resembled vomit, and the smell didn't make it any better.

As it was slid toward him, Max cautiously took a smell, only to gag and yell as he held his beak. "Fuck, even smelling it fucking burns!" His eyes watered as he faced the table again with teary eyes. "This… is gonna suck. Big time…"

"Yes it is…" Mew responded. "Now, you all have your beverages. Finish it all and you'll move on to the next round."

"And if no one is able to drink it all, the last person to stop, or the person who is able to drink the most, will earn their team the advantage," Victini explained. "Are you all ready?"

"Not really…" Dade commented, shuddering.

"Well, you're gonna have to do it regardless, so suck it up," the Victory Pokémon responded. He chuckled, "Literally."

The four participants exchanged looks of unsurety.

"Now, you may begin in three… two… one… GO!" Mew announced.

There was hesitation from all four of them, but Dade decided to take the first sip of his drink as he stood on the cup that held the spicy noodles. Upon the mixture entering his mouth, he was immediately hit by a wave of intense heat. His tongue was lit ablaze as he he started sweating. The burning fluid went down his throat and entered his stomach, making him groan and yell in pain.

Seeing his reaction, the other three grew even more nervous. However, not wanting Dade to earn his team the win over a small sip, Jessica and Max both started drinking their drink as well. R.J., afraid of how his body would react, just watched the others with an expression of anxiety and fear plastered on his face.

Due to her not being allowed to cool her mouth as she drank, Jessica's tongue was immediately on fire. She perspired heavily, trying to take open mouth breaths in order to cool it down. She couldn't help but to lick her lips, as they were beginning to dry due to the heat. However, it only made it worse due to her tongue still having residue from it.

Dade had a major headache just from his initial sip and was hyperventilating as he sweated profusely. His sandy cloak had been washed off from his perspiration, leaving him naked, however, he didn't care. "What the fuck!" he raspily exclaimed.

Max had been holding his breath, continuing to sip away at his drink. His eyes were watering, and a bit of watery mucus was sliding from his beak. He stopped when he was close to half, smacking the table intensely from the pain as he forced it down his throat. "AHHH! FUCK!" he screamed once it was down.

His throat was burning like it was surrounded by magma, and as soon as the fluid entered his stomach, it felt like he was hit by a napalm bomb. He clutched his stomach in pain, laying in the sand in the fetal position while moaning in pain.

Dade saw that R.J. was just looking on with a fearful expression and glared at him. "STOP STANDING THERE AND DRINK!" he exclaimed before coughing, his stomach gurgling.

R.J. was trembling, not wanting to deal with the same pain as his fellow competitors.

"R.J.!" he heard from behind him. Turning back, he saw that it was Christine. "If you don't do this, you're gonna cost us the advantage!"

"FUCK OFF!" the Beartic snapped back.

He looked back at the drink before him, shuddering as he picked up the cup to take a sip of it. As he brought it closer to his lip, he moaned before putting it back down. "I can't. I… I can't do it!"

Jessica and Dade, who were still up, looked at him in shock, while Max just remained on the ground. Upon hearing this, Victini announced, "Alright, looks like it'll be completely up to Dade to finish his drink if he wants to even have a _chance_ to have his team win."

The Burmy growled to himself as he weighed his options. He could risk having _more_ excruciating pain _, or_ he could quit as well and keep a target off of his back. R.J.'s shown weakness, so he felt that if he continued and his team lost, he would be a consideration. It was very unlikely, but he still didn't want to risk it. So, he responded, "Do you not see how small I am? I'll probably internally combust if I drink all of that!"

"So, are you quitting as well?" Victini inquired for clarification.

Dade let out a sigh, looking back at Jessica, who had her lips wrapped around the straw of her drink. He shuddered at the sigh, as his stomach just burned. "Yeah, I'm done. I think we're _all_ done…"

Mew and Victini exchanged looks, with Mew shrugging his shoulders. "Well," Victini began. "Looks like the Red Team wins part one of the challenge and gets the advantage for part two of today's challenge."

The Blue Team groaned in disappointment as the participants dealt with their issues. Jessica immediately started gargling with water from her own body as Max and Dade both dragged themselves toward the ocean to try and cool themselves off.

Seeing this, Mew rose a brow. "Uh… you guys know that milk works better than water when it comes to spicy stuff, right?" he said, raising one of the massive milk jugs.

R.J. sulked back toward the canopy, getting surprised and disappointed looks from the others. The only ones that didn't seem to care were Kane, Art, Zahku, and surprisingly, Sasha.

He went to Kane, who gave him a side hug and kissed his forehead, "It's okay babe. You're not good with spicy things. And honestly, if I was in your shoes, I probably wouldn't have done it either. It… it looks extremely painful."

R.J. just sighed as he felt someone patting his back. He glanced back and noticed that it was Sasha. While this occured, Christine rolled her eyes.

 **000**

" **Yep, of course," Christine remarked. "He's married to Kane, so he immediately rushes to him when he knows that he fucked up because he knows that he won't be eliminated. Great…"**

 **She sighed, a thought entering her mind, "Hmm… maybe if our team is able to win today, we can eliminate Kane, and we can let the other team win the challenge tomorrow, they can eliminate R.J. for us. That way we won't have to worry about them going forward."**

 **000**

Victini went ahead and provided a pool for Dade, Max, and Jessica, filling it with milk so that the extreme heat washing their insides was alleviated, even if slightly.

As he did this, Mew cleared his throat as he moved past the table, flying toward a section of the beach that was sectioned off and covered by a tarp. "Anyways," he began as he floated over to the tarp. The tarp, and whatever it was covering, extended from the shore all the way to the sandbar, a good distance across the ocean.

"Part two of the 'Fire' challenges is…" he started. The tarp was removed, revealing numerous black stones surrounded by fire and embers. "...walking across hot coals!"

Everyone stared in shock and surprise, gasping at the sight.

"Okay, that… that's a lot of coal," Sasha commented.

"Yep. Over 2,000 pieces of coal leading all the way to the sandbar that houses the volcano," Mew explained. "Now, once again, two players from each team will be participating in this challenge. Your goal is to make it as far as you can before having to jump into the water. The players that are able to make it the furthest win another advantage in the final challenge."

"And, since the Red Team won the advantage," Victini began. "They get… these!" the Victory Pokémon pulled out a soft, brown boot with a black bottom.

"Uh… ugly boots?" Art commented, raising a brow.

"They aren't ugly, Art," Victini responded. "These… are heat boots. They've been insulated so that you don't feel as much heat as you go across."

" _As much_ … Uh… do you mind elaborating on that?" Honey queried. "How much are we really gonna feel?"

"Hmm… It's kinda hard to pinpoint the exact amount of heat that'll be felt since we don't really test these things," Mew explained. "Plus, there are a ton of people who walk on hot coals that turn out fine. _Non_ -Fire types if i might add. So, who knows? You guys may be fine."

"Ugh… This is gonna be hell," Kane groaned.

"Well, remember, only four of you will be participating," Mew explained. "So, most of you won't have to worry about it. The participants for this challenge will be… Tonya and Tim for the Red Team and Zahku and Art for the Blue Team."

Art groaned, "Oh course… of _fucking_ course…"

Tonya let out a sigh, while Tim twitched, not looking forward to the pain he would likely still be feeling. Meanwhile, Zahku remained stone-faced, unperturbed by the challenge at hand.

"So, let's get this show on the road. The four of you, come on up," Mew instructed.

 **-000-**

The four of them stood on the shore, the heat radiating from the coals causing slight discomfort. Victini explained. "Alright, since the Blue Team kicked off the last challenge, Red Team, you're up first."

Tim groaned in annoyance, while Tonya spoke up, patting Tim's leg. "Don't worry, I'll go first."

Tim rose a brow, "You sure?"

Tonya nodded, "Oh yeah. I'm pretty fast, so, while I may still feel the burning, at least I'll be done rather quickly."

Dade surfaced from the milk pool near them with a deep breath. "Does she get a handicap, too? Her species is extremely fast already, after all."

"No," Mew answered, "Unlike Jessica, Tonya is still weak against fire, so she doesn't really have anything that'll make it completely unfair."

Dade seemingly shrugged it off before diving right back into the milk, which Max and Jessica were still lapping up and relaxing in.

"Now, Tonya, you don't actually have any visible feet, so… here's a covering made of the same materials," Victini said, holding a sack-like covering.

Victini used kinesis to lift up the Accelgor and slip the covering over her leg area. She began moving back and forward to test if she could still move swiftly. Luckily, she could, though it felt a bit awkward.

"As for you, Tim, here are your boots," he said as he put down the Tropius' boots for him. Tim sighed as Victini lifted him up as well, slipping the boots onto him as well.

Upon being put down, he lifted one of his legs, raising a brow. "Surprisingly comfy, I guess…"

"Alright, Tonya, you said you were gonna go first," Mew reminded. "All you have to do is make it as far as you can without jumping in the water and you'll be fine."

The Shell Out Pokémon nodded, "Got it."

"Alright, get ready to go," Mew instructed as she got into position. He counted her down. "In three… two… one… GO!"

The Accelgor zoomed across the coals, as nearly everyone expected her to. As she sped across the surface, she still felt the burn of the hot coals as some of them hit her due to her speed. She was knocking some of the coals into the water as well, which she was happy with.

However, as she continued speeding, she could feel her 'boot' begin to loosen, as if it was about to fly off at any given moment. Eventually, it did just that. The Accelgor's boot was scraped off, leaving her body exposed to the heat.

She felt every hot stone burn her as she steadily made her way to the end. Her eyes started watering slightly, though luckily, the wind from her speed was cooling her down a tad bit. Eventually, she made it to the sandbar, which held the volcano. She let out a sigh of relief, only to be startled by a familiar voice.

"Nice job, Tonya," she heard, causing the Accelgor to jump in fright. She turned around and saw Victini, as well as everyone that was under the canopy and the three that were still in the milk pool.

"What the… How did you-"

"Psychic-type," Victini answered eagerly, thumbing towards himself, already knowing the rest of the question. He helped fix the coal before humming as he looked toward the main island, "Now, let's see if Tim is able to follow in your footsteps…"

Honey was ready to throw in a pessimistic remark, given Tim's Grass-typing, however, she remembered that she didn't want to get on anyone else's nerves, so she remained silent. While she was happy that Tim was likely going to be in pain, she was annoyed that she was likely going to be stuck with a challenge dealing with the volcano or something of the sort.

Max, who was still cooling down his insides, noticed her demeanor and rose a brow when she didn't say anything bad about Tim.

 **000**

" **My point exactly," Max stated, pouring milk on his face as he sat on the seat. "They don't need me!"**

 **000**

Tim took a breath as he looked at the long path of hot coals leading to the sandbar where the others were. He apprehensively gazed down at the boots on his feet and sighed. " _How the hell are these things supposed to prevent any sort of heat without catching on fire themselves?"_ he thought to himself.

"Alright Tim, looks like you're all set to go next," Mew said. "Now, of course, you can't fly. Just saying that in case Art decides to be a smartass about it."

"If I had fingers, I'd be flipping you off," Art responded, giving the host a look of agitation.

"I'm sure you would be," Mew responded tonelessly before turning back to the Tropius. "Now, Tim, you're up. Try to make it as far as you can and don't disappoint. You really need to make up for yesterday's incident."

Being reminded of his poor choice the day prior, Tim let out a groan. He was hoping that Art's double weakness and lack of protection would make him more susceptible to burns from the coals, so he wouldn't have to go _that_ far. Now, he felt obligated to do his absolute best to make up for Chip's elimination.

" _Fuck me and my guilty feelings…"_ Tim thought to himself.

"Now, in three… two… one… GO!" Mew exclaimed.

Tim started running across the coals. Much to his surprise, the boots were holding up well. The bottoms were actually keeping a lot of heat out, though it was still pretty warm. As he continued going across, he started focusing his attention to the sandbar, though he could still feel the heat underneath him.

" _Okay, you can do this. You're doing good_ ," he said to himself. " _This doesn't even hurt that much_."

The Tropius actually began gaining speed, much to his surprise. His underbelly was actually keeping a neutral temperature due to his speed now, as he realized why he was actually moving faster than usual.

" _Chlorophyll_ …" he thought to himself, a smile forming on his face. He continued to run across the coal, the breeze hitting his face as he continued toward the sandbar. As he turned a corner, due to his speed, combine with his weight, he ended up slipping up and skidding off of the coal path, falling into the water.

He resurfaced a few seconds later and saw that he was just a few yards away from the end.

 **000**

" **FUCK ME!" Tim exclaimed. "I was so close!"**

 **000**

The Red Team let out a groan of disappointment as Tim swam toward the sandbar with a frown on his face. As he stepped onto the sand, he let out a sigh before sulking toward his team.

"I was right there!" Tim groaned.

"Well, that sucks," Victini commented. "But, I suppose that it will likely be farther than Art gets, so you've got that to look forward to."

"Yeah, you chose a guy with a double weakness and disdain for extreme heat," Belladonna reasoned. "I think it's obvious that he probably won't make it that far."

"Hey," Christine began. "As much as I dislike him. Let's try _not_ to underestimate him. Maybe he'll do pretty well."

"Well, we'll just have to see about that now won't we?" Victini said as he used kinesis to fix up the coals once again.

 **-000-**

Back on the main island, Art was already in position, ready to cross the coal. He was actually pretty nervous about doing the challenge, as he was very much against anything fire related. Plus, the fact that his spikes could pierce the coal and possibly remain stuck to them until he reached the end also circulated in his mind.

"Alright Art, you ready to do this?" Mew inquired with a smirk, noticing that the Ferrothorn was looking a bit hesitant. "It's a bit of a long way if you want to beat the Red Team..."

Art gave him a look, knowing that he was trying to psych him out, as hosts sometimes do. "I'll be fine. It'll be difficult, given my typing and my spikes, but… I'm still gonna try."

Mew nodded, "Well, get ready. In three… two… one… GO!"

Art let out a sigh as he moved forward, using his vines to carry himself forward. When his first vine crunched into the coal, he immediately felt an intense stinging pain course through him. He grunted to himself as Zahku simply watched with his arms folded.

He started walking shakily, the pain increasing with every step he took. He tried to move faster and just get it over with, but that only made it worse, as he would have to stop, causing him to growl to himself. As he expected, a few bits of coal remained stuck on his spikes, causing him to painfully stand on the coals and try to shake them off, only for more to become stuck as he put the vine back down.

Seeing his struggle, Zahku grew annoyed. "Zahku getting tired of standing here," he stated as he started walking toward the coal path.

Mew rose a brow. They hadn't made any rule against having the players on the same team going simultaneously, so he wasn't really against Zahku's actions. "I mean, if you think you can handle it with Art still on it, blocking your way, feel free to go on ahead."

The Makuhita started walking across the hot coals with very little difficulty. He lackadaisically approached Art, who was trying to shake off another chunk of coal that was stuck to one of his spikes.

"Zahku just want challenge done," he said monotonously, standing behind the Ferrothorn.

Art turned around and was surprised to see the Makuhita standing there. He continued trying to keep his composure as he switched vines every so often. "Where the- hell did you come from?"

Zahku responded by simply picking up the Thorn Pod Pokémon, holding him over his head. "What the hell are you doing?!" the Ferrothorn exclaimed.

Zahku continued walking, holding the Steel and Grass-type over his head.

 **-000-**

On the sandbar, the others seeing this were astonished, having two questions. How was Zahku able to walk across the coal without complaining _and_ while carrying Art? And more importantly, was this even allowed?

"Okay, time out. There's no way that that should count!" Sasha argued. "Art just walked a little bit of the way and Zahku's carrying him the rest of it!"

Victini chuckled in response, "We didn't specify any rules against it, so… we're gonna allow it."

The Red Team was taken aback, while the Blue Team cheered Zahku on as he finally reached the sandbar, dropping Art in the process.

"And the Blue Team wins this second challenge!" Victini announced, causing the Blue Team to cheer. The Red Team was still in shock, completely stunned at Zahku's capabilities. Immediately, they exchanged looks.

 **000**

" **Okay," Jessica began, feeling a bit better from the spicy drink challenge. "I know that I said that Portia would be the best threat to eliminate after Christine, but Zahku is showing to be a better player than I suspected…"**

 **000**

 **Zahku shrugged, "Zahku hates having to wait for others if he has thing to do."**

 **000**

Both Mew and Victini were now at the sandbar, with Mew explaining, "Alright, so the Blue Team has the advantage for this final challenge. Now, we _would_ give you guys a break for a while, but since the final challenge is still relatively simple, we're gonna keep it moving."

"Yep," Victini added, "So, those of you who haven't participated in a challenge yet, it's your time to shine. That'd be Kane, Sasha, and Honey for the Red Team and Christine, Belladonna, and Portia for the Blue Team."

Honey groaned in annoyance, " _Great…_ "

"Okay, and what about the rest of us?" R.J. queried. "What do we do?"

"Just… chill here, pretty much," Mew answered. "Build sandcastles, relax in the water, sunbathe, talk… just whatever you can do to preoccupy yourselves while your teammates are participating in the final challenge."

"Yep, so the six participants, come with me to the top of the volcano. The rest of you, just chill out," Victini said as he started floating toward the volcano. The six participants followed him, leaving the others there.

The remaining eight players turned to Mew, who was sitting in a chair underneath another canopy. He responded, "Hey, like I said, just… doing whatever you guys want until the challenge is over."

The contestants exchanged looks with each other before deciding to find things to do to entertain themselves. R.J. looked toward the volcano, a frown on his face.

 **-000-**

Victini teleported the six players to the top of the volcano, where they felt heat coming from the opening, as one would expect. There was a fake wall with fishing rods holding them.

Seeing them, Christine sighed, "So… the last challenge is fishing? That's it?"

"Yep," Victini answered. "Now, inside of the volcano are multiple Slugma, Magcargo, Magmar, and Magmortar. Along with them, are these." The Victory Pokémon held up an abnormally large, black circular chip. "Chips."

"Those… sure are big…" Sasha commented, looking at the chip in the rabbit-fox's hand.

"Yep," he responded, "And…" He peeled back a sticker set across the middle, revealing the number '20'. "...they each come with numbers ranging from '5', '10', '15', all the way up to '50'. Your goal is to reel in as many chips as you can within thirty minutes. The team that has the highest total will win. And Blue Team, since you guys won the previous challenge, you guys get an automatic twenty points."

"Nice!" Belladonna pumped her fist in joy.

"Now, the Pokémon already inside of the volcano may try to hitch a ride on your rods or hinder you, as the rods have strong suction cups as opposed to actual hooks," Victini explained. "So, be careful. If you feel something heavy, shake the rod, or if you're feeling gutsy, real it in and knock the Pokémon back down."

"Wait, won't the chips melt down there?" Portia inquired.

Victini shook his head, "Nope, they have a special fireproof coating that keeps them from melting down there. So, they'll be fine. Any other concerns or questions?"

The contestants remained silent, giving him an answer, so he continued. "Alright, grab your rods and let's see who comes out on top."

The contestants did as they were instructed, heading to the wall to grab their rods. All of the rods looked the same, having a cushion around the handle and having strong, fire-resistant thread as the fishing line.

"Alright, your thirty minutes start now, so pick a spot and start reeling in those chips," Victini said as he began descending back down the volcano. Seeing this, Kane rose a brow, "Wait, you're not gonna watch over us in case something happens?"

Victini sighed, "Well, I expected that, as adults, you all would be able to take care of yourselves, but… if you want me to watch over you…"

He teleported a chair, similar to Mew's, to his location before taking a seat. "...Happy?"

Kane shrugged nonchalantly, not liking the passive-aggressiveness.

Sasha threw her rod forward, allowing the thread to carefully make it inside of the volcano. She looked down, and due to the magma being more than half up, she could see the numerous chips sitting in the molten rock. She moved the rod around a bit to try and see if she could get it closer to one of the chips, but saw that it was too thick.

She groaned, "So we have to literally be spot on or close? Some of them are in the middle!"

"Then why don't you just let _me_ take care of those?" Honey tonelessly responded. "I can fly, remember?" The Vespiquen began flying to the middle of the hole with a rod in her hands.

Seeing this, Christine decided to do the same in order to even the playing field. It wouldn't have been fair if _they_ got to have a flier and their team didn't.

Christine decided to take flight, awkwardly holding onto her rod as she went to the middle of the volcano's opening as well. Honey, seeing this rolled her eyes and started reeling in chips. She got one after a short while of maneuvering the line.

She reached down to grab it, but due to it being in magma a few seconds before, she yelled in pain before growling. She flew back to the sidelines, shaking the chip off next to Kane and Sasha, who were trying to maneuver around to get chips of their own.

"Hey," Honey said, getting their attention. "One of you check how many points that chip's worth. I'm gonna try to keep grabbing more. The other one, just move around until you see some chips near the edge and go for them."

Kane and Sasha were surprised to hear her actually taking a leadership role, Kane especially.

"Alright, uh… I guess I'll check the chips…" Sasha said, picking up the hot chip and hissing a bit. Peeling off the sticker, she saw that the number on the chip was '45'. "Hey, we got a high number right off the bat. Nice."

"Good," the Beehive Pokémon responded as she turned to Kane, who had remained quiet. "That leaves you to focus on the edges, Kane. And Sasha, if you're able to get other chips, too, that'd be good. If not, it's no big deal."

"Actually, I'd say that it kind of is," Kane responded. "I'm liking what I'm hearing from you so far; it's a nice change of pace. However, we need to make sure that we get as much as we can, which is more likely with all three of us-."

"Guys! The Blue Team is already ahead of us. They have five chips!" Sasha interrupted. "Let's just collect as many as we can and worry about the score afterwards. The more we have, the higher the chances of us having more high numbers."

"You're right, you're right, let's worry about the score once we have a fair amount," Honey agreed as she flew back to the middle and Kane started surveying the pool of molten rock to see if any chips were near the edge.

 **000**

Back on the sandbar, the remaining eight players were occupying themselves with the few activities that they could. Max and Dade were still soaking in the milk pool, Tim was conversing with Jessica, who was still getting over the tingling sensation in her mouth, Tonya and Zahku were talking a bit while making sand structures, and R.J. was just watching the volcano, while Art napped near the water. Seeing all of this, and growing bored himself, Mew let out a soft yawn, resting his head on his hand while in his chair.

Tonya was asking Zahku about his capabilities for a better understanding of him, as well as to see if there was a chance for her to become stronger as well. She had been doing better with slowing herself down in conversation for a while, but she had multiple curiosities and questions about him as a person as well, as his mannerisms were rather odd.

"So, what do you do for training that makes you… like this?" she asked.

Zahku shrugged in response. "Zahku just make sure that mind is sharp and clear, erase all fearful essence, no eat for weeks, fornicate with larger girls as discipline and to gain muscle strength."

Tonya rose a brow, "Wait, sex is a part of your training? I honestly never saw you as a type to commit."

"Zahku no stranger to intercourse," he responded. "Has once fornicated with six Medicham at same time."

Tonya blinked in surprise, unsure about how to response. "Huh… And how did having sex with them help in your training?"

"Multitask and coordination," he responded in his same serious tone.

Tonya, expecting him to say that it didn't, stared in shock. Zahku really _was_ strange.

 **000**

" **What kind of guy acts like, apparently, having sex with multiple partners is nothing more than training?" Tonya inquired. "And no offense to him, but how does a guy like Zahku score more than one person at a time?"**

000

"Will you calm down, Tim? It's not that big of a deal," Jessica said, seeing that lying under the canopy with a crestfallen expression.

"How can I be calm when there's a chance that I may get eliminated if the guys up there don't win? And with Honey, I bet she's planning to make us lose so that the Blue Team can vote me out…" Tim speculated.

In response, Jessica used Water Gun, spraying his face, causing him to sit up abruptly. "Hey!" he exclaimed.

"Stop being so pessimistic," Jessica demanded. "You and Honey haven't even exchanged words today, and you're talking about how she's plotting against you."

"Because she's a bitch!" Tim argued back. "Plus, it's obvious that she still has connections to the other team. If not, _she_ would have been the one eliminated yesterday."

Jessica gave the Tropius a look before smacking him with her tail fin, eliciting a pained grunt from the sauropod. "Okay, you really need to calm yourself down. Ever since this game started, you and Honey have been at each other's throats, whether it be subtly or outright. Now, since Lynn got eliminated, I feel like you've just lost it, which shouldn't be happening!"

Shaking his head from the smack, Tim gave Jessica a look of his own. "So, what? You really think that Honey has changed in a single day? That she hasn't already created some sort of insurance policy to make sure she doesn't get eliminated? That she doesn't have the guys on the other team wrapped around her finger now?"

"Tim!" Jessica exclaimed, making the Fruit Pokémon stop. She let out a sigh. "Look, I'm not saying that it's not possible. I'm just telling you that just because Honey got the guys on the other team to eliminate Lynn, it doesn't mean that she's controlling their every move. _And_ that you two have problems with each other over the dumbest of reasons, so you _both_ need to be mature and move the hell on!"

"She started it…" Tim groused.

"Well, you don't have to finish it," Jessica responded. "Take the high road and just ignore her like you said that you were going to do yesterday."

Tim sighed, "I guess… I'll try."

"Hey, if you need to, get Max to help you get over it," Jessica suggested, gesturing to the Delibird.

Tim's downcast eyes went toward Max, who was gargling milk while still in the pool. He let out a soft breath, "Maybe…"

 **-000-**

"Alright," Mew announced, floating out of his seat. "I'm bored, so…" He teleported a volleyball net onto the sandbar, as well as a volleyball itself. "Feel free to play volleyball and give me something to watch…"

"That's your idea of entertainment? Volleyball?" Art yawned.

"It's better than you guys just sitting around doing nothing, isn't it?" Mew argued back. "So, don't complain."

The Ferrothorn rolled his eyes. The other contestants that were a bit interested in playing went toward the net, while others remained in their same spots. Seeing the others about to participate, Art stifled a laugh. "Well, at least _I'll_ get some entertainment out of this, too."

He glanced over to R.J., who was sitting, watching the volcano with his arms folded. The Thorn Pod Pokémon rose up, heading over to him. "Uh… why the hell are you just watching the volcano?" he inquired tonelessly.

Glancing at the Ferrothorn before looking back at the volcano, R.J. let out a sigh. "I know that there's nothing to worry about on Kane's end, but… I just can't trust Sasha. _She_ says that she's over Kane, but I call bullshit. And Kane thinks that we just need to get along so that we can probably become friends or something, but I don't fucking know if I can do that…"

"Wow, you are a baby…" Art commented.

R.J. growled, giving him a look. "What do you know, anyway? You probably haven't even dated anyone before."

Art chuckled, "You'd be surprised to know that I've dated at least four girls throughout my life thus far. After my last relationship ended about… five years ago, I just decided to stop worrying about romance and started focusing on myself. It may sound like I'm being selfish, but I don't care."

"Wait, so… you know what it's like to be worried and jealous about someone else fucking up your relationship…" R.J. realized, turning to him, fully.

"Duh…" Art responded. "I just don't talk about any of this junk because it's just that, to me, junk. If people want to be in a relationship, they stay together, if they don't, they break-up. Only insecure people, or sluts, cheat on people that they claim to have feelings for. So, unless Kane has doubts about you two's relationship, you shouldn't be worried about Sasha. _You_ need to grow up and not worry about every little thing that comes Kane's way."

R.J. clenched his fists. "You have no fucking idea how many girls come up to us while we're out and try to get his number! It's annoying as hell to see all of these girls want to come to _my man_ as if he's the only Ursaring in the world!"

Art shrugged, "I don't understand that part either. Most Pokémon species look the same, so falling for a single one who looks 'nice', or 'pretty', or 'handsome' doesn't mean shit, to me at least. You have to focus on the personality, which… not a lot of people do from my experience."

"Not all Pokémon look the same. Hell, Kane's buffer than most Ursaring, he has a birthmark above his tail, and… his eyes are so…"

"I get it…" Art interrupted, not wanting to hear his description. "I said 'most', not 'all'. There are a lot of exceptions with folks that are shiny, get tattoos or piercings, shave or change parts of their body, and all that, but most of the time, every Umbreon will look the same. Every Lopunny will look the same. Every Scizor will look the same. So yeah, liking a Pokémon's appearance means nothing, so those chicks that apparently swarm Kane on sight are pretty shallow, if they ignore all other Ursaring especially."

"Thank you for finally getting to the po-"

"I still say that you should grow up, though," Art interrupted, making R.J. groan in exasperation. "Kane's made it pretty clear that he's loyal to you, so you acting like no other girls, or other guys, are ever allowed to look at or find him attractive just shows how insecure you are. He's _your_ husband, _you_ go home and live with him. Why does it matter if someone else finds him attractive and tries to talk to him when _you_ are still the winner at the end of the day? It just makes you look like one of those overprotective, bitchy spouses that get mad over any and everything their partner does with someone else."

R.J. blushed slightly, as Art, surprisingly, had some valid points. He was really going to have to control his anger and annoyance. His husband was amazing, and super loyal. _He_ got to be him. Just being reminded of it made the Beartic shudder slightly. "Yeah… I guess you're right."

"I know I am…" Art responded. "Now stop starting at the volcano like it's Kane's member and do something else."

R.J. narrowed his eyes at the Ferrothorn as he walked away from him.

 **000**

 **R.J. sighed, "I always just worry about my and Kane's relationship. I just can't help it. He's such an amazing guy. He took me in, even when he was all alone and trying to take care of himself, he helped me study in school, he treated me like was actually worth something."**

" **Sure, we argued a lot over his rules and how things were gonna work, but he was always still fine. Meanwhile, my attitude hardly ever changed. I was still easily annoyed, hot-headed, ungrateful at times… but… he never gave up on me. He never kicked me out. He just kept pulling me closer to him and I just…"**

 **He sniffled, "I just keep thinking that in the back of his mind… he's regretting keeping me around. A lot of legitimately cute girls and guys have approached him before and… I'm always fearing that one of these days, he's gonna get fed up with me and just leave me for someone better. Someone that he actually deserves…"**

" **You can say shrug your shoulders, roll your eyes, and say that you don't care all you want, but this is how I feel, and it's how you'd feel, too."**

 **000**

Back on the top of the volcano, The Red Team had currently procured sixteen chips, while the Blue Team was sitting at twenty-seven. They still had fourteen minutes remaining, and it was really getting tedious and boring for the six participants.

Belladonna let out a yawn as she saw on the edge with her rod. "Man, I hate fishing…" she commented.

"Yeah, I think this would've been more fun in yesterday's challenge," Portia agreed as she reeled in another chip. "The Pokémon down there aren't even attacking or trying stuff like Victini said they would."

Christine flew back toward the side with another chip. She decided to take a short break, popping her back. "Well, I think that should be enough for now. If they get close, I'll hurry up and get a few more. All of that back and forth, as well as the heat, it takes a lot out of you," she stated, fatigue setting in.

"Well, you _were_ the one doing most of the work." Belladonna responded. "I think Portia and I can handle the rest of this."

Christine nodded before she lied down, panting softly, "Alright…"

The two Rock and Ground-types started walking around, wanting to get better angles to cast their lines. Looking down, Portia saw that a few of the Magmortar were watching her as she moved around. She rose a brow, though she figured that it was because they were actually gearing up to attack her.

She moved a bit back to avoid possible shots aimed at her, continuing her way around. Suddenly, a fireball emerged from the volcano.

She used Rock Wrecker in response, throwing it down into the crater. This counter immediately caused the Pokémon inside of the volcano to grow agitated. Seeing glares beginning to form on their faces, Portia swallowed in nervousness.

 **-000-**

Kane had retrieved three more chips all in the same vicinity before moving along. On the way, he eyed Belladonna, who was walking toward him, looking around the edge for other chips. He saw her stop and start trying to cast her line to get at a chip.

It seemed that one of the Magmar grabbed her line, attempting to tug her in. Seeing that the Golem was beginning to be pulled toward the opening, Kane instinctively rushed toward her, dropping his rod on the ground. He grabbed her and yanked her back to help her, causing the Magmar to be pulled up momentarily before it let go.

Belladonna sighed in relief, turning to the Ursaring. "Thanks…"

Kane nodded, panting softly as he began standing up. "Yeah, no problem," he responded as he started walking back to his rod. He glanced over and saw Honey taking another chip to Sasha. He looked at his stack of three chips and let out a sigh. He started walking toward them so that he could take them over, but he noticed a Slugma slinking up and out of the volcano, heading toward the chips.

He groaned, rushing toward the set before slamming his fist on the ground. Numerous stones sprouted from the ground, eventually hitting the Slugma and sending it back into the magma.

He picked up the three chips and carried them over to Sasha, who was reeling in another chip of her own.

"Alright, I think we're at twenty…" Kane stated. "Think we should check them and tally up points now?"

"No way. I'm pretty sure that they still have more than us. We need to keep fishing" Honey argued. She looked over to Christine, who was lying down for a break. An idea entered her head, "You guys keep going, I'll be bring back more chips…"

Kane and Sasha exchanged looks before continuing what they were doing. Honey had come up with an idea to make it harder for the Blue Team. Eyeing the rod next to Christine, Honey flew over to her. She grabbed the Kricketune's rod.

"Hey!" Christine exclaimed, noticing her sudden appearance. "Give me that back!"

Honey dropped it into the volcano, causing her to gape in shock.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" she exclaimed, shoving the Vespiquen.

Honey only giggled in response, "Hey, he didn't say it wasn't allowed. Deal with it." She moved back toward the middle to continue her own fishing.

Christine growled, flying out after Honey and attempting to use Aerial Ace. The Vespiquen was able to dodge the attack, and knock her away. "Hey, get over yourself. Learn to adapt," she responded, continuing to move her own rod around.

Christine wasn't having it, pushing the Vespiquen once again. "No effing way, you piece of shit! You've been incessantly rude to nearly everyone, you pretty much betrayed your own team, you got someone on _my_ team eliminated who happened to be a good friend-"

Honey interrupted her with a groan, "Get _over_ it. This is a game. Like I told the dumb guys on your team. We're not here for friendship, magic, and all of this lovey-dovey junk. We're here for bragging rights and cash. The minute you start forgetting that and take shit like this personal, you forfeit your chance. So, I suggest you shut up and-"

Christine used Aerial Ace once again, this time actually hitting Honey and causing her to drop her own rod into the magma below. Honey growled, glaring back at Christine. "Ha! Now why don't _you_ get over yourself."

Christine flew back to side, as Honey rolled her eyes.

 **000**

" **These people fail to realize that retaliating, or trying to retaliate, against me will either only end poorly for them or give them undesired results…" Honey commented. "It's funny how a couple of words or non-harmful actions can make someone lose their mind."**

 **000**

Christine went over to Portia, who had watched the altercation occur. "What happened out there?" she inquired.

"That dirty bitch threw my fishing rod into the magma. Now I don't have anything to work with…" the Cricket Pokémon groused.

"Oh, well, you've already provided us with the most chips, so for right now, I don't think it matters," Portia responded. "Just relax," she said, reeling in another chip.

Christine glanced over at the pile of chips next to Sasha, a smile forming on her face. Using Honey's logic, as there wasn't any rule against sabotage, Christine decided to go a bit further to ensure that the Red Team lost. Honey needed to go.

 **000**

" **I don't really want to stoop to Honey's level, but if it's the only way to get rid of her…" the Kricketune trailed off.**

 **000**

Christine went over to Sasha just as Honey was going to talk to her. The Vespiquen, having noticed this, immediately formed a large orange orb in her arms before throwing it toward her.

Sasha, seeing the attack and where it was heading, moved the chips to the side as the attack stopped Christine in her tracks.

"Don't even think about it," Honey threatened.

"FIVE MINUTES REMAIN!" Victini announced.

Christine growled, flying back to Portia, who was confused as to what she was doing. Seeing her retreat, Sasha looked to Honey. "What was that about?"

"Did you just happen to miss everything?" Honey inquired. "I threw Christine's rod in the magma to give us a bit of a lead, but she got pissy and made me drop mine, too. And, I'm guessing that she was planning on doing something to our chips. But, that doesn't matter. I need your rod."

Sasha blinked in surprise, taking all of that information in as Kane came over with four more chips. She handed Honey her rod as Kane dropped the chips.

"Alright, I'll see if I can get us a few more," Honey responded as she went back over the magma.

This time around, it seemed like the Pokémon below were much more feisty, firing attacks at her left and right, making it difficult for her to focus and get the line down to another chip. The Vespiquen was surprised by these turn of events, as the magma dwellers barely posed a threat throughout the time they were collecting.

She was tempted to fight back, but never had an opportunity, as the fireballs and Flamethrowers fired from below made it difficult. Eventually, she grew annoyed, her eyes glowing red. A loud buzzing sound was heard as multiple Combee began flying toward her. The Tiny Bee Pokémon surrounded the queen, forming a cube of protection around her. The bottom was left open so that she could still reel in chips.

The fire attacks continued coming toward her, knocking the Combee out, but being replaced in mere seconds. Honey reeled in another chip with a grin. She started flying back to the others, placing the chip beside Kane.

"TIME IS UP!" Victini announced.

 **-000-**

The Victory Pokémon popped his back as he floated over to the Red Team. "Alright, Red Team, let's see how many points you guys have. Looks like you guys have quite a number of chips."

"Yeah," Kane responded, rubbing the back of his head. "Uh… twenty-eight."

"Well, peel off those stickers and let's calculate the points," Victini began, rubbing his hands together.

Kane, Sasha, and Honey began taking the stickers off of all of their chips. Among them, they had six 5s, four 10s, three 15s, one 20, two 30s, five 35s, two 40s, three 45s, and two 50s.

"Alright, so your grand total is 685 points," Victini announced. "Nice job. Now, let's see what the Blue Team has."

The three of them exchanged looks of unsurety. The Blue Team definitely had more chips, but were they as lucky as them?"

Victini floated over to the Blue Team, who were already peeling the stickers off of their chips. Seeing this, Victini chuckled to himself, "Well, looks like you guys are already prepared for this. What's the chip count?"

"Thirty-three," Belladonna answered with a smile.

Victini hissed, "Ooh, already a higher number than the Red Team. Let's see if the numbers add up to a higher score."

Among the chips for the Blue Team, they had eleven 5s, three 10s, four 15s, two 20s, three 25s, two 30s, three 35s, two 40s, and three 50s.

"Alright, the final tally is… 685 points for the Red Team… and 655 points for the Blue Team. So, by a 30 point difference, the Red Team wins!"

The three members, upon hearing the announcement, immediately started cheering, while the Blue Team gaped in shock.

"What the hell?!" Christine exclaimed. "I call bullshit! How did we end up getting more lower numbers!?"

"Because you reeled them in…" Honey replied with a smirk.

Christine glared at her in response.

"Well, let's head back down and share the news with the others," Victini instructed as they all started heading back down the volcano.

 **000**

 **Christine let out a sigh. "Figures... Well, if they're actually smart, they'll get rid of either Art or R.J.…** "

 **000**

The players that participated in the challenge, along with Victini, made it down, where they saw a few of the remaining contestants engaging in a game of volleyball.

Noticing them, Art rolled his eyes. "About time," he said, rising to his feet.

Everyone else turned to acknowledge them, with Mew growing a small smile. The pink feline inquired, "Welcome back. How was the challenge for you guys?"

"Boring…" Belladonna responded. "Plus, we lost by thirty points."

Immediately, the members of the Blue Team's eyes widened in shock, while the Red Team exchanged smirks.

Victini gave the Golem a look, "I was just getting to that, Belladonna." A few seconds later, Victini officially made the announcement. "The Red Team wins!"

The Red Team cheered, as the Blue Team looked disgruntled and annoyed. Alpha looked to Honey, who nodded slightly.

"Well, Red Team, you have the power to eliminate a player of your choice from the Blue Team tonight," Mew explained. "So, take the rest of this time to deliberate. We'll call you all when it's time."

 **000**

Before heading to the mess hall, Jessica decided to host a meeting for the entire team so that they could go ahead and make their decision. They all met in the girls' side of the cabin.

Once they were all inside, Jessica cleared her throat. "Alright, I already have an idea of who we should get rid of, but what do you guys think?"

"Who did you have your eyes on?" Kane inquired, folding his arms.

"I was thinking about Christine," Jessica answered. A couple of looks of confusion were formed from those who she hadn't talked to already. Honey was surprised, herself, but kept quiet.

"Christine?!" Tim bellowed. "Why the hell would we get rid of her when Art, R.J., Portia, and Zahku are ripe for the picking?! They eliminated our strongest guy; they don't deserve to keep theirs. Plus, I like Christine."

"He has a point," Kane nodded, despite being fine with eliminating Christine on account of his deal with Art . "Why exactly are you thinking that we should eliminate Christine?"

"Because," the Bruxish began. "She's probably the most level-headed player that they have over there. If we get rid of her, they lose even more sense."

"More like we'd be doing them a _favor_ ," Tim responded. "Art and R.J. practically hate her. Getting rid of her won't do anything but brighten their moods!"

"Tim," Honey started, earning a glare from him.

"Don't even start, you've barely spoken to me this whole time, I don't wanna hear your shit," Tim snapped.

"Tim…" Jessica said, making him turn to her. "What did we just talk about on the sandbar?"

The Tropius remained silent for a few moments before grumbling to himself. Rolling her eyes, Jessica looked back to Honey. "What were you about to say, Honey?"

"You just-" Tim started before just groaning in annoyance.

"What I was _about_ to say, was that Tim just has a connection to Christine and doesn't want her gone because she was friends with Lynn," Honey explained. "I'm fine with eliminating her, myself. She was taking things a bit too seriously back on the volcano and, like you said, she's a level-headed player. Though she has proven herself vindictive lately."

"So we're just gonna eliminate a mediocre, level-headed player instead of a player that is actually a threat?" Tim deadpanned.

"Tim, if we're able to win the next challenge, too, we can choose whichever one to eliminate. There's still a chance," Sasha attempted to reason. "Christine has potential to make it far in the game, whether she pisses of Art and R.J. or not. If we eliminate her now, the team will be mostly threats and they'll have to vote each other off, then."

Tim huffed, "I still don't see why we can't just do it now…"

"Tim, as long as you're safe in the game, what does it matter?" Tonya replied. "Nearly all of us are gonna be eliminated at some point, so why make a big deal out of it?"

Tim sighed in response. "Nevermind."

"So, we're in agreement on Christine?" Jessica queried.

The others exchanged looks before nodding in agreement.

 **000**

 **Tim sighed, "What is wrong with me? I really need to try to remember that this is just a game and that this stuff is inevitable… I'm letting Honey bother me and I'm looking like a total nutjob over nothing!"**

" **I've gotta just be myself like I'm back at home. Take a few steps back and just go along with things… Maybe then nothing much will happen between me and Honey."**

 **000**

" **This has to be the most simple day I've experienced here yet. Sure, Christine getting all vindictive was humorous and pathetic, but other than that, nothing much has happened," Honey explained. "And… honestly… I'm fine with it. Sure, Tim blew up again, but that's whatever, it felt kinda good to not deal with a lot today."**

" **Christine's elimination is pretty much guaranteed at this point, and now… I can't help think that Art is gonna pull something if his team** _ **does**_ **end up winning tomorrow," she continued. "And, if I'm being honest, I think that R.J. has overstayed his welcome. He's got ensured protection because of Kane, which isn't really fair,** _ **and**_ **he's practically Art's right hand guy, so maybe I can convince the others, excluding Kane, to vote for him if we win tomorrow."**

 **000**

Art and R.J. were sitting at their table, with R.J. anxiously watching the door so that he could talk to Kane. As Art punctured his dinner box to see what was inside, he noticed the Beartic's apprehensiveness and groaned. "What's wrong with you, now?"

"There's nothing wrong with me," the Freezing Pokémon responded. "I just wanna let Kane know that I'm gonna stop acting like such a baby and just deal with whatever comes our way."

"I mean… You can do that when you two go to your forest bedroom…" Art reminded. "No use in stressing over it."

"I'm not stressing, I just… I really want him to know that I'll be better," he responded.

Art shrugged, looking at the box's contents. Inside of it was a baked chicken breast, broccoli, and a roll. He sighed in contempt, "Another day, another boring dinner."

As R.J. began to open his box, the members of the Red Team began pouring into the mess hall, grabbing their boxes and either heading back out or sitting among their fellow competitors. As soon as Kane came over, R.J. planted on kiss on his cheek,

Kane chuckled at the sudden action, greeting him. "Hey babe," he said, pulling him closer.

R.J. nuzzled him lovingly in response. "Uh… sweetie," he began, getting the Ursaring's attention.

"Hmm?" Kane hummed. "What's up?"

"Um…" the Ice-type started, looking around. Sasha soon sat down across from them, causing him to sigh to himself. "Can we… talk outside for a bit?"

"Uh… okay, sure," Kane acquiesced as R.J. took his hand and started leading him out of the mess hall.

Noticing this, Sasha turned to Art in confusion. "Do you know what that was about?"

"If I did, why would I tell you? It's _their_ business," Art responded

The Nidoqueen gave him a look, but figured that it was as lightly as he could put it. "Fair enough, I guess…" she deadpanned.

 **-000-**

R.J. sighed as he and Kane stood on the side of the mess hall. Kane rose a brow in confusion and worry, seeing his husband's expression. "Are you okay?" he queried.

R.J. chuckled softly. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just… I just want you to know… I love you, and… I'm willing to change and stop acting like such an overprotective bitch…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Kane responded, picking him up. He took a seat against the mess hall, sitting R.J. in his lap. "Where's this coming from? You don't have to change for me…"

"Art made a point that I had no reason to be jealous or overprotective since _I'm_ the one who gets to be with you, regardless, and you're very loyal and amazing…" R.J. expounded. "And… I agree with him. Looking back, I always acted like some entitled brat that didn't want you talking to anyone, and… I feel like a jackass."

Kane kissed his cheek, "But, I like it when you do that sometimes. It just lets me know how much you care. And, while it does get irritating at times, I wouldn't want you to stop completely. Maybe just tone yourself down. If someone's being persistent even after I tell them, _then_ feel free to jump in. Otherwise, you should be calm, or something close to it."

R.J. understood what he was getting at, a small smile forming on his face. He leaned into Kane, planting a kiss on his lips. Kane reciprocated, and it eventually turned into a brief makeout session. The Beartic pulled away, panting softly. With a suggestive growl, he whispered, " _We haven't really fooled around in a while. Maybe… tonight?"_

Kane chuckled in response, "Definitely, though it'll probably be difficult because of all of the cameras."

"They'll end up blurring everything out anyway…" he responded, making Kane's eyes widen. This was _really_ a change in attitude for him.

"If you say so," the Ursaring responded, getting up while holding the Beartic bridal-style. "So, does this mean you're actually willing to treat Sasha like a normal being?"

The Beartic sighed, "Sure."

Kane smiled. "Good."

 **000**

"Well, we lost, so we'll probably be saying goodbye to Art," Dade commented as he sat with Zahku, Belladonna, and Portia. The others exchanged unsure looks.

"Well, we can't be entirely sure that they'll vote the way we think," Portia responded. "I mean, Honey and Christine exchanged words and actions up on the volcano, so maybe Honey'll convince her team to vote her out."

"Based on her record, she's likely more interested in taking out threats, so even though Christine did something to annoy Honey, I don't know if she'll veer away from her standard practices," Dade explained.

"Uh… she just got you guys to vote for Lynn, and the only actual threat that's been eliminated is Chip," Belladonna responded. "I… don't think Honey has any 'practices'."

"Well, we'll just see what happens, then," Dade responded with a shrug. "Next time, we need to make sure that we win so that we can get rid of Jessica."

"Shouldn't we be relaying the plan to the others to ensure it?" Portia queried.

"What others?" Dade responded. "The only other ones are R.J. and Art. We'll still have the majority and they'll have to deal with it."

"Point taken…" Portia nodded, biting into a piece of broccoli. "Now that we're working together, we can get rid of Art or R.J. when the time comes. If they're still here, anyway."

A sigh was heard as a familiar Kricketune came up to the foursome's table. She greeted them, "Hey there, guys. Ready to see one of those two kick rocks?" She gestured to R.J. and Art's table.

"Hey, we don't know if the other team is gonna go for one of them," Belladonna responded.

"If they're smart, they will," Christine said, taking a seat next to Portia. "Honey is pretty disliked on her team, so if she tries to vote me out, she'd probably be shut down in a snap. Getting rid of one of those two is the best case scenario."

"And if it doesn't happen?" Portia queried, raising a brow.

"Then it makes it easier to take them out since they're making the wrong decisions," the Cricket Pokémon responded.

"Well, we've already come to a decision that we'd eliminate Jessica if we won the next challenge," Dade mentioned. "So, if one of _us_ ends up getting the boot somehow, the rest of us will still know what we want if we win."

"Oh, you guys were going for Jessica?" Christine queried in surprise. She turned to the two girls, surprised that they hadn't told her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Didn't really come up," Belladonna responded. "Sorry…"

"No, no, it's okay," Christine responded. "I just hope that we win the next time so that we can weaken them a bit more. It's a good idea."

"ALL CONTESTANTS MEET US AT THE ELIMINATION AREA! IT'S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO ANOTHER PLAYER!"

"Well, time to see what happens…" Dade said, hopping onto Zahku's head.

 **000**

Everyone made their way to the beach for the ceremony. The Blue Team took their seats on the benches, with the Red Team standing up beside them.

Mew and Victini approached, once again with no chips. Mew greeted them, "Welcome to yet another elimination ceremony. The Red Team has proven that they can take the heat, so they'll be choosing which member of the Blue Team is eliminated."

"Any thoughts, Blue Team?" Victini queried. "Maybe try to make a case as to why some of you deserve to stay?"

"What the-" Art began. "This is a competition. They're not gonna care; they're gonna do what's best for them."

"Hmm… true enough…" Victini shrugged. "Red Team, have you made your decision?"

"Yep," Jessica said. "We've chose to eliminate…

…

…

…

…

…

…

...Christine."

"WHAT?!" the Kricketune exclaimed, raising to her feet. "You guys had the prime opportunity to vote for Art and you didn't take it!?"

"Any particular reason?" Victini inquired. "Or was it random selection?"

"Well," Jessica began. "We felt that Christine is the most level-headed player on their team and that getting rid of her will weaken their resolve a bit. Plus, both Art and R.J. displayed some form of weakness during today's challenges, as even Dade and Zahku were able to pull more weight. Just because they _look_ scary and tough doesn't mean that they truly are, at least 100%."

"Hey!" R.J. exclaimed.

Christine groaned in annoyance. She could see where they were coming from, but she still felt that it was a dumb move. "Fine. I'll go get my violin…"

"Oh don't worry about that," Mew said as he teleported the instrument into his hands. "I've got it right here."

Christine grabbed it just as the Lapras approached the island. As she went towards it, Victini made a suggestion, "Why don't you play us a song as you ride off?"

"Yeah, that'd be pretty cool," Portia said.

A few others nodded in agreement, aside from R.J. and Art, who could care less. They were just glad that she was leaving. With all of the nods and expressions of agreement, Christine smiled. "I guess…"

Opening her case, she took out the violin and took a seat on the Lapras. She began playing 'Dust in the Wind' as the Lapras began swimming away.

"Well, there's one more theme challenge and team choice remaining," Mew spoke to the others. "You guys better step your game up if you want to weaken your opponents. Red Team, if I'm being honest, that was a rather weak move."

The members of the Red Team were surprised at his opinion. He continued, "The Blue Team took out one of your best players last night, and instead of evening the playing field, you took out a neutral player. There's a chance that if they win tomorrow, you'll be saying goodbye to yet _another_ good player. So, you'd better bring your A-game."

The members of the Red Team nodded in understanding, though Tim, in the back of his mind, was swearing to himself.

"You guys can head on back," Victini commented.

Both teams began heading back to the campgrounds, leaving the hosts there. They turned to the camera facing them, with Victini stating, "And Christine is the next player gone. With only one more chance to eliminate a player, which team will come out on top and, more importantly, who will be the one going home?"

"Find out next time on our island challenge!" Victini finished.

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 ** _Red Team - (Honey, Jessica, Kane, Max, Sasha, Tim, Tonya)_**

 ** _Blue Team - (Art, Belladonna, Dade, Portia, R.J., Zahku)_**

 **000**

 **I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time on Total… Pokémon… Zero! See ya guys, BYE!**

 **000**

 _ **Elimination Order:**_

 ** _20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)_**

 ** _19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)_**

 ** _18th - Marley Banner (The Pranking Prodigy)_**

 ** _17th - Lawrence "Lucky" Addams (The Unlucky Charm)_**

 ** _16th - Lynn Jamison (The Calm Leader)_**

 _ **15th - Christopher "Chip" Torwood (The Buff Brain)**_

 _ **14th - Christine Reynolds (The Composed Musician)**_


	9. The Grass is Meaner

**Next**

 **000**

The sky was exceptionally cloudy the next morning, as opposed to the intense sunshine that beamed down the day prior. Due to this, the temperature of the island was relatively cooler, though one could still feel the heat of the sun.

In the glade, R.J. and Kane were lying in their makeshift timber bed, with the Ursaring lying over the Beartic as a result of their intercourse the night prior. They slowly began to awaken, as Kane shifted a bit with a soft groan. R.J.'s eyes slowly flickered open upon feeling his husband moving.

He couldn't help but giggle to himself as he shifted himself, moving his arms under his pillow. He was still a bit worn out from last night, but he felt Kane's arms stroking his sides and moaned softly. Kane kissed his shoulder before letting out a sigh. "Morning, babe."

R.J. groaned softly, "Hey." He rolled over onto his back, with Kane still over him. The two engaged in a brief kiss.

With a sigh of contentment, R.J. remarked, "Last night was great~. Not as good as when we're at home, but… Still great."

Kane chuckled, "Well, I aim to please."

The Ursaring moved to the side of him, with R.J. climbing over and lying on _him_ , reversing their original position. "I love you," R.J. commented with a pleased smile.

"I love you, too," Kane responded as the two shared another brief kiss. Once it ended, Kane let out a soft sigh, resting a paw on his back.

The couple laid in silence for a few moments, before Kane gave R.J.'s butt a pat. "What?" R.J. queried with a small smirk.

"You still think you're up for trying to make nice with Sasha?" Kane queried. "They called us down before you two actually got to engage in anything yesterday…"

A glazed expression was his response, making Kane chuckle. "What's that face for?"

"I already agreed to treat her like a normal Pokémon," R.J. responded tonelessly. "You don't have to keep bringing her up. It'll happen when it happens."

Kane chortled, "If you say so." He was glad that R.J. was actually willing to tone himself down and not be _as_ jealous and suspicious as he was before; he just hoped that he didn't change himself completely.

The Freezing Pokémon just lied on him, whispering, "Y'know…. I wouldn't mind another round~."

Kane chuckled as he began sitting up, "I'm sure that you wouldn't, _but_ I think that we should go ahead and get up. Plus, I'm sure that another round would just exhaust you again."

R.J. groaned, rolling his eyes. "Fine…" Kane kissed his cheek as he they began getting out of their makeshift bed.

 **000**

 **Kane chuckled, "Well, R.J.'s gone from hating PDA and being extremely grumpy to actually being a bit more open. I guess this game really** _ **has**_ **done him some good."**

 **000**

 **R.J. yawned, "Last night… felt really good. I still prefer it when we're at home, alone, but it was still a pretty great experience."**

 **000**

Max groaned softly as he sat up in his bed. "Yesterday was probably the worst day of my life," he said, smacking his beak. "I'm never eating spicy food again…"

The Delibird's mouth had finally cooled down a bit during the night, so he felt a bit better. He hopped off of his bunk, popping his back. He looked over to Tim, who was still lying down, facing the wall. Last night, the Tropius had explained to him what he was planning on doing.

"Tim, you awake?" Max inquired.

A soft groan was heard in response, answering Max's inquiry. He chuckled, "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

Eventually, a groggy reply was uttered by the drowsing Tropius. "What is it?" he asked.

"You plan on getting up for breakfast today or are you just gonna sleep in again until it's time for the challenge?" the Delibird inquired.

"I'm fine," he responded groggily. "You can go… No one else to talk to anyway."

"Alright, if you say so," Max replied as he started heading to the door. Before making his exit, he turned back to the Tropius. "I don't think changing your behavior is gonna do anything, dude."

Getting no response, Max simply sighed before exiting.

 **000**

" **He told me last night that he was just gonna act like he does at home. Not really doing much and only voicing an idea or participating when he's obligated to or if no one else is doing anything," Max explained. "I… don't see the point in that since he's already made himself known as a decent competitor."**

" **Maybe Jessica will be able to talk some sense into him…"**

 **000**

The Delibird knocked on the door of the girls' side, wanting to go ahead and let Tim's behavior be known. Eventually, the door opened, though no one was behind it.

"Uh… okay?" Max muttered to himself. He entered the room, seeing that the four girls were lying in their beds.

"Max? What are you doing here?" Tonya inquired. Usually, they would just see the Delibird in the mess hall, and he wasn't too keen on speaking a lot, so this sudden appearance was a bit unusual.

The Ice and Flying-type rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I thought that I'd just let you know that Tim may be behaving a bit differently going forward…"

Jessica rose a brow upon hearing this, as the other girls were curious as to what he meant, Honey especially. "What do you mean, Max?"

"Yeah, I need to hear this…" Honey expressed with a smirk. She didn't really care about Tim, but if he was changing something about himself, she was all ears. Maybe there was chance that he'd be more tolerable.

"Well..." Max began, "...from what I understood, he's feeling overly paranoid and feels like he's taking everything too seriously and, frankly, acting like a jackass…"

"Which is true in some aspects…" Honey muttered to herself, making everyone narrow their eyes at her. The Vespiquen rolled her eyes in response, looking back at Max, "So, what? Is he just gonna start being lazy or something?"

"Hmm… Not entirely, though some may interpret it that way," Max explained. "He's just gonna take a few steps back and let the rest of us take charge more."

The girls exchanged looks, mainly of confusion. Sasha chimed in, "He doesn't need to do that."

"Well, apparently he feels like he has to in order to get his head straight again," Max explained. "I don't think it'll do anything, personally, because he's just gonna be quieter…"

"Of course it won't do anything. He's still a valuable asset to the team. We all are!" Jessica exclaimed.

"Yeah, that's why I came here. I was hoping that one or… a few of you… could snap him out it," Max explained, rubbing the back of his head.

Honey stifled a laugh. "Well, I'd prefer to just not interact with him. We have our issues, and I'm pretty sure that I'm the reason he's doing it."

"You _do_ have a point, but considering that it'd probably be more impactful if the person responsible for his stress tries to help him back out..." Tonya expounded.

Honey scoffed in response. "Yeah, I doubt it…" she said, lying back down in her bed. "Tim will just ignore everything I say because I'm the one saying it…"

"And… another strong point," Max responded before letting out a sigh. "I think it'd be better if one you other girls talked some sense into him."

"Ugh…" Jessica groaned. "Fine, I'll-"

"Wait…" Sasha chimed in. "I think… I should talk to him. We haven't really spoken much before, but maybe I'll be able to make him realize that doing this won't be of any use. I know what it feels like to lose your mind over other people."

"Yes, we've observed that behavior throughout our first week here..." Jessica explained, resulting in a look from the Nidoqueen. "Anywho… If you want to talk to him, go for it."

Max clasped his flippers together, "Okay, well, he's not going to breakfast today, so maybe you can talk to him then…"

Sasha was initially going to retract her offer, not wanting to miss out on breakfast and conversing with the others. However, knowing that she'd be able to talk to Kane at any time during the challenge, she let out a sigh before nodding, "Alright…"

"Okay, great," Max responded. Well, I'll be in the mess hall, so I'll see you girls around."

The Delibird made his exit, leaving the girls to exchange a couple of looks. Jessica let out a sigh, "I really hope Tim gets his head straight. I don't see what use he'll be if he's gonna practically exclude himself from team discussions or plans."

Honey rolled her eyes, still lying down in her bed. "Well, as long as he doesn't try to purposely throw challenges again, I don't see why it matters. He's a grown adult. If he wants to behave like a feckless loser, I say let him."

"I dunno what feckless means, but Tim's not a loser," Tonya retorted. "Remember, _you_ are part of the reason he's acting like this."

"And again, he's a grown adult who's _choosing_ to act like this," Honey responded. "I barely spoke a word to him yesterday, and yet this still happened. _I'm_ choosing to move on, but he won't let go. Just because I was strategic and his girlfriend got eliminated as a result."

"Hey, those two had been cooking since they first started talking," Jessica explained. "Put yourself in his shoes, Honey. If you had been talking to a guy since the game started, and you started developing feelings for him; would you, or would you not, be pissed if he got eliminated just as you two became official?"

"My mindset and his mindset are two different things," Honey explained. " _If_ I was similar to him, I suppose I _would_ get upset. But, since I'm not like any of you, I wouldn't care, as I know that this is a _game_."

Sasha scoffed, "So, you wouldn't be upset _at all_ if you met a good-looking guy who you had a lot in common with… and he got the boot? Not even a little?"

Growing annoyed by their attempts to make her look heartless, Honey explained her thought process. Maybe they would get off of her back if they understood how she saw the situation.

"Well, to me, romance, friendship, and all of that other stuff are equivalent to participation ribbons in these games," Honey explained. "Sure, that stuff's fun or whatever, but we all came here to win, so that should be the main focus. If you're ignoring that, then you shouldn't be here. You can have your friends and romances and all of that, but you need to be able to focus, too. And you can't be so damn sensitive; if you lose your mind just because one of your friends gets eliminated… are you even here to win? Everyone is going to be eliminated except for one person, so acting like it's the end of the world or holding a grudge just because your little boy toy or gal pal got eliminated isn't going to do you any good."

"Honey, some people join these games for the experience and to make friends. Some don't even care about the money sometimes," Tonya explained. "Winning isn't everything. Sure, you get the cash and all that, but if your main focus was winning, and you barely gave anyone a chance to know you, that's not really winning. That's just being a selfish prick. That's how I see it, at least."

"Not everyone cares about friends, but I guess I can understand your point..." Honey retorted, folding her arms. "But, I still stand by the fact that Tim is capable of making his own decisions. He wants to act like… however he's gonna act, just let him. See what happens."

"No, we can't do that," Jessica shook her head.

"Then go ahead and waste your time," Honey responded as she draped her sheets back over herself in order to get a few more minutes of sleep in.

The other three girls simply gazed at each other, with Tonya and Jessica looking to Sasha, who let out a sigh.

 **000**

" **Well, hopefully Tim will listen to me and not act like what he told Max he was going to," Sasha said with a sigh. "Wow, that was a tough sentence to get through…"**

 **000**

Art yawned as he began waking up. Now that Christine was gone, an even bigger weight was off of his metaphorical shoulders. Maybe now the team could get things done without her constant nagging. As he got up, he looked around the cabin, seeing that Zahku was already up and watching him from the bunk across from him.

"Uh… you mind explaining to me why you're watching me sleep?" the Ferrothorn queried with a confused glare.

"Zahku pleads the fifth," the Makuhita responded.

The Thorn Pod Pokémon rolled his eyes. He decided not to pry further, instead deciding to get a bit of input on which player they should eliminate if they ended up winning again. Sure, he had a bit of an agreement with Honey that he'd eliminate Tim for her, an annoyance for an annoyance. However, he felt that it'd be better to do what's best for his own team.

Given that R.J. wasn't available just yet, his best options were the two guys in the cabin with him. Dade was still asleep, buried under the covers of his bunk, so that left him with Zahku. Since the Makuhita wasn't that good with conversation, or grammar, Art felt that it was going to be an awful situation.

He would just need to speak to R.J. when he and Kane came to the mess hall for breakfast. As he began his exit, Zahku spoke up. "If win next challenge, idea to vote out fish lady."

Art stopped dead in his tracks. That idea was actually pretty good; Jessica was a threat due to her intelligence, so eliminating her would be perfect. He turned to him, "Uh huh… and... you came up with this yourself?"

"No. Rock surfer suggest either fish lady or brown bear man, and cloak friend suggest fish lady focus," Zahku explained.

Art looked at Dade's bunk before nodding to himself. "Alright then…"

He exited the cabin, heading, presumably, to the mess hall.

 **000**

Portia let out a sigh as she sat in her bed. She glanced over at Christine's bed before shaking her head. "Well, It's just the two of us now…"

"Yeah…" Belladonna responded. "Just the two of us…" She let out a sigh of her own. "I hope that we don't lose this next challenge. If they voted out Christine last night, then they could be going for anyone!"

"Well, Mew called them out and said that eliminating Christine was a dumb move, so maybe they'll actually vote out Art if they win again," Portia reasoned. She let out a breath, realizing that they were once again focusing on the possibility of them losing. "Okay, let's not talk about that. Dade suggested that we go for Jessica if _we_ win, so let's just be positive and keep our heads up."

The Rhyperior noticed that a somewhat distant expression had formed on Belladonna's face as she reminded her of the plan. She rose a brow at this.

"Uh… are you okay?" Portia queried.

Belladonna snapped out of her thoughts, "Huh? Yeah, I'm okay."

"You sure?" Portia queried for assurance, as she didn't believe her. "As soon I mentioned being positive you got this freaked out look on your face."

Belladonna looked around before letting out a sigh. "It's not that… it's just… I dunno. I feel like I'm just being paranoid."

"About the game?"

"Well, sorta, but… I…" Belladonna let out a sigh. "You… you remember when I said that I was offered safety in exchange for eliminating Lynn?"

"Yeah, you never told us who it was because they said that you'd be eliminated," Portia responded, recalling the events. "Can you tell me who did that now? They don't have any control right now, plus we have Dade and Zahku on our side, too."

"That's the thing…" Belladonna let out a sigh. "It's Dade…"

Portia rose a brow in confusion. Had she heard that correctly? "Uh… did you just say that it was Dade?"

Belladonna sighed, "Yes… it was Dade."

Completely surprised and still confused, Portia gave Belladonna a look. "H...How did Dade convince you that you'd be safe? And how is he intimidating you in the slightest? Are you sure that it's him? Or are you just covering for someone else?"

"No, it's Dade. I was a bit skeptical about his offer, too..." the Golem responded indefinitely. "...but he said that since he was small and pretty insignificant, no one would care or suspect him of anything. And… so far he's delivering on his offer."

Portia scoffed, "How?"

"Well… we're all in an alliance that takes up majority of the team, meaning that whether we win this next challenge or not, we still have the majority when it comes to elimination," Belladonna explained. "Then we'd just have to focus on winning."

"And… what happens when Art and R.J. are eliminated and we end up losing a challenge afterwards?" Portia queried, folding her arms. "That would leave just the four of us…"

Belladonna remained silent, not really having an answer to that. She sighed in response. "I… I guess you're right," she replied. "That does pose a problem…"

"Yeah, so maybe we should rethink this alliance thing with him," Portia responded. "When push comes to shove, I don't thi-"

"Wait, Zahku!" Belladonna brought up. "If we _do_ end up making it far, maybe we can get Zahku to help us to vote out Dade. He didn't go along with the other guys to vote out Lynn, so maybe he'll go along with us."

Portia hummed to herself. "That's a possibility, but then again, it's probably not." She rose up, scratching her head. "Let's just deal with this when the time comes. For now, let's just go along with this alliance and see how far we can go."

Belladonna nodded as Portia grabbed her board from against the wall. "I'm gonna go surfing for a little while," the Rhyperior explained. "I'll talk to you, later."

She exited the cabin, leaving the Golem alone with her thoughts.

 **000**

 **Belladonna sighed, "Well, Portia knows now, but I doubt anything will really change. He offered me safety, and now we're in an alliance that's fulfilling that. I doubt that he'll be able to eliminate me now."**

 **000**

" **Bella's logic is very skewed…" Portia commented. "Why would she listen to** _ **Dade,**_ **out of everyone, and take him on** _ **his**_ **offer of safety? She's hardly ever at risk of being eliminated anyway, so why would she suddenly feel like she's going to be in trouble?"**

" **And why would Dade even offer safety to her as if he knows that he'll last as long as her?" the Rhyperior asked to herself. "And why would he choose to offer it to her, specifically? Things just aren't adding up for me…"**

" **I'm just gonna go out to the water and try to clear my mind for a bit because Arceus knows that my head is hurting right now…"**

 **000**

The mess hall slowly began to fill up as the competitors decided to finally leave their cabins. They all sat a their usual tables, engaging in casual conversation. Eventually, Mew and Victini appeared in the mess hall with the breakfast boxes. As they sat them on one of the tables, Victini greeted the contestants.

"Good morning, contestants," he spoke. "Today's challenge will be taking place in the glade. And remember, this is the last team-based automatic elimination challenge. You're gonna need to put your best foot forward."

"Yep," Mew agreed. "And hopefully the winning team will make a _good_ choice, unlike the last one."

The members of the Red Team that were inside of the mess hall gave the New Species Pokémon a look of annoyance.

"Well, you all know the drill. You have half an hour, so enjoy breakfast and we'll see you then," Victini said as he and Mew made their exit.

Once they left, the contestants inside started heading toward the boxes, taking them back to their seats.

 **-000-**

Jessica scoffed, "I don't see why Mew's so pressed about our decision. We even explained our reasoning. It shouldn't be that big of a deal to him."

"I think he just expected us to make a bigger impact and eliminate someone like Portia, Art, or R.J.," Tonya responded. "He made a fair assessment last night. Their team eliminated Chip, who was a pretty great player, and we voted out Christine, who was a reasonable choice, but a 'neutral' player."

"And like I _also_ said last night, just because they _look_ strong and tough doesn't mean that they are," the Bruxish responded. "Plus, we're gonna eliminate one of them if we win this challenge, anyway."

"That's true…" Sasha commented, opening her box. The box had two waffles and berries inside, as well as a small container of syrup. Seeing this, she let out a sigh. "Well, once I finish breakfast, I'll go and see Tim."

"Why not just go now?" Tonya queried. "We know that as soon as Kane comes in, you're gonna get distracted and go talk to him."

The Nidoqueen scoffed, "No I won't. But… I guess you have a point of just getting it done." The Drill Pokémon stood up, taking her box with her.

As she started heading out, she ran into Kane and R.J. as they were entering. She greeted them, "Oh, hey guys. Sorry, but I've gotta talk to Tim, so I'm not gonna really be in here today."

"Oh, uh… alright," Kane replied. He was a bit disappointed, initially, but as she passed by them, an idea formed in his mind. He realized that he could take her place and talk to Tim, that way she and R.J. would have a chance to talk without him being there. "Wait, what are you talking to Tim about?"

"Oh, well, based on what Max said, he feels like he's acting crazy and taking everything too serious, so he's gonna start staying quiet and excluding himself," Sasha explained. "I'm gonna try to talk him out of it."

"Oh, I can do that for you," the Ursaring offered. "You and R.J. can have a chat while I'm handling it," he continued, patting R.J.'s back.

The Beartic beside him narrowed his eyes at him, folding his arms. Kane chuckled, "You two just hang out, _chat_ , and I'll be back later." He planted a kiss on R.J.'s cheek before turning back around and heading to the cabins.

Sasha and R.J. watched him momentarily before glancing back at each other. Knowing that he was more than likely going to have to start the conversation, he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head before looking at the box in her hand. "So, uh… what's for breakfast this time?"

"Oh, uh… just some waffles and berries," Sasha replied as she walked over to the table they usually sat at.

R.J. decided to go ahead and retrieve three boxes for himself, Kane, and Art, bringing them back to the table. As he sat down, Sasha cleared her throat, preparing to attempt starting an actual conversation with him. Most of the time, the Beartic either ignored her or responded with growls and mumbles. Maybe this time would be different since Kane seemed to emphasize the chatting part.

"So… R.J., uh… how long have you and Kane known each other?" Sasha inquired.

Despite being a bit hesitant, R.J. answered, while opening his box, "Give or take thirteen years, around when we were still in high school."

"Wow, that's a _really_ long time," Sasha commented, shocked by the time frame. "How'd you two even get together? Neither of you really give off a 'gay vibe', so how did you two start?"

R.J. let out a sigh before popping one of the berries into his mouth. "Well, I didn't know what the hell I was," he explained. "I was just known as a jackass, a bully, a douchebag… you get the picture."

Sasha nodded. " _Like I find that hard to believe…_ " she thought to herself.

"Well, we never talked, but I just knew that he was the standard 'smart, popular guy' and that he was also well built, so I never paid him any attention. We ended up having this one math class together, and well… I was shit at math and I didn't have any ambition. Meanwhile, he did great…"

Sasha continued listening intently, interested in how the story was progressing.

"So, because I was getting in trouble for beating the shit out of other kids, stealing their money, threatening the teachers, and doing shitty in my classes, the principal gave me an ultimatum," R.J. explained. "I could either work with Kane to get my grades up and fix my shitty attitude, or I could be expelled."

"Wait, so you started talking to Kane because you didn't have a choice?" Sasha queried, raising a brow.

"No, I had a choice," R.J. responded. "I barely had anything since my mom died and my dad was a drunk piece of shit. School was the only place that I could actually get food and entertainment for free."

Sasha remained quiet, not expecting to hear him mention his parents. She started feeling a bit bad for the Beartic, but he seemed to be doing just fine as he continued to explain.

"So, I got paired with him, and he just started trying to tutor me and get an understanding of who I am, where I come from, pretty much try to be my friend," he expounded. "He even let me move in with him since my father was a broke deadbeat who didn't care. I was still a dick to him in response, because I didn't care about learning, and it felt like I was being babysat. The more I did it, the more it got to him, and eventually he just… blew up at me and let me know that _he_ was the one who decided what happens to me. It was just…. this feeling of disappointment randomly washed over me out of nowhere!"

"The way he was looking at me, I just couldn't help but see hurt in his eyes, and I looked back at how shitty I was when he was just trying to help," R.J. continued. "I started following his instructions a bit more and… he actually started doing more for me, too. Whenever I got higher grades, he'd take me out to dinner, a movie, bowling, just… wherever. I started falling for him then, but my feelings erupted after we went back home after a pool party."

"Oh?" Sasha queried, intrigued. "And what happened there?"

R.J. chuckled as he folded a waffle with berries on it. "Just seeing him climb out of the pool so many times and being so playful, I just sorta… lost it. When we got back home, he said that he was gonna take a shower. And… when he did… I got in, too."

"And he was just fine with it?"

"Well, he had to tell me that he was gay when I first got moved in. I didn't really give a damn because I wasn't sure about my own sexuality," R.J. explained. "But, what happened happened and… now we're here."

"Wow, so you basically just got lucky that Kane was great and real with you," Sasha responded. She sighed, "Why can't all men be like him?"

"Because then there would be more overpopulation issues…" R.J. chuckled. "I swear, if I was a chick, we'd probably have over twenty kids by now." He caught himself, a blush forming on his face. Why did he just say that? He wasn't trying to let anyone know about Kane's 'output', or anything sex related about them at all, but he messed up.

Swearing in his head, he told the Nidoqueen, "You did _not_ just hear me say that. Got it?"

A bit confused, Sasha nodded along as R.J. took a bite of the waffle.

 **000**

 **Sasha scoffed, "So instead of just expelling him from school like any sensible principal, R.J.'s principal gives him a charming, hunky intellectual to hang out with in hopes of it 'rubbing off on him'. That's so unfair! My principal just suspended people who wore mismatched socks or had any piece of jewelry!"**

" **And I didn't know that they were living together since high school. That's… pretty great, considering R.J.'s apparent issues and all."**

 **She sighed, "I wish that've been me. But...I've gotta deal with it, I suppose."**

 **000**

 **R.J. let out a sigh as he shook his head, "Why did I have to mention that to her? Now she's gonna obsess over how good he is in the sack…"**

 **He growled to himself, before taking a breath. "No, no, it's okay… it's okay… Control yourself…"**

 **000**

Once again behind the Red Team's cabins, Honey and Art spoke about their deal. After learning of his team's alleged idea, he was thinking about ignoring his half of their deal and going for Jessica instead of Tim.

"Alright, my team handled _your_ annoyance, so now it's your turn to handle mine…" Honey stated, folding her arms.

"Yeah, change of plans…" Art responded, causing Honey to give him a look. "The team's not eliminating Tim. We're going for Jessica."

"What?!" Honey exclaimed. "Oh-ho no. That's not part of the deal. I don't care about her, but I'd rather have Tim gone. Especially since he's being an immature brat, now."

"Sorry, but it's out of my vines. My team wants to eliminate Jessica, according to Zahku, so that's probably what's gonna happen," Art explained.

"No… my team got rid of Christine, so if you guys win, you're gonna get rid of Tim," Honey stated sternly. "Or else, if my team wins, you'll be sorry."

Art deadpanned, "Okay how the hell do you expect to intimidate me with that if there's a chance that either of our teams will win _and_ this is the last challenge that'll allow us to vote each other's teammates off?"

"Because, even if you guys lose, now that I know that you're planning against our agreement, I can make my own choice without consulting you…" Honey explained as she started flying away from him.

"Hold on, you'd better not be planning to eliminate me. What happened to this alliance?" Art asked, glaring at her.

Honey chuckled, "You think that I'm a fool? We just started this alliance. Why would I get rid of you so soon? Just know that if my team wins, you won't like the results."

She left the vicinity, leaving Art to stew in his own thoughts. The Ferrothorn sighed to himself, "I knew I should have kept it to myself…"

 **-000-**

Kane knocked a couple of times before entering the guys' side of his team's cabin. Upon entering, he saw that Tim was still lying in bed. However, upon hearing someone enter, Tim rolled over, asking, "Already time for the challenge?"

Upon seeing Kane, he rose a brow. "What are you doing here, Kane? Did Max tell _you_ to come get me this time?"

Kane shook his head, "No, I heard that you're planning on excluding yourself from conversations and just staying quiet."

Tim let out a disgruntled sigh, "I was hoping that Max would just keep that to himself, but I guess I shouldn't expect much from anyone…"

"Dude, Max probably just doesn't want you to act this way," Kane reasoned. "Why do you even feel like you're going crazy? You've been just fine from where I'm standing."

Tim didn't really want to talk to him about it; he had already spoken to Max. However, knowing that he couldn't ignore him, Tim let out a sigh. "I just feel like… I'm overreacting to everything. This is just a game, and I'm treating it like a life or death situation. Lynn got eliminated, and I wanted Honey gone indefinitely. I acted like a cunt, I sabotaged the team and got Chip eliminated, and now I'm just paranoid about what she's gonna do."

"Dude, you made a mistake," Kane responded, sitting down on the bed across from him. "It's nothing to beat yourself up over. Like you said, this is just a game. And you're kinda contradicting yourself, since now _we all_ think you're overreacting because _you_ thinkyou're overreacting."

Tim sighed. "Look, I'm just gonna do what I feel comfortable with. I said I was gonna step back, but really, what was I even doing to begin with? We all just do what we need to do, there's nothing more to it."

"You're still a crucial aspect to the team. It's all about teamwork," Kane stated.

"Kane, I'm sorry, but I don't think you know what it's like for me," Tim responded. "I was shy and reserved for a good portion of my life and I never really wanted to go out unless my few friends asked me to come. Hell, the only reason I'm here is because they convinced me! I started doing better at being a bit more outspoken here, but I just feel stupid and paranoid now."

The Tropius rolled over, facing away from the Ursaring.

Kane deadpanned, "Tim, you're being pretty unreasonable here. You're not really doing yourself any favors by trying to revert back to your old ways. Like you said, you've been doing better here compared to what you do back home. Just because you made a mistake out of vengeance doesn't mean that you have to change."

"Please… Kane, this is for _my_ sanity," Tim elaborated, still facing away from him. "The only reason I was vengeful, speaking out, and feeling paranoid is because of _Honey_. She's been the cause the entire time and I've been stupid enough to let her get in my head. I just need some time, okay?"

With that, Kane let out a sigh. The Tropius was set in his ways, so he decided not to pester him further. He could understand where he was coming from, as it was relatively easy to have someone's negativity eat away at your psyche. This only made his desire to get rid of Honey even stronger.

He exited the cabin, heading back to the mess hall.

 **-000-**

"Alright," Dade began, sitting at his and Zahku's usual table. Belladonna was still there, with Portia still absent. "Where's Portia?"

"Oh, she decided to go surfing this morning," Belladonna responded. "Don't know if she planned on missing breakfast, though."

Dade sighed, "Well, I guess that's okay. Now that Christine's gone, we still have the numbers to take out R.J. and Art when we need to."

Being reminded of what she and Portia conversed about earlier, Belladonna posed a question to him. "Oh, speaking of that," she began. "Portia was wondering what was gonna happen _after_ we're able to eliminate both of them and the four of us were still here."

Dade cleared his throat. "Well, I guess a couple of _sacrifices_ would have to be made," he said ominously.

Upon hearing that, Zahku immediately grew suspicious, though the Makuhita didn't even show that he was paying attention. Belladonna was a bit confused by his tone and what he meant, so she asked, "Uh… what do you mean by _sacrifices_?"

Dade passed her a knowing look, causing her eyes to widen a bit. She glanced at Zahku for a quick second before looking to the seat beside her. She looked back to Dade, who only nodded.

Belladonna let out a soft sigh.

 **000**

" **I** _ **really**_ **don't wanna eliminate Portia if we make it that far," Belladonna expressed. "But… Dade's probably gonna make sure that all goes according to plan somehow, and I don't know what to do."**

" **I don't wanna betray him, but… I'll do what I have to do."**

 **000**

 **Dade sighed, "Well, looks like I'll have to put my desire to eliminate R.J. or Art on hold for now. It seems that Portia's asking things that could make Belladonna reconsider her alliance with me."**

" **I guess I'll have to try to work with Zahku and… whoever is left after today, first, if I want anything done," the Burmy explained.**

 **000**

Portia returned from the ocean, holding her board underneath her arm. Despite going out in the water to relax and clear her mind, she couldn't help but think about what Belladonna told her regarding Dade. She was still confused as to what was even going on with that.

Was Dade a bad guy? Was he just trying to use an alliance to make it further? Was he stronger than he was leading on?

She just couldn't wrap her head around why Belladonna would trust him _just_ because he said that he'd make her safe. She let out a sigh, as she was definitely reconsidering her allegiance with him and the others. She wanted Belladonna to agree with her, but she had a feeling that she wouldn't want to.

She took a breath. "Well, I guess that I should just hope that the show does the merger thing soon. That way, if it's just the four of us, we'll have other options. Otherwise, I'm not sure about how long this'll last."

She entered the mess hall just as players began exiting the dining facility. She rose a brow. "Breakfast over already?" she asked as Sasha exited with Kane and R.J..

"Not completely," Kane responded. "I think there's about ten or fifteen minutes left."

The Rhyperior nodded, placing her board against the wall of the mess hall. "Alright cool," she responded. "Thanks…"

Kane nodded back at her as he, R.J., and Sasha started heading to the glade. Portia went into the mess hall and saw that Belladonna was still sitting with Dade and Zahku. She sighed to herself as she grabbed one of the remaining breakfast boxes before going to sit with the others.

She noticed that they were starting to stand up, making her stop momentarily. "Oh, you guys are going?"

"Oh, hey Portia," Belladonna greeted. "We were just gonna go ahead and go to the glade. If you want us to stay and wait-"

"No, no… it's okay," Portia responded. "You guys don't have to wait for me. I'll be there once I'm done."

"Alright then," Belladonna responded with a nod as she, Dade, and Zahku headed out of the mess hall.

Portia let out a sigh as she went to the table that she and Portia sat at by themselves before moving to Dade and Zahku's table. The only other person left in the mess hall was Max, who, upon seeing the last box still there, went to it before returning to his table.

Seeing that he was the only one there, and she was still a bit conflicted about the situation, she decided to try to make conversation and maybe get advice from him. She hadn't really spoken to him, so she felt a tad bit awkward.

"Hey, Max…" she greeted.

"Uh… hey," he responded, looking back at her. "What's up?"

"Well, uh…" she began before letting out a sigh. "I think I need some advice."

Max rose a brow before eating another berry. "What kind of advice?"

"Well, if a friend or acquaintance of yours ever got involved with someone who _you_ were unsure or confused about, what would you do?" she asked.

The Delibird was a bit perplexed about the question, as it was oddly specific. "Uh… well, if it was me, I'd try to see what that person is really like, or… if I think that something is shady, I'd ask about it first before trying to pull my… 'friend or acquaintance', away."

"So, just ask about it?"

"It shouldn't be that hard," Max responded. "If the person starts deflecting, _then_ you can act and try to get them away."

Portia nodded, "Thanks."

"No problem," Max responded. He was about to remain quiet, but remembering that she had a thing for Chip, _and_ remembering that the Machamp was helping him in continuing conversations, he decided to bring him up. He and Portia hadn't really conversed, but maybe they'd become friends.

"So, uh…" he began. "You and Chip have a thing for each other, huh?"

Portia blushed a bit upon being reminded of Chip. She cleared her throat, "Well, yeah. After he talked to me, I just felt… good. I can't really explain it, I just like him alot."

Max chuckled, "Well, I'm not sure if I can relate to that type of thing. I don't really talk to _that_ many folks where I go. Well, aside from this place."

"So...you've never had feelings for anyone before?" Portia inquired with a brow.

Max thought about it momentarily, digging in the back of his mind for any memories. He hummed before responding, "Nope. I got nothing."

"Huh…" Portia responded. "That's odd, but I suppose that's just your decision."

Max shrugged in response. "Yeah, I've seen some cute girls every now and then, but I never found myself seeking out anything."

Portia nodded in understanding as Max closed the second box and started standing up. "You heading out?" she asked.

The Delibird stretched before responding, "Yeah. I'm gonna go get Tim so we can head over. We only have a few more minutes left anyway."

The Delivery Pokémon made his exit, leaving Portia alone. As she pondered the idea of questioning Dade, she looked down at the waffle in her box before eating it in one go due to her large maw. She decided to go ahead and head to the glade as well.

After she tossed her box in the trash, she exited the mess hall in order to grab her board and place it back in the cabin. However, once she went out, she noticed that it was gone. Her eyes widened. She looked around a bit frantically, looking around both sides of the building. She groaned before sulking toward the glade.

 **000**

" **Okay, someone took my fucking board," Portia growled. "If I don't get it back by the end of the day, I have no idea what I'm gonna do, but it's not gonna be pretty."**

 **000**

All of the contestants made it to the glade for the challenge. In the glade, there was a large steel container sitting there with a large conveyor belt extending from it.

"Hello," Mew greeted. "Welcome to your third challenge. As you can easily piece together, today's theme is 'Grass', which is why we're in the glade."

"Okay… the theme is 'Grass', but you have a conveyor belt and some sort of massive container," Art commented,

"All part of you guys' first challenge," Victini responded. "Berry sorting!"

"...Berry sorting?" Jessica deadpanned.

"Yep," Mew replied as he pulled out a remote, pressing a red button on it. The conveyor belt began moving, berries coming out of the large container via the belt. One berry was green in color, with beige hair covering different parts of it. Another one was red and rather phallic in shape, with spikes covering it. The last one was blue in color and somewhat eggplant-like in shape, a cream colored circle at the bottom.

"There are three types of berries in this: Rabuta Berries, Spelon Berries, and Belue Berries," Victini explained as the three berries rolled out. "Two players from each team will participate. You have to grab the berries and pass them to your partner, who will deposit them…"

Three different colored bins appeared on opposite ends. One was red, one was blue, and the other was green. "...in these bins."

"And the catch is… you have to transfer them using _only_ your mouths," Mew added.

Honey groaned, "Of _course_ it has to have some gimmick."

"We have to make it difficult for you don't we?" Victini asked rhetorically. He continued, "Now, we've already selected who will be participating for each team. Jessica and Sasha will be participating for the Red Team and Belladonna and Portia will participate for the Blue Team."

Art stifled a chuckle, remarking, "Oh, how coincidental. Two sets of girls whose lips will be close to each other multiple times. That wasn't intentional _at all_."

"It's just for the challenge, Art. Get your head out of the gutter," Victini stated.

The Ferrothorn rolled his eyes in response as the hosts continued explaining the challenge.

"Anyways, this will be a timed event," Mew expounded. "You will have two minutes to pass as many berries as you can. The team that has the most berries accurately sorted wins an advantage in the second challenge. And since they won yesterday's challenge, the Red Team will go first."

"So, Jessica and Sasha, step right on up," Victini instructed.

The girls exchanged glances before stepping up to the conveyor belt. Mew and Victini floated on the opposite side of the belt, which was not currently moving anymore.

"Alright," Mew began. "Who is grabbing directly from the belt and who is dropping them in the bins?"

The girls glanced at each other, with Jessica stating, "I think that I'll be better suited to be the one dropping since I can move faster."

Sasha shrugged, "Fine with me."

 **-000-**

Sasha remained at the conveyor belt, while Jessica was floating an even distance away from both her and the bins.

"Alright," Mew began, holding the remote in his hands. "In three… two… one… GO!"

He pressed the button, starting the conveyor belt. At the same time, Victini started a countdown timer. Multiple berries began being rolled out of the large container in bundles and sometimes singular.

Sasha immediately dug into the berries, biting into a Belue Berry before running over to Jessica, who retrieved it from her with ease. The Bruxish spat the berry into the blue container, the sour taste of it lingering on her lips.

Sasha came back over with another Belue Berry, but also a Spelon Berry. Jessica tried to angle herself so that she could get both berries at the same time, but it was proving to be difficult. She soon settled with just getting the Spelon one out of her mouth first before going back and getting the other one.

After transferring, the Nidoqueen headed back over to the conveyor belt, grabbing a Rabuta Berry before running over to Jessica again. The Bruxish grabbed the bitter berry before floating over and dropping it into the green bin.

When she got back, she immediately grabbed two Spelon Berries, which Sasha had to push into her mouth with her tongue. The berries were a bit spicy, but they were pretty tasty nonetheless. She spat them out into the red bin.

"Come on girls, you can go faster than that! Use your entire mouth!" Tonya exclaimed.

"Yeah, Jessica! You know you can hold multiple things in your mouth!" Art shot.

Upon hearing that, Jessica glowered at him as she spat out another Belue Berry into the blue bin. She moved back to Sasha, who held a new Rabuta Berry into her mouth. Before grabbing onto it, Jessica spoke in a whisper. "Okay, Sasha. Your mouth is pretty big, so you holding one or two at a time is not going to be enough. Get as many berries in your mouth as you can."

Sasha rose a brow as Jessica took the hairy berry from her. "But won't you not be able to hold them all?"

Jessica spit out the berry into the green bin. "Just do it!"

Nodding, the Nidoqueen rushed back to the conveyor belt, opening her mouth wide and grabbing as many berries as her mouth could hold. With the quantity in her mouth, her teeth punctured the berries, causing the numerous juices to leak onto her tongue. She shivered from the combined bitter, sour, and spicy tastes.

She was unsure about what Jessica was planning, and she wasn't even sure if she would be able to hold all of them _herself_. She and Jessica met and she immediately started pushing a few berries into Jessica's mouth using her tongue.

She somehow felt _all_ of the berries leaving her mouth and saw Jessica's cheeks widening a bit. Her eyes widened as the last berry exited her mouth and entered Jessica's. She moved back as Jessica went back to the bins, surprising Sasha as she moved back toward the conveyor belt.

Jessica began spitting out the multiple berries into the bins based on how they tasted. While some slipped through and either landed on the ground or in the wrong bin, a majority of them got into the correct bins.

"Forty-five seconds left," Victini announced.

The contestants on the sidelines, mainly from the Red Team, started cheering and urging them to hurry. Sasha repeated the same process, grabbing multiple berries in her mouth before transferring them to Jessica. The Bruxish floated over to the bins before once again spitting out all of the berries. This time she was rather haphazard due to the time, mixing some berries up and once again dropping others on the ground.

"And… time!" Victini called as Sasha picked up more berries.

The Nidoqueen held her breath as she started chewing the berries in her mouth and eventually swallowed them, shuddering in the aftermath. "Those taste _awful_!"

Jessica smacked her lips. "Yeah, those are… not that good. The Spelon Berries are okay, but they're spicy…"

"Alright, let's count up the berries and get the final count," Mew said as he and Victini headed to the bins.

After a few minutes of counting, making sure not to physically touch the berries, the hosts finally got the number for the Red Team.

"Alright, Red Team. You guys' final count is thirty-eight," Victini announced. "Not that bad for two minutes. It was looking kinda bad when you first started."

"Yep, but then Art was oh-so gracious enough to give me the idea to use my sexual prowess to my advantage," the Bruxish admitted, giving the Ferrothorn a teasing wink.

Seeing this, he grumbled to himself as his teammates glowered at him.

"Well, let's see if the Blue Team can beat that amount," Mew started. "Belladonna and Portia, come on up."

The Golem and Rhyperior stepped up to the conveyor belt. Portia let out a sigh of depression, making Belladonna raise a brow.

"You okay, Porsche?" Belladonna inquired, noticing her friend's saddened demeanor.

She let out a sigh. "No, someone took my board…" she revealed. "If I don't get it back, I'm gonna be more pissed than I already am…"

"Oh, well, after this I'll help you look for it," Belladonna offered.

Portia smiled back, responding, "Thanks…"

"Uh… have you two decided who's gonna be doing what?" Victini queried, now floating across from them with Mew.

"Oh, right," Belladonna responded. "Uh… I once fit fourteen ping-pong balls in my mouth during a party, so maybe I'll be able to grab a lot of berries."

Portia hummed, "I think that these berries a bit bigger than ping-pong balls, Bella. I think I should get the ones from the conveyor belt and pass them to you. My mouth is bigger, anyway."

Belladonna nodded in understanding before walking to a halfway point between her and the bins. Once she did this, Victini let out a breath, "Alright. Let's get this started." He pulled out a tablet once again, setting up a countdown timer.

"Alright, Portia, you ready?" Mew inquired.

Portia let out a sigh before nodding, "Yeah."

"Alright, you've gotta beat thirty-eight berries if you want your team to have the advantage," Mew reminded. "In three… two… one… GO!" He pressed the same button on the remote, starting the conveyor belt.

Portia immediately started packing multiple berries into her mouth before rushing over to Belladonna, who was surprised, but glad that she was moving fast. Transferring the berries proved to be rather tedious as, due to their height difference, Portia had to kneel or squat into to get the fruit into the Golem's mouth.

The Golem had a bit of difficulty fitting the multiple berries into her own mouth. She dropped a few and accidentally ended up chewing on a few as she ran to the bins. She guessed which ones had to go into which bins, as she couldn't really get a good look at any of them. Once they were all out, she saw that only a few of them were in the right bins.

She swore to herself.

 **000**

" **Okay… maybe Portia** _ **should**_ **have taken the bin portion…" Belladonna stated.**

 **000**

Portia realized that her sharp teeth was puncturing and tearing some of the berries, so she came up with a more effective idea. She moved to the end of the conveyor belt, where numerous missed berries were piling up. She opened her mouth at the end of it, allowing berries to simply fall in, making it easier.

The contestants were a bit surprised by this maneuver, as the Blue Team just cheered them on. The Red Team just watched, hoping that the two Rock and Ground-types would screw up.

Eventually, feeling that her mouth was full, Portia sat up before walking over to Belladonna. She leaned down, transferring the berries into her mouth. Like the first time, the Golem dropped a few due to her smaller mouth. She rushed over to the bins and started spitting out the berries, now having a bit more to go off of due to the taste of each one.

She was able to get a few more into each bin accurately, though there were still mix-ups and misses.

"Well, looks like we have a chance," Dade commented, "Portia's grabbing more berries than Sasha was…"

"Uh huh, well Belladonna's dropping a good amount of them because she's shorter than her, so… that means nothing," Honey retorted.

Dade shrugged, "I still say that we have a better chance."

"Forty-five seconds left!" Victini announced.

Portia rushed over to Belladonna with another mouthful of berries, her teeth still puncturing a few and leaking more of the unpleasant juices into her mouth. She leaned down to transfer them to the Golem again, who tried opening her mouth wider to get all of the berries, but to no avail. She dropped a few once more as she ran over to the bins and spat all of them out.

"Come on Portia, a couple more trips!" the Megaton Pokémon exclaimed as Portia rushed back over to her. She opened her mouth and took as many berries as her mouth could hold before running back over to the bins and methodically spitting them out into the correct bins.

This caused her to be slower, as Portia came back just a few moments later with another load of berries. Belladonna simply spat them out into different bins before running back over to Portia to get more, but just as their maws connected to transfer the fruit, Victini called time.

"Time's up!" Victini announced, causing the girls to move away from each other, with Portia spitting out the berries in her mouth, and Belladonna just chewing on the ones that were already in her mouth by then.

"Alright, that was _a lot_ of berries," Mew commented. "I'm impressed, but not entirely surprised. Though, I have to say that a lot of them ended up on the ground than in the actual bins…"

"Yeah," Portia nodded. "I shouldn't have said anything before we started. She would have been fine… plus, transferring a smaller mouthful into a bigger mouth would have been much better."

"Yeah, that would have been _much_ better," Victini opined. "But, let's get a count of the berries that you _were_ able to get." The two hosts headed over to the bins, as the girls returned to the group.

"So, how'd all you girls enjoy frenching?" R.J. playfully teased.

"It… wasn't that big of a deal for me," Belladonna admitted with a shrug. "I'm bi, anyway."

"You are?" Portia rose a brow, intrigued. "Huh. Cool. And it wasn't that big of a deal for me, either."

"You already know how I am…" Jessica responded with a giggle. "I've already had a taste of both males and females, so it was nothing new."

Sasha shrugged, though a small blush was on her face. She was unsure about how she felt about the interaction, but she kept it to herself.

 **000**

" **Um… well, it wasn't bad. Never really kissed another girl before," Sasha admitted, her blush still on her face. "I… I don't really know. I mean… it felt normal. Maybe…"**

 **000**

"Alright…" Mew announced, getting everyone's attention. "We've counted them up, and the final count for the Blue Team is… fifty-seven berries accurately placed. So, the Blue Team wins the first pre-challenge."

The Blue Team cheered, while the members of the Red Team only groaned to themselves. They had to hope that the Blue Team screwed up in the next challenge(s) if they wanted to keep all of their players.

"Okay, this challenge was relatively short and simple," Victini began. "The next challenges, however, will be rather tedious for some, enjoyable for others, but overall pretty entertaining for the viewers, depending on their sense of humor."

"Just get on with it…" Art deadpanned.

The hosts gave him a look, before the Victory Pokémon continued. " _Anyways_ … the next two challenges will be occuring at the same time, and we're gonna allow you guys to choose what you do this time."

" _Finally_ we actually have a say," Honey groused.

"Yep," Mew replied. "Given what the challenges are, we figured that giving you a choice would be better."

"Okay, I'm convinced that these next challenges are going to be either boring, stupid, or dangerous since you're spending so much time saying why we have a choice this time," Art commented.

"Art, can you just pipe down so that they can get to it?" Jessica requested. "I'm pretty sure they're about to tell us."

"That's correct," Mew nodded in affirmation. "Now, the first of the two challenges involves shrub trimming."

"Wait, topiary? Really?" Kane inquired, surprised that they even thought of that activity as a challenge.

"Yep," Victini responded with a nod as a pair of garden shears appeared in his hands. "For this challenge, you will draw a card out of a box, and whatever design is on the card, that is the design you must replicate on the shrub."

"Well, I can kinda agree with Art, here. That sounds pretty boring, no offense," R.J. said, folding his arms.

"Well, it's only boring if you make it out to be," Mew responded with a shrug. "But hey, it's your opinion. Maybe you won't get stuck with it."

"What about the second challenge?" Max spoke up, uninterested in topiary.

"The second challenge is… flower picking!" Victini announced, causing nearly everyone to give them looks of unamusement. Seeing this, the Victory Pokémon sweatdropped. "Hey, there's not much you can do with the Grass theme, or at least we couldn't think of anything else. Plus, it's not as boring as it sounds."

"Exactly," Mew added. "The flowers are all in different locations around the island, and some of their locations are harder or more irritating to get to than others. So, think of it as a sort of adventure."

"Now, each team will be given a card with five different locations written on them. Now, some of the locations will be listed normally, while others will be described with a riddle," Victini continued. "The team that collects all of the flowers and brings them back here the fastest will win."

"Okay… and what does the shrub trimming have to do with anything?" Portia inquired.

Victini expounded, "The shrub trimming challenge and the flower hunting challenge will begin simultaneously, and once the team that has all of their flowers returns, the shrub trimming challenge will stop as well. After that, we will judge the shrubs on a scale of 1 to 10 based on how close it is to the design you chose."

"The team that has the better scores will win," Mew explained.

"Okay, I'm getting very confused," Tonya began. "So, the berry challenge gave the Blue Team an advantage, but the next two challenges will happen at the same time and end at the same time, so how does that work? And which challenge actually lets us know who wins overall?"

The others were admittedly just as confused about the situation as the Accelgor, looking to the hosts for a clearer explanation.

Victini sighed softly before explaining, "The shrub trimming challenge will decide the winner of the day, and the flower picking challenge will be a reward challenge for whichever team comes back first. Everyone understand?"

"Ooh, what's the reward?" Belladonna asked curiously.

"You'll see when the challenge is over. We're not gonna ruin the surprise," Mew responded with a chuckle. "Now, we need three players from each team to participate in the shrub trimming, and the rest of you will be going after the flowers. Go ahead and make your decisions now."

 **-000-**

"Okay, I think that this is gonna be pretty easy to set up," Kane opined. "I think Sasha, Honey, and I should stay here and do the shrubs, and the rest of you guys can go hunting for the flowers."

Honey rose a brow upon hearing that idea. "Uh… why? Didn't we just work together in the challenge from yesterday?"

"Yeah, and we did a pretty good job," Kane explained. "Plus, I think the others would be better for the flower hunting. Tim and Max can fly, Jessica's part Psychic-type, and Tonya's the fastest one on the island."

Understanding where he was coming from the members of the team decided to go with it. Jessica nodded, "I suppose that I can agree with that. Plus, I don't think having Honey around Tim is gonna be good for him."

Honey groaned in exasperation, "Need I remind you that it's his own decision to act like this…"

"You still caused it," Tonya responded. "So, the blame can still be passed, though it wouldn't help the team at all."

Honey groaned in annoyance. "Alright, _fine_. I'll do the stupid shrubs."

"Good," Max replied, scratching his head. "So, now let's just hope that the other team makes poor choices without Christine."

"Well, they still have Art…" Sasha reminded.

"...Right…" Max groused.

Tim mumbled to himself, " _Should've just taken him out yesterday…_ "

 **-000-**

"I'm not going on a stupid flower hunt," R.J. proclaimed, folding his arms.

The other members of his team exchanged looks after that statement, not really minding it. The shrub trimming was definitely the less desired choice, anyway.

"Huh, I actually expected you to say the opposite," Art admitted. "But, whatever. You do you." He turned to the others. "Any of you wanna volunteer to hang back, too? Because half of us are going to have to stay."

Dade let out a sigh, "Well, considering that both challenges are pretty shitty for me, I guess I'll just hang back." He hopped off of Zahku's head and went over to stand next to R.J..

The Ferrothorn turned his attention to the remaining three. "Okay… so what about you three?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm going on that flower hunt; it at least _sounds_ exciting. Unlike clipping bushes…" Belladonna stated.

"Zahku skills could come handy out in field," the Makuhita followed.

Portia hummed to herself. Seeing that Dade was staying behind, she felt that it'd be the perfect opportunity to talk to him. However, the challenge at hand was bound to be tedious. Finally letting out a sigh, the Rhyperior responded. "I guess I'll stay behind, too."

Art shrugged his vines. "Fine with me. As long as you guys don't half-ass the designs you get, we should have a fair chance."

"And we still need to know what our advantage is," Dade added. "I hope that it's actually useful."

 **-000-**

The two teams reconvened for further instruction after making their decisions.

"Alright," Mew began, turning to the Red Team's side first. "Who is participating for the Red Team?"

Kane stepped forward, followed by Sasha, as Honey hovered ahead as well.

"Interesting…" Victini commented. "Same set from yesterday's final challenge."

"Yep. Why ruin something that was successful last time?" Kane responded.

"Fair enough," Mew replied with a chuckle. He turned his attention to the Blue Team. "What about you guys?"

Upon seeing that Kane was staying behind as well, a small smile formed on R.J.'s face. He stepped forward, his arms still folded. Dade came forward with a sigh, as Portia moved up as well.

"Okay, nice. Didn't expect Portia to stay behind and trim some shrubs," Victini opined.

Portia shrugged, "Gotta try new things, I guess."

"Yeah," Mew responded. He soon got right back to the point, instructing, "All shrub trimmers move next to the berry container. The rest of you, just stay here."

"Wait, what about our advantage?" Dade queried. "Shouldn't you tell us what it is first?

Mew nodded, "You know what? You're right. Might as well get it out of the way." He cleared his throat," So, Blue Team, for which challenge would you like to implement your advantage."

"Wait, what?" Art responded, confusion evident in his voice. "I thought that the advantage was for both challenges!"

Victini scoffed, "Please. That would be far too one-sided. One challenge win, one challenge advantage. So, which challenge do you want the leg up in?"

The members of the Blue Team exchanged looks, before R.J. spoke up. "I… doubt that we'll need an advantage for clipping shrubs…"

"Yeah, we'll take the advantage in the-"

"Wait!" Dade exclaimed, getting their attention. "Remember, the flower challenge is a _reward_ challenge. If we want to increase our chances of being able to take out another one of their strong players, we need to use the advantage for the shrubs."

"Yeah… Dade's got a point, there," Belladonna agreed. "Let's just use it for the shrubs and move on."

"Ugh… whatever. We'll use it for the shrubs, then," Art said.

Victini nodded. "Alright then. Well, like Mew said, shrub trimmers, go over to the berry container, the rest of you stay here."

The contestants did as they were told, moving to their designated spots. Mew floated over to the shrub trimmers, while Victini stayed with the flower pickers.

 **-000-**

A box materialized into Mew's hands as he floated toward the participants of the shrub trimming challenge. "Alright, you guys are each going to reach into the box and pull out the design that you'll have to replicate on the shrubs. Some are more complex than others, so you'd better hope that you get lucky," he explained, holding out the box.

Kane's arms were wrapped around R.J.'s waist as the Beartic reached into the box. He pulled out a folded piece of paper. Unfolding it, it revealed a dollar sign design. He groused, "Great… complexity."

Kane chuckled as he reached into the box for himself. "Hopefully mine isn't that challenging," he said, pulling out his own folded piece of paper. Unfolding it, R.J. immediately stifled a laugh as it revealed a picture of Victini.

Kane narrowed his eyes at the New Species Pokémon. "Seriously?"

Mew shrugged in response, "Like I said, some are more complex than others…"

"Don't worry," R.J. teased, scratching under Kane's chin. "I'm sure you'll be just fine…"

Sasha reached into the box next, pulling out another folded slip. She unfolded it, revealing it to be a sphere. The Nidoqueen rose a brow, "A sphere? Hmm… I guess it's not _that_ bad."

Portia went after her, getting a picture of Mew. She twitched upon seeing it. "You've gotta be kidding me…" she whined.

"Hey, just make sure that you don't make me look fat, alright?" Mew responded, holding the box down to Dade's level.

The Burmy sighed as he hopped into the box and picked one of the last two designs. Unfolding it, it was revealed to be a cube, causing him to sigh.

"And of course, I get the last pick," Honey groused, taking out the last folded slip. Opening it, she saw that it was a cent sign. She groaned in response.

"Alright," Mew finished. "Now, all of you will have your own separate quarters to work, and you'll have an array of tools to help you, including shears, weed whackers, and chainsaws."

"Greeeat," R.J. sarcastically replied, rolling his eyes. "Now what's our advantage?"

Becoming a bit irritated by their impatience, Mew went ahead and explained, "Each of you will already have a section of your shrub design finished; essentially a head start."

Portia let out a sigh of relief. "That sounds good."

"I'm sure it does," Mew responded. "Now, let's get all of you guys' shrubs here…"

 **-000-**

"Alright, Blue Team, here you guys go, and Red Team, here you guys go," Victini said, handing a member of each team a card. Each card had five locations on them, though, as they said before, some were described in riddle form.

"Okay, uh…" Max began, looking over the five locations on his team's card. "It looks like only two of them have riddles instead of just telling us."

"Yep," Victini responded. "Both cards have two riddles. So, while Mew finishes setting things up for the others, feel free to try and decode them…"

The members of the two teams looked over their cards, focusing on their riddles so that they didn't waste time during the actual search.

However, that time was very limited, as Mew finished setting up the shrubs with ease. The berry container and conveyor belt were gone, replaced by the foliage. Each team's side was separated by a white picket fence.

Seeing this, Victini chuckled before whistling, getting everyone's attention once again. Once all eyes were on him, he began. "Alright," he started. "The challenge is about to start, so everyone get ready."

All of the players got into position as Victini cleared his throat. "And… Go!"

All of the contestants began running, either to their supplies, or to the flower locations.

 **000**

Having looked at their card already, the four flower hunters for the Red Team headed toward the campgrounds. It was one of the closest places on their list.

"Okay, so there are flowers here, at the volcano, and at the cliff," Jessica commented. "And… there's four of us, so after we get this one, maybe we should split up and then come back."

Tonya hummed, "Sounds like a good plan. Though, shouldn't we try to solve the riddles first so that we have definite locations?"

"Oh, definitely," Jessica responded before floating down to Max's level and looking at the card in his hands. "Okay… ' _He came here to clear his mind, but his return result wasn't kind'_ ,"she read.

Immediately upon hearing that, Tim's eyes widened a bit before he gained an irritated expression. He already knew what the location was, as that riddle was most definitely referring to him. It seemed that Max figured it out as well, as he turned to the Tropius.

"Uh… Tim, where _exactly_ did you go after Lynn got eliminated?" the Delibird queried.

The Fruit Pokémon let out a sigh. "I'll just go there myself… it doesn't matter," he responded.

Jessica gave him a look; she really didn't like this Tim, it just felt wrong. Deciding to just move on, she looked back down at the card, reading the second riddle. " _She caught two of your players in this place; monkeying around to protect their own base_."

"Okay… so that one deals with Marley…" Tonya reasoned. "They wouldn't use ' _monkeying around_ ' unless she was involved."

"And, she apparently caught two of us in the place we're supposed to go…" Jessica followed. "Like do they mean caught as in 'found' or caught as in 'captured'?"

"Well, knowing her pranking ways, probably the latter," Max responded. "But who did she catch?"

Tim let out a breath, answering, "Remember in the first challenge, you and Tonya told us how you got trapped when you went to get the pails. Wasn't that Marley's fault?"

"It _was_ ," Tonya responded, jogging her memory. "That cage _was_ pretty shitty…"

"Okay, so… we have to go to the area where she set up the cage..." Jessica reasoned as she started looking around. "We were on the left side of the beach… so it'd be in an area behind the Blue Team's cabin. Which is, luckily, where we have to go to get our first flower anyway."

"So, we have two flowers pretty close to each other…" Max commented. "That's… not that difficult _or_ interesting, honestly."

"Well, apparently they said to think of it as an adventure, so let's just do that and _try_ not to be bored," Jessica said as they started heading toward the Blue Team's cabin.

 **000**

The Blue Team made their way into the forest, heading toward the mountains. Belladonna held onto the card, looking over it in an attempt to try to decipher the two riddles herself. She repeated it to herself in order for it to possibly stick and maybe get a clue.

" _Bitch was flung for being a hassle, caught her before she wrecked the castle…"_ she repeated that numerous times.

This repetition irritated her companions, specifically Art, who growled, stopping in his tracks. "Will you _stop_ already? That's pretty fucking easy to figure out if ya use your damn brain!"

"Oh yeah? Then what is it?" Belladonna responded, glaring at him.

"Hmm, well let's see…" the Ferrothorn began as he broke down the riddle for the Golem as Zahku continued walking, ignoring their brief argument. "' _Bitch was flung for being a hassle…_ '", he started. "They literally said 'bitch', so that should have been a dead giveaway. Who, other than Honey, was acting like a world class bitch? Kay. And what happened to her during the first challenge? He team threw her at us to try and wreck our castle! Hell, just the part with _castle_ should have been a giveaway! It's the fucking beach!"

Belladonna folded her arms, grumbling to herself as Art turned away to continue walking toward the mountains.

 **000**

" **Asshole…" Belladonna huffed.**

 **000**

Art continued down the same path, eventually seeing Zahku standing in front of the stream. That area was one of the locations on their card, so Art hummed to himself just as Belladonna approached.

"Okay… so there should be a flower somewhere around here," the Ferrothorn commented.

"Maybe we should follow the stream," Belladonna suggested. "It wasn't specific. It just said that it was at the stream…"

Art groaned, "Great…"

"Let's just split up and make it easier," Belladonna groaned in annoyance. "Art, you can take the left, and Zahku and I will scope out the right side."

Art rolled his eyes. "Whatever…" He started heading down the left side as Belladonna started walking in the opposite direction. Zahku, despite Belladonna's call, saw that they were close to the mountains. Instead of trailing the Golem, he continued toward the mountains to search for a flower himself.

 **000**

" **Bickering annoys Zahku…" Zahku stated.**

 **000**

Art followed the left side of the stream, hoping to find the flower that they were seeking. However, a thought entered his head, as there was nothing stopping them from picking five random flowers and pretending that they got them from the actual locations.

However, despite that, the Ferrothorn had a feeling that the hosts wouldn't approve of it because the show thrives on challenges. So, as he passed by a few flowers, he eventually found himself face-to-face with a rocky landform.

Turns out that the left side of the stream either went through, or originated in, the mountain. With a groan, he started heading back. As he made his return, he began thinking about what Honey said.

He was still a bit unsure about what she meant and still regret his decision to tell her about his team's intentions. Grumbling to himself, the Ferrothorn made it back to where they originally split up. Rather than wait for them, he went to the right side.

 **000**

Back at the glade, the six participants were working on, or trying to work on, their designs. Out of all of them, Kane seemed to be the only one actually taking it seriously and enjoying himself. Due to his interest in architecture and design, as well as the fact that he is a lumberjack, he found himself doing much better than the others, progress and attitude wise.

He was initially annoyed by the design he got, but the difficulty of it actually made him more careful and precise. He wiped a few beads of sweat off of his head as he looked at his teammates' progress. Sasha was growing irritated that she had to create a spherical design, so it had to likely be _perfectly_ circular, which was extremely tedious. Honey was grumbling to herself as she snipped away at her shrub with a pair of shears.

Seeing their irritated expressions, Kane chuckled to himself, "You girls alright? You look like you're ready to kill."

"You have no idea…" Sasha groused, throwing down the shears she had in her hands. She groaned, holding her head. "How the hell are you enjoying this…" she gazed over to the Ursaring's shrub and saw that he was actually doing a good job with Victini's legs thus far, as they looked a bit professional. "...and why are you actually good at it?"

Kane sheepishly chuckled, "I honestly don't know, myself. I guess because I just know how long these things can take, so it doesn't really bother me. It just soothes me, if anything. Plus, I like designing and topiary is a cool concept to me in general."

"Well whoop-de-doo for you," Honey responded, overhearing the Hibernator Pokémon's explanation. "I, like many others, find this to be uninteresting and boring as hell. Sure, they're fun to look at, but actually making them is irritating. So, maybe since you're the only one who'd enjoying himself, you'll finish your own sculpture so that you can help us with ours."

Kane shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, all you girls have to do is just clear your mind and just _try_ to enjoy yourselves. It isn't _that_ hard."

"To _you_ ," Honey responded. "Like I said, a lot of us don't give a shit about this, so there is no 'enjoying it'."

Kane let out a sigh. He thought that this could be a repeat of last challenge, making it easy. However, he had forgotten about an important element: Honey's attitude. He went back over to his own bush to continue his progress.

Sensing that the Ursaring was a bit disappointed, she looked at Honey with a glare before going over to her.

"Did you have to be cunt to him?" Sasha asked in a hushed manner. "He's just trying to make the best out of this!"

Honey scoffed, "Aren't you over him? Why are you still metaphorically deepthroating him? You and I both know that this challenge blows. Him being the only one to enjoy it makes it obvious that he can do everything himself easily."

"This is supposed to be a _team_ effort, not a _Kane_ effort…" Sasha argued back. "Come on!"

"Need I remind you that _he_ was the one who volunteered us for this?" Honey retorted.

"That. Doesn't. Matter," Sasha stated firmly. "We are still a team whether you like it or not, so we all need to do our fair share of work and _not_ force it all on one person."

Honey rolled her eyes. "Whatever, if you believe that, then why don't you drop the attitude, yourself, and work on your grass sphere."

Sasha huffed before turning back around and, as Honey suggested, continued working on her sphere.

 **000**

" **I really wish people would stop bringing up my infatuation with Kane as a reason why I agree with him. He actually has reason and sense!" Sasha exclaimed.**

 **000**

R.J. groaned in annoyance as he threw his shears into the bush he was working on. "This is fucking shit!"

"How do you think I feel?" Dade deadpanned as he stood next to his bush, which was about his same size. "I'm not built for this, but I'm still here."

"Hey, you have legs, you can still try," R.J. responded. "This is just tedious."

"Well, considering that this counts as an art form in some places, it makes sense why it may take a while to finish. That's why it's a _challenge_ ," Portia responded.

"How did we go from water slides to hot and spicy food and walking, to snipping bushes?" R.J. groused, sitting against the white fence.

"Uh… considering that they said that these challenges were themed, and each theme has a different correlation and activities associated with it, I think it makes sense," Dade explained.

R.J. rolled his eyes. "Whatever. They could've did something with vines or powder or… just _something_ better than this."

"Hey, I think it'd be better if you didn't complain," Portia explained as she snipped at leaves of her own plant. "It's better to try and get far than to just sit there and complain."

Portia looked back over to the Beartic. R.J. was looking through a hole in the fence in order to get a look at the other team, specifically Kane. It seemed the Beartic was more interested in his husband's progress than his own team's. " _I'll never understand how he's able to enjoy himself with boring work… but mother of Arceus, the final result is always great..._ " he said to himself.

"Hey!" the Rhyperior called, getting R.J.'s attention.

The Freezing Pokémon groaned, looking back over toward her. "What?"

"Uh… not to sound like your mother or anything, but do you mind actually _helping_ instead of just sitting there?" Portia queried.

"My mother is dead…" R.J. retorted gruffly as he rose to his feet. "And she never said anything like that when she was alive," he said as he moved back over to his own bush. He reached into the plant to take out the shears he was using.

"Oh, uh… I didn't mean to-" Portia began, only to be cut off by the Beartic.

"Just forget it. Doesn't matter," he replied. "I have someone better."

Portia and Dade exchanged looks, before the Burmy shrugged before starting to decloak in order to actually participate.

Remembering her initial plan, Portia looked down to Dade, who was awkwardly holding a small pair of shears. "Say Dade, can we talk?"

"Talk about what?" Dade queried.

R.J. gave the Rhyperior a look, having a feeling that she was going to be discussing him. "Yeah, talk about what?"

Portia let out a sigh, "It doesn't have anything to do you, R.J.. It's a private thing."

R.J. huffed before turning back to his bush. Hearing that it was private, Dade grew suspicious. He'd hear her out, needing to determine if he _really_ needed to eliminate her.

"Um… okay, I suppose," the Burmy responded.

Portia placed her shears in her bush before putting her hand down in order for him to climb onto it. She began walking away, carrying Dade with her.

 **-000-**

Once they were a good distance away, Portia let out a sigh, looking at the naked Burmy sitting in her hand. "Okay, Dade. This doesn't need to be a big deal or anything. I just want to know why you told Bella that she was going to be safe with you and got her to eliminate Lynn."

Dade gave her a look. "Uh… I wanna win. Isn't it obvious?"

"I mean, we _all_ want to win, but no one else has done-"

"Sorry for interrupting, but… why does it matter?" Dade retorted. "Belladonna's still in the game, _I'm_ still in the game, _you_ are still in the game, and Lynn was a threat that needed to be dealt with."

Portia, seeing that he was getting defensive, grew more suspicious. "Okay, I guess I can get that, but why mention safety as if you were guaranteed to help her? And why tell her in specific?"

"...Again, why does it matter?" Dade queried. "All you need to know and understand is that as long as I'm in the game, she'll be safe… _for now._ "

Portia glared at the Bagworm Pokémon. "You're up to something… I just know it."

"If you say so," Dade responded. "I'm just trying to keep myself in the game. If you don't wanna help us anymore, then… that's fine, but-"

"I'm gonna be keeping an eye on you…" Portia stated.

Dade rolled his eyes as Portia began walking him back to the main challenge site. As she let him down next to his bush, Dade revealed, "Oh, and your board is out in the water somewhere…"

"What?!" Portia exclaimed.

 **000**

 **Portia growled to herself, "Well, it's safe to say that I don't trust Dade one bit anymore…."**

 **000**

 **Dade shrugged, "I mean, she's not gonna see anything. I don't know what she's gonna be keeping an eye out for. As long as she's still helping, I suppose. I may still have to get rid of her if she starts getting annoying, though."**

 **000**

Jessica, Max, and Tonya were all still searching through the Blue Team's cabin for the flower that was supposedly there.

"Ugh… where the heck is the flower?!" Jessica exclaimed, lifting up one of the bunk beds with kinesis. "The card literally said 'Blue Team Cabin', so it should be around here somewhere!"

"Well," Max began, entering the girls' side, as that was where the Bruxish and Accelgor were looking. "They didn't specify that it was _inside_ of the cabin. Maybe it just means that it's in the vicinity."

"Just in the vicinity?" Tonya repeated. "Seems kinda weird. Wouldn't it just say 'campgrounds', then?"

"Not really," Max responded. "We just need to search all around the cabin, inside and out. They wouldn't put it right in our faces or else it wouldn't be a challenge."

Jessica sighed in annoyance as she floated out of the room. "This is ridiculous."

"Not really," Max responded. "It's just a challenge. Plus, they said that it'd be irritating or difficult to get to some of them, so we should have expected it, to be honest."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Well, you check on the roof, I guess. I'll check behind it or whatever." She started flying around the corner, only to be stopped by Tonya.

"Wait, what about me?" Tonya queried.

"Maybe you can go with Tim to see if he'll need any help," Max suggested. "He went down that path over there." The Delibird gestured to the pathway that he and Chip took to try and find Tim when he was absent.

"Oh, uh… alright," Tonya responded before heading toward the pathway, leaving Max and Jessica alone.

Max had flown up onto the roof of the building as Tonya went down the path, following Tim. Looking around, he saw nothing that would indicate that a flower would be there. He flew over to the opposite back side of the roof to look down.

Jessica was grumbling to herself as she looked around the back of the cabin. Max hopped down, a bit perplexed as to why she was suddenly acting so grouchy.

"Uh… you alright there, Jess? You look and sound like you're pissed all of a sudden," Max stated, beginning to twist his tail.

The Bruxish's irritated expression softened as she let out a sigh in response. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just don't like the way Tim's acting, especially when this is the last challenge where the winning team gets to vote someone else out. We have mostly solid and usable players, and so do they. I want _us_ to take another one of _them_ out, because I feel like when push comes to shove, I'm likely gonna be their target."

Max nodded in understanding, "Well, I can understand that. You're pretty much acting as the leader at this point."

"Which is why I guess this challenge is irritating me more than usual," Jessica explained. "This is about speed. Even if our team loses the main challenge, I at least want you guys, or us, to have some sort of advantage for the challenge after this."

Max nodded once more, fully understanding her mindset. "Well, like you said, we have mostly solid and capable players. I'm sure that we'll be able to function well if you get eliminated. Hope it doesn't happen, though. You're actually a lot nicer and cooler than i first thought."

Jessica smiled softly at him, "Thanks, hon. I'd give you a courtesy BJ right now, but we need to focus on this challenge."

Max sweatdropped, "Yes, that'd be much more preferable."

 **-000-**

Tim continued walking down the path, indifferent about the challenge at this point. He didn't want his team to lose, but he still felt that it was dumb of them to choose to eliminate Christine rather than an actual threat. Even the hosts agreed!

He just let out a sigh. What happened happened and he was just going to have to deal with it. He neared his small glade just as he heard the sound of gravel and foliage shifting from behind him. He looked back, but that nothing was there.

Knowing what usually happened in these types of situations, he prepared to have someone standing in front of him, akin to horror or thriller movies. He turned back around, but saw that no one was there. He hummed to himself.

"You okay?" a voice queried, startling the Tropius. Looking to his right side, he saw that Tonya was standing there, causing him to let out a sigh.

"I'm fine," he gruffly responded as he continued forward. "Why'd you come with me? Shouldn't you be helping Max and Jessica?"

"Well… Max told me to just tag along with you, and I didn't see any harm in it, so…"

Tim didn't offer much of a response, instead opting to continue forward. Tonya just kept up with him, staying quiet, as she was unsure of if he would actually engage in a conversation, given his new attitude.

Eventually, the twosome reached the smaller glade, where Tim had resided over the weekend prior. The area was very lush, with the natural canopy only allowing certain areas of light to beam down. There was a small cave, as well as a miniature puddle there as well, adding to the pretty scene before them.

"Wow… this place looks great!" Tonya commented. "This is where you spent your time away from us?"

Tim rolled his eyes, not seeing what the big deal was. "Yes," he responded. "Just a quiet place away from everyone where I was able to clear my head. Now, we're not here to admire the scenery, we're here to look for the flower they placed here."

Tonya, who had just entered the cave to look around it, made a quick exit. Despite her only being inside for a few seconds, she could make out that there was no flower in the cave, as it wasn't that large. She gazed over at Tim, who was looking into the small pool of water that was there.

She just shook her head as she looked around. The Accelgor just so happened to look up at the large tree that was situated behind the cave, and paled at what she saw. "Uh… Tim..."

"Yeah?" the Tropius answered.

" I-I think I know where the flower is…" she continued.

The Fruit Pokémon walked over and looked in the same direction as her. What he saw caused him to simply groan in annoyance.

Up on the very top of the tree sat a huge nest. Residing in the nest were a Braviary and a Mandibuzz, the latter of which had a pinkish-purple flower in its hair, rather than a bone.

"Mother of Arceus, you've gotta be kidding me…" Tim groused.

 **000**

Art continued following the stream in the opposite direction, hoping to identify the specific flower that they had to find. He didn't even know what the flowers that they had to find even looked like, but he reasoned that it would have to be more outstanding than the other ones that were already there.

Eventually, he heard the sound of repeated thuds. Curious, he followed the sound, which lead him further down the stream. Suddenly, without warning, he heard a final thud before seeing a familiar stone flying toward him. He moved backwards in an attempt to avoid it, but was still struck by it, with the stone bouncing off of him and landing in the stream.

Belladonna emerged from her stony shell with a pained groan, holding her head. She saw that Art was getting up, and rose a brow. "What are you doing here?"

Art groaned as he shook himself to regain his composure. "Well, considering that my side of the stream led to the mountains, I decided to just come this way. Now, a better question is… what the _hell_ sent you hurtling this way?"

Belladonna rose up from the stream, explaining, "Well… I found the flower that we needed to, but it's being guarded."

Putting two and two together, Art reasoned, "And lemme guess, they kicked your ass."

"It wasn't much of a guess, now was it?" Belladonna responded, giving the Ferrothorn a look. "And I wouldn't really call it 'kicking my ass', unless you mean literally, because they actually did that and it was pretty damn fun."

Art deadpanned, "Let's just go and get the flower…"

As the Thorn Pod Pokémon continued walking, Belladonna rolled her eyes before following him. "You _did_ hear me say that it was guarded, right? It's not gonna be easy…"

"Uh huh… what was guarding it?" the Ferrothorn responded apathetically.

 **-000-**

A roar was heard as a Druddigon threw a punch toward a Haxorus, which caught the Cave Pokémon's fist. It responded with a whip of its tail, which the Druddigon grabbed and pulled toward itself, a cheeky smirk forming on its face. The Haxorus, unamused, delivered a swift kick to the Druddigon's groin, causing it to wince and release it.

Behind a couple of bushes, Art and Belladonna watched the two, with Art finding the interactions too cliche, and Belladonna finding them amusing, even though they sent her flying just moments before.

"Seriously… you got beat by these clowns?" Art deadpanned. "You couldn't just dodge the attacks they threw at you and grab the… Wait, where is the flower anyway?"

"Over there," Belladonna answered, pointing to a rock that was behind the dueling Dragon-types. A red flower sat on it, the light breeze causing it to move a bit.

"Alright then," Art responded. "So… you're gonna have to distract them again."

"Hey, I already got kicked away from here! It's your turn," Belladonna responded. "Plus, I'm pretty sure that since I'm the one with actual hands, I'll be better suited for grabbing the flower," she said, pointing to her hand.

Hearing that, Art gave her a look before groaning in annoyance. "Fine, I guess you have a point."

"Good to know that you agree," Belladonna responded. "Now, get out there and distract them. I'll sneak around and grab the flower."

"Whatever," the Ferrothorn responded, rolling his eyes as he exited the bushes and walked toward the two dragons.

As he did this, Belladonna decided to go ahead and go around. Suddenly, a thought hit her. "Wait, where'd Zahku go?"

 **-000-**

The Makuhita in question was scaling the side of the mountain, as he identified a yellowish-green flower sitting at a higher cave opening. He wasn't having that hard of a time getting up, as he lived in a mountain.

As he ascended, he made sure to look around to make sure that there wasn't anything there that could hurt or hinder him. Eventually, he made it to the top, taking a moment to stretch. He picked up the flower, only to hear a low growl from the cave opening.

He looked over, seeing yellow eyes glowing from the darkness. Seeing this, he placed the flower back down in the hole it was in and curiously approached the opening.

He entered the cave, looking around to see what was there. As he looked around, he felt himself suddenly bump into something. He looked up and saw that he had bumped into a large land shark, which peered down at him viciously. The Makuhita didn't even flinch as the Garchomp growled at him.

The sound of footsteps echoed from inside of the cave, signalling that others were approaching. Noticing that Zahku wasn't budging, the Garchomp took a step back as more Pokémon emerged from the shadows. Among them were a Tangrowth, a Gigalith, and a Gabite. He heard a sound coming from behind him and, upon turning around, saw a Noivern standing guard in front of the flower, a glare on its face.

Zahku chuckled before seeing the four Pokémon in front of him begin to surround him. "Zahku enjoys a challenge," the Makuhita commented, cracking his knuckles.

 **000**

Portia was clipping her shrub, trying her best to get Mew's head shape correct. It was a bit stressful, but she kept going at it, not knowing when members of either team would return. She looked down, seeing that Dade was carefully ripping out leaves and spitting them out in order to try to get his shrub into a cube shape.

She rolled her eyes before looking over to R.J. and seeing that he was still watching the other other team from over the fence. She groaned in annoyance, "R.J.! Get to work!"

The Beartic ignored her, his eyes still locked on Kane's work. The Ursaring chuckled upon hearing the Rhyperior's exclamation, folding his arms as he looked at the Beartic on the other side of the fence. "Babe, you may want to do that. This is still a competition, remember?"

"You already know that I hate doing things like this," R.J. deadpanned. "I prefer just watching you… Plus, they can't even vote me out tonight if we lose, so I don't care."

Kane shrugged, "I guess you have a point, but they can always use this as an excuse to vote you out later…"

R.J. scoffed. "They wouldn't succeed. Now… can you come here real quick?" he asked, a flirty smirk forming on his face.

Kane rose a brow with a smile before walking toward the fence. The Beartic grabbed his face and placed a kiss on his lips.

The other participants either rolled their eyes or ignored the two. Seeing this, an idea formed in Honey's head. She turned to Sasha, who was looking at the two bears with a small frown on her face before going back to work on her own shrub.

"Sasha," she began.

The Nidoqueen continued to work, but still responded to her, "What?"

"I think I have an idea that'll be great for our team…" Honey stated. "And I think that you may find some enjoyment out of it as well…"

Sasha rose a brow. "And… what would this idea be?"

Honey was prepared to explain, but she saw the couple's kiss end. Kane started walking toward them, causing her to roll her eyes. "I'll explain after the challenge," she swiftly responded, puzzling Sasha.

"You girls doing okay over here?" Kane queried. "Your designs are coming along…"

"Depends on what you mean by coming along," Sasha commented, as her shrub resembled more of a heptagon rather than a sphere.

"While you were busy wasting time swapping spit with the _enemy_ , you could have been over here actually helping us," Honey commented. "Look at this!"

Honey's shrub resembled a messy crescent moon. Numerous leaf bundles were scattered about, signalling that she cut too much off.

Kane gave her a look. "Look, just because my husband's on the other team doesn't mean I'm not gonna interact with him."

"Oh-ho, trust me, we know. We _all_ know," Honey responded.

"And… what is _that_ supposed to mean?" Kane questioned with a glare, folding his arms. "Do you have a problem with me and R.J.?"

"No, I don't give a damn about you two's little blow-mance," Honey explained, "What I have a problem with is you always worrying about him, doing the PDA bullshit all the time, and not taking the game seriously."

"What are you talking about? We're not even together all the time in these challenges, we'll do whatever we want, and I _am_ taking this game seriously," Kane defended. "If I wasn't, I wouldn't even be doing these challenges!"

"You know what I'm talking about. You two have been all over each other ever since you were outed. Just shoving it down our throats, " Honey responded. "You care more about _him_ than helping the team."

"HE'S MY HUSBAND!" Kane exclaimed. "What the fuck do you want from me? You want me to just completely ignore his existence and only talk to you guys? Just because we're on different teams? Get over yourself."

The Ursaring walked back over to his shrub in order to continue working on his Victini sculpture, which was nearing its completion.

Honey huffed as she started picking up the leaves from the ground and placing them back on her shrub.

 **000**

" **Honey's over here criticizing me for actually loving someone, even though I've done more than she's ever done on this team," Kane stated. "Maybe she needs to find someone for herself so she won't act like such a bitch."**

 **000**

Still having no luck in finding a flower inside, above, or around the Blue Team's cabin, Max and Jessica decided to just put it on hold and come back to it later. It was right next to the glade, after all. They could just deal with it later.

As they walked down the path that Tim and Tonya took, Jessica decided to engage in a bit of casual conversation with her Delibird companion.

"So Max, would you ever take an offer for casual sex? No strings attached?" the Bruxish inquired.

Max sweatdropped, "Uh… probably not. I'm not that type of guy. Maybe if I'm friends with the person already, but otherwise… no."

"Oh? So if I offered, it'd be a no?" Jessica teased, batting her lashes at him.

"Uh…" Max began, surprised by her question. "I-I don't really know. Maybe… not?"

Jessica's eyes lit up, not expecting that response. She thought that, like Chip, Max would have rejected the offer due to her appearance and history. "Oh, uh… wow. Didn't expect you to consider it…"

"Well, you're a cool and smart girl, regardless of your promiscuity…" Max explained with a shrug. "So… yeah."

The Bruxish blushed as they continued heading down the path.

Feeling tension, Max cleared his throat before posing a question of his own. "So, uh… what do you do for a living?"

"Oh, I'm unemployed," Jessica replied. "I get my money from losers who are too scared that I'll tell their wives what they do with me. I'll probably get a job sooner or later if I meet a guy who'll be interested in a relationship or if I get bored."

Max didn't really know how to respond to the first half, but he felt proud that she was considering getting actual stuff done. "Well, maybe the right guy will come after this experience."

Jessica shrugged, "Maybe…"

Soon enough, they saw the smaller glade in the distance, as well as Tim and Tonya ducking and dodging two avians. "Oh no, I think they're in trouble," Max commented.

"Yeah, we need to hurry," Jessica added.

The twosome flew toward them quickly, hoping that things weren't that bad for their teammates.

 **-000-**

Tonya was ducking inside of the cave as Tim used Leaf Storm in defense against the two birds. It was hitting, but it wasn't doing as much as he'd like. Meanwhile, the Braviary and Mandibuzz were nailing him with Air Slashes, Dark Pulses, Rock Slides, and Brave Birds.

The Tropius, after another Dark Pulse from the Mandibuzz, collapsed with a groan. Tonya gasped, "Tim!"

She zoomed out of the cave to check on him, only for the Braviary and Mandibuzz to divebomb her, both of them engulfed in a blue aura. Just before they were able to strike her, both of them were stopped in midair.

Seeing this, Tonya was confused, but glad. It was then that she heard a couple of familiar voices, turning to see Max and Jessica coming up.

"Jess! Max!"

"What's going on?" Max queried as they made it to the grove, Jessica's protuberance open.

"Thank Arceus you guys are here," Tonya responded. "The Mandibuzz has our flower in its hair, and they knocked out Tim.

Upon hearing that, Jessica slammed the two birds on the ground numerous times until they eventually fainted. Once they were out of commission, Jessica and Max took care of Tim, while Tonya swiftly grabbed the flower from the Bone Vulture Pokémon's hair.

Tim let out a groan as he lifted his head up slightly.

"Come on, let's get back to the campgrounds before those two get back up," Max suggested.

"Good idea," Tonya responded, looking back at the two birds. Jessica lifted Tim up via kinesis and started heading back to the campgrounds.

 **-000-**

Returning to the campgrounds, Jessica laid Tim down on the ground next to the Blue Team's cabin. "You okay, hon?" the Bruxish queried.

Tim, who had come to, simply sighed. "I've been better…"

"Did you guys find the flower that's supposed to be here?" Tonya queried.

"No," Max responded. "That's why we came to see if you guys needed help."

"Geez, where did they hide it that's so hard to get to?" Tonya questioned, looking around the area.

"We don't know," Jessica responded. "Hence why it's hard. We checked the inside, behind it, on the roof…"

"Found it…" Tim chimed in, still lying his head on the ground. "It's under the stairs."

Jessica's eyes widened as she looked underneath the set of stairs leading to the porch of the cabin. Under the stairs sat an orange flower, engulfed in the shadows.

"He's right!" she exclaimed.

Max and Tonya went around the front to set their eyes upon the plant. Once it was in their sights, Tonya grabbed it with a smile. "Two down, three to go."

 **000**

Zahku was surrounded by the unconscious, or possibly deceased, bodies of the Garchomp, Gabite, Tangrowth, and Gigalith. He dusted off his hands before turning around to the Noivern, which held a look of complete and utter fear after what it had just witnessed.

As Zahku walked towards it, the Sound Wave Pokémon immediately panicked, flying away from him. Zahku chuckled as he picked up the flower. From this height, the Makuhita could look around and vaguely see what was happening in the distance.

Looking down and around, he could make out a couple of familiar figures being thrown against trees. He shook his head at the sight. "Teammates need help…" he said to himself as he jumped from the edge.

 **-000-**

Art was whipped around and slammed into a tree by the Haxorus once again, letting out a groan of pain. "Y'know, this doesn't even seem worth it…" he said as he pried himself off of the tree bark, only to be smacked back into it by the Haxorus' tail.

Belladonna, who had been spotted by a Venusaur after she went around, was thrown into him by its vines, causing them both to groan.

"Well…" Belladonna groaned. "They certainly weren't kidding when they said some would be more difficult to get to than others."

"This isn't difficult… this is annoying," Art commented as the Haxorus and Druddigon stood before them, preparing to attack.

However, before the Druddigon could, it felt something tugging on its tail. Growling, it turned around and saw that Zahku was grabbing it. With a threatening growl, the Cave Pokémon tried to swing its tail around, but Zahku's grip didn't allow it to move.

The Druddigon found itself being lifted up and swung into the Haxorus, knocking them both over.

 **000**

" **Okay seriously, what kinds of drugs are that guy taking?" Art questioned.**

 **000**

"Zahku will handle lizard people. You get other colorful plant," the Makuhita said as he handed Belladonna the flower he had retrieved. He popped his knuckles before walking over to the Dragon-types, which were starting to stand back up, furiously growling at the Makuhita.

"Uh… alright then," Art responded as he and Belladonna started going around, the sound of roars, blows landing, and attacks charging filling the air.

As they went toward the flower, Belladonna looked around, as the Venusaur that had thrown her was suddenly nowhere to be seen. Nudging Art, she warned, "We need to be on guard. That Venusaur may still be around here."

Art rolled his eyes as they reached the flower. He felt that this was a classic setup, as a threat that was once visible was no longer visible. He had a feeling that as soon as he reached for it, something was going to happen.

Despite this, he reached for it, only for his assumption to be true. A vine shot out from the forest, grabbing _his_ vine. He sighed, "Of course…"

He began being pulled, but he kept himself anchored to the large rock holding the flower. "This is so fucking stupid!" he stated.

"I told you about the Venusaur…" Belladonna said, looking to where the vine had come from. "You might wanna go handle that so I can get the flower."

Art gave her a look. "I hate you…"

Belladonna shrugged it off as Art went in the direction of the vine to distract the unseen Seed Pokémon. Once he was gone, she swiftly grabbed the flower and curled into her rocky shell before rolling away.

 **000**

 **Belladonna shrugged, "Hey, I had to go in case something else showed up. They're gonna catch up…"**

 **000**

R.J. had gone back to working on his shrub, overhearing Kane and Honey's argument on the other side of the fence. Hearing her berate Kane for actually caring about him instead of only focusing on the game made his blood boil. Now, he was eager to do the best he could, hopefully win, and get rid of the bitch on wings.

"Nice to see that you're actually putting in more work," Dade commented. "After yesterday-"

"Don't… start…" R.J. replied, glaring down at the Burmy. He knew that he was going to bring up his performance from yesterday if he continued to speak, and he didn't want to be reminded of it.

Dade, knowing that he was going to strike a nerve, decided to back off for a moment. Having also heard the interaction between Kane and Honey on the opposite side, Dade actually found a bit of amusement in it. A person who probably couldn't get a man by any means berating a person ,who actually has a man, for caring about him.

Portia sighed as she wiped a few beads of sweat from her forehead. "This challenge… is so painfully boring. If I had some music to listen to, this would be ten times easier."

Nearby, Mew and Victini were watching the other competitors on a couple of television screens. Hearing the Rhyperior's complaints, Mew hummed, "Well, we thought about allowing music-"

"-but we've already had a challenge centered around music, and this challenge is specifically for grass, so… sorry," Victini explained. "Nature's kinda boring. That's what's making _this_ challenging, along with the design aspect."

"Meanwhile, your teammates are having pretty tough times retrieving the flowers, as expected," Mew commented, watching the screens. "Zahku is still beating the crap out of the Haxorus with a tree branch."

"You're telling me that the flower picking challenge is _actually_ more action packed?!" R.J. exclaimed.

"We told you to think of it like an adventure," Victini responded. "So… You guys either didn't pay attention, had no option, or _wanted_ to be here."

The Beartic growled as he went back to furiously snipping his shrub, now even more annoyed.

 **-000-**

On the other side of the fence, things were rather quiet now, with Kane not wanting to communicate anymore and simply finish up his Victini shrub. He occasionally glanced over to see how much progress Sasha and Honey had before focusing right back on his own work.

Seeing his stern and serious demeanor, Sasha let out a sigh. She walked over to Honey, querying, in a hushed tone, "Did you have to say all of that?"

"I just told him about himself," Honey responded with a shrug. "If his feelings are hurt, that's his own fault."

"That's not fair," Sasha responded. "He's done alot for the team regardless of R.J. being around. What they do shouldn't affect you."

"Oh please, don't act like you're fine with him and R.J. shoving their relationship in your face," Honey responded. "You say that you're over him, but we both know that you want Kane for yourself…"

Sasha glared at her, a blush forming on her face, "You're wrong. You are _so_ wrong!"

Honey rolled her eyes, "Denial is a hell of a drug."

"Look, I'm fine with just being friends with Kane. Friends care about each other, too. Stop trying to connect things that aren't there!" Sasha responded.

Honey scoffed, "Need I remind you that _you_ were the one obsessing over the guy when we first started this game? So, I'm pretty sure that things _are_ there."

Sasha growled, "Screw you."

"Uh huh…" Honey replied nonchalantly, rolling her eyes. "Anyways…"

Honey placed an arm on the Nidoqueen's shoulder before leading her a few feet away. Kane took notice of this and grew a bit perplexed and suspicious. He snipped away the last few leaves around Victini's ears, completing his sculpture.

While they were talking, the Ursaring decided to help out his teammates, as there was no rule against it, and to show Honey that she's completely wrong.

The Ursaring walked next to Sasha's shrub and began trimming the edges that were there. The Nidoqueen almost had her shrub spherical. It just needed a few more trims.

Eventually, as they returned, Kane walked over to the fence to spectate the other team. Seeing that her sculpture was now finished, Sasha smiled to herself as she walked over to Kane and hugged him. "Thanks…" she expressed.

Kane only nodded in response before looking over to Honey, who simply went back to working on her cent symbol. He looked down to Sasha, "Uh… Sasha, what did Honey talk with you about?"

Sasha rolled her eyes, "She tried to convince me that we should try to lose and convince the other team to vote for you…"

Kane growled to himself, glaring at the Vespiquen.

Sasha sighed, "She's not worth the trouble… I declined, and now that both of our sculpture's are finished, we may be able to win this."

"Yeah, but we'll have to worry about keeping them safe from Honey in case she decides to try and sabotage us…" Kane stated sternly.

"True…" Sasha responded, looking over to Honey, who finally looked back to them with an irritated glare.

 **000**

" **So many idiots…" Honey said, shaking her head.**

 **000**

Max screamed as he was tossed from an area surrounded by trees. He landed in the sand on the beach.

Tim, Tonya, and Jessica swiftly ran down to check on the Delibird.

"Max, are you okay?" Jessica queried.

In response, Max groaned in pain. Sitting up, the Delibird spit out sand that had entered his mouth and shook the grains out of his feathers. He quickly moved his hands to his head after doing so and groaning. "Well, I think I have a concussion, my head is ringing like hell, and I still have the taste of sand in my mouth… So, no, not really."

"What even happened?" Tonya queried. "Did you at least see the flower?"

"Yeah…" Max responded, slowly standing up, still holding his head. He reached into his tail with his free hand, pulling out a pink flower.

"Nice!" Tonya responded, grabbing the flower from him. "Where do we go now?"

Max took the card out of his tail, handing it to Jessica, who used kinesis to keep it elevated to her level. "Okay, the only other places are the cliff and the volcano," she read with a smile. "Okay, so Tim and Tonya, you guys can head to the cliff. Max and I will take the volcano."

"Got it!" Tonya responded with a nod. "Hopefully Kane, Sasha, and Honey are almost done, or have done a decent enough job…"

The Accelgor hopped onto Tim's back, who sighed before taking flight, heading to the cliff. As they left, Jessica looked to Max, "You okay to fly?"

Max sighed, "Yeah, I guess…"

He started flapping his wings, placing his tail in his beak. "Let's just get this over with," he said. "Tim's not changing, my head is aching, and I'm actually kinda bored of this challenge."

Jessica gave him a smile. "Well… after the challenge is over, maybe I can… help you out," she responded with a smile.

Max gave her a look. Seeing this, Jessica followed up with, "It'd only be this once, anyway. _Unless you're good_."

Max just started flying, making Jessica giggle to herself before following him.

 **-000-**

"Tim, come on. We're close to winning this. You should happy, or at least cracking a smile," Tonya said, still on the Tropius' back.

Tim sighed. "I'm fine, okay? I'm just not gonna force myself to show emotion anymore. It's simple."

The Accelgor was perplexed, unsure about what he meant by that. "So everything that you did before was just a front?" Tonya queried. "You were pretending to care and-"

"What? No, no, no. I still love Lynn, and I'm happy to call you guys friends," Tim clarified. "I just don't really _show_ it."

"So, instead of show, don't tell, you tell, but don't show?" Tonya tried to understand.

"I… guess you can say that…" the Tropius responded as they landed at the top of the cliff.

Looking around, the twosome didn't see anything that's act as a hindrance, so they were hoping that the flower here wasn't as heavily guarded. "You see the flower anywhere?" Tim queried.

"Uh… No, not yet," said Tonya, looking through the bit of foliage that was there. "It may not be up here. It may be down below," she said, looking over the side. "You can stay up here. I'll go down."

"Okay," Tim responded with a shrug.

The Accelgor rushed down the cliff, with Tim watching as she made it down. Upon making it down, Tonya started looking around the base of the cliff. She continued checking, eventually finding a flower at the edge. "Yes!"

Due to not seeing anything around, Tonya grabbed the flower and ran back up the cliff, showing it to Tim. "I got it. Let's go!"

Tim was surprised that she was able to get it so quickly. "It was _that_ easy?" he asked, his suspicions high.

"Apparently," Tonya responded with a shrug as she started climbing onto his back.

The Tropius was still unsure, but since there was nothing happening, he decided to go ahead and take flight, soaring in the direction of the volcano.

 **000**

 **Tim shrugged, "I just hope that we win after all of this. I don't know if the flower is decoy, or if something is gonna come after us later, but it was** _ **way**_ **too easy to get it."**

 **000**

Belladonna had made it to the lake after following the stream. She sighed as she took a seat on a nearby stone. She still had the card and the two flowers with her. She looked back in the direction from where she just came, checking to see if she was either followed or if one of her teammates was coming.

She looked down at the card, reading the other riddle, which acted more as a hint. "Look and kill everything…"

She took note that each word in the sentence was capitalized and ended in a period, being stylized as 'Look. And. Kill. Everything.'

"Why are they all capitalized?" she asked to herself. "Look and kill everything…"

As she tried to understand the statement's significance, rustling was heard from the foliage around her. She looked around, standing up on the rock. Soon enough, Art's voice startled her, causing her to look back at the stream.

"Thanks for the help!" the Ferrothorn exclaimed angrily.

Belladonna gave him a look, explaining, "Hey, I had the flowers and the card and I already got kicked around by everything back there. Sorry for making a break for it with what we need for the challenge."

Art scoffed in response. It was a good excuse, but he still hated how he had to fight a Venusaur alone before Zahku knocked it out cold. "Whatever. Did you at least make an effort to decode the second riddle?"

The Golem sighed, "I _was_ until I heard rustling from over there." She pointed in the direction of the sound. "But, I don't really understand it. It says 'Look and kill everything,' but it's written in a weird way, which could be a clue."

"What do you mean written in a weird way?" Art queried.

The Golem showed him what she meant, only for Art to sigh at her. "If the words are all capitalized, what's the first thing you look for?"

Belladonna rose a brow, genuinely confused. Art gave her a look, as Zahku walked around the perimeter of the lake. Those twos' interactions were just too vexing. As he walked, he took notice of an island out in the middle of the lake. On the island sat a long flower, causing his eyes to widen.

He looked back over to his two teammates, only to see that they were still talking. He rolled his eyes before diving into the water and swimming toward the slab of land in the middle.

The water began bubbling as Zahku continued making his way to the flower. A large, blue sea serpent was rose from the depths with a ferocious roar.

Belladonna and Art looked over in Zahku's direction and saw the Gyarados. "What the heck?!" the Golem exclaimed.

"Look. And. Kill. Everything…" Art responded. "L-A-K-E, lake. If a Gyarados is here, then that means that the flower is here."

Suddenly, the Gyarados was thrown across the lake, landing on top of Art. Belladonna had a look of complete and utter shock. After a few moments, Zahku returned, holding another flower. "Zahku put in much work. Stronger now."

Belladonna took the flower from the Makuhita, still stupefied. "Okay Zahku, I'm gonna be honest, you scare me quite a bit for a pre-evolved guy."

"Zahku understands," the Makuhita responded with a nod.

"Uh… sorry to intrude…" Art sarcastically chimed in, getting the two's attention. "...but could you, I don't know… GET THIS GYARADOS OFF OF ME!?"

In response, Zahku walked over and lifted up the Gyarados, tossing it off of the Ferrothorn. "Thanks!" he responded, giving him a look. "Now, can we get to the beach and mess hall before we lose this?"

"Depends on how fast we can move and how far ahead or behind the other team is," Belladonna replied as they started heading down the other path back to the campgrounds.

 **000**

"They're cutting it kinda close," Victini commented. "And why was the cliff flower so easy to get? I thought we agreed to put at least one hindrance with each flower?"

Mew shrugged, "I decided to give both teams a break, so each one has a free grab."

Victini rolled his eyes. "Of course…"

"What? They're gonna need a break since a lot of the other flowers were guarded or had obstacles," Mew responded.

Kane and Sasha were just waiting for one of the teams to return as Honey eventually stopped, throwing down her shears. "Okay, screw this. I'm done."

Her two teammates looked at her work and saw that it wasn't anything special. The shrub was practically decimated and bared no resemblance to a cent sign like it was supposed to.

"Well, that uh… that's pretty bad," Kane commented.

"No shit…" Honey sternly replied. "You weren't any help, jackass."

"All you had to do was ask!" Kane exclaimed.

"No… as a team effort, _you_ should have helped voluntarily since you took the time to help your 'stalker', Honey argued.

Sasha glared at the Vespiquen in response, with Kane scoffed. "I love how you bring that up as if it means anything. I help people who I want to help, and you had the opportunity to ask."

"And I love how you bring _that_ up, considering that _she_ was the one who said that we had to do everything on our own and not rely on just you…" Honey responded, folding her arms.

"Look-"

"WE'RE HERE!" Tonya shouted as she landed with Tim, followed by Jessica and Max.

With their return, Kane and Sasha gained smiles, while Honey rolled her eyes. Dade, R.J., and Portia all groaned as the hosts floated over. "And the challenges are over!" Mew announced, turning to the ones who were participating in the topiary challenge. "Drop your tools and let's evaluate."

 **000**

The three members of the Blue Team returned to the glade, having been informed that they lost the reward challenge.

"Alright, how the hell did you people finish so quickly?" Art queried.

"We were lucky that all of our places were nearby. _And_ there are more of us," Jessica responded with a smirk.

"Well, that may or may not change after this," Victini responded. "So, let's look at these sculptures… starting with the stragglers… the Blue Team."

The hosts made their way to the Blue Team's side. The first sculpture they saw was of Mew, however, his head was much larger compared to his body. The head also looked a bit flat. His body was also a bit longer than usual, and one leg was shorter than the other.

"Uh…" Mew started. "Well, this is… uh… it needs work. I'll say that."

Victini chuckled, "It looks like you were hit by a bus."

Mew elbowed him, giving him a look. "We'll give this a… 4.5."

Portia sighed in disappointment.

 **000**

" **I'm never doing that again," Portia responded.**

 **000**

"Next up...we have Dade, who had to do a cube," Mew said. The two hosts looked down at the Burmy's work.

His shrub actually resembled, well, a cube. It looked almost perfect. It was pretty lopsided, wide some of the edges angling downwards and others angling up.

"Eh… it's okay. Not perfect, but it'll do," Victini commented. "We can give it a… 7."

"Yeah, I think a 7 works…" Mew agreed.

Dade sighed in relief. At least he didn't have the lowest score so far. Portia grumbled to herself as the hosts moved over to R.J.'s piece.

"And finally, we have R.J., who had to create a dollar sign," Mew said.

The shrub somewhat resembled a dollar sign, though there were more leaves still there than there needed to be. The 'S' shape of the shrub resembled more of a backwards 'Z' than the standard 'S'.

"Okay, uh… you pulled it off at least…" Victini commented. "6 for me."

"Hmm… I concur," Mew responded with a shrug.

"Hey! This is harder than you think!" R.J. argued.

"Which is why it's a challenge," Victini responded. "Okay, that brings the total to 17.5. Meaning that if the Red Team does great, you guys will be saying goodbye to another player."

R.J. growled, folding his arms.

 **-000-**

The hosts moved on to the opposite side of the fence. "Now for the Red Team," Mew responded. "Starting with… Whoa."

Upon seeing Victini's sculpture, both hosts simply gaped in awe, as did a few of the other players who hadn't been there.

"Automatic 10, I don't care," Victini stated. "This looks great, _and_ it's way better than Mew's."

The New Species Pokémon gave him a look of annoyance, "It looks great, Kane. Good job."

Kane nodded with a smile as the hosts moved on to the next one.

"Next up we have Sasha, who had to make a sphere," Mew responded.

The shrub was almost perfectly spherical, with maybe a few minor imperfections. It is very hard to create perfect circles and spheres without a base to rely on, so to see this was pretty remarkable.

"Okay, this is just great," Mew commented. "I honestly didn't expect this to come out as well as it did considering that it's a sphere."

"Yeah, well… I had a bit of help," Sasha responded, hugging Kane's side.

"Well, this is a solid 9," Victini stated. "Meaning that… the Red Team wins!"

The Red Team cheered, while the Blue Team simply exchanged looks of annoyance.

"Alright," Mew began. "Red Team, we're gonna give you some time to make your decision, as usual."

" _And_ , we have _another_ surprise planned for tonight," Victini said with a smile. "So, be ready."

Everyone exchanged looks, unsure of what the surprise would be.

 **000**

Art and Honey met behind the Red Team's cabin once again, with Art holding a look of irritation. "Alright, princess, why don't you go ahead and tear off the bandage? Who are you planning on eliminating that's supposed to bother me?"

"Well, knowing who you are, it probably won't bother you _that_ much, it'll probably have more of an effect on _my_ team," Honey responded.

"Wait, so why keep the same choice, then?" Art queried in confusion. "Why not go for something that actually makes sense? Maybe… go for Belladonna instead. She won't really-"

Honey rose a claw to silence him, "I'm keeping my choice. I don't care…"

Art chuckled, "If you want. You're only gonna be hurting yourself…"

Honey huffed, "I doubt it."

 **000**

"Okay, so we're getting rid of Art," Jessica said. "Easiest thing we can do. Not only will Tim be happy, but it'll make all of our lives much easier."

"I mean, I honestly don't see Art as that big of a threat. He just acts like the face of the team, really," Tonya explained. "Sure, he's smart, but we're all smart in some way. And he's been pretty much failing his challenges lately."

Tim gave the Accelgor a look, "It doesn't matter. He could just be acting like he sucks. He's shown his capabilities already, so he _needs_ to go."

"Nope, if anyone needs to go, it's either Zahku or R.J.," Max chimed in. "Zahku is weirdly strong and it scares me, and R.J., even though he and Kane are together, is a strong threat. And if we keep stalling and they both make it to the merge, they'll have couple power and we'll be screwed. I like them, but it needs to happen sooner or later."

"Eh… let's not upset Kane right now. I think that Sasha said that Honey was already talking down to him about how he cares more about R.J. than he does the game," Jessica explained. "Zahku is an interesting choice, though. Considering that he's been doing things that shouldn't even be possible…"

"So, we're going for Zahku?" Tonya asked for clarification.

"It appears so," Jessica replied.

Tim huffed, " Figures…" he said as he got up, starting to leave.

"BOTH TEAMS REPORT TO THE ELIMINATION CEREMONY! IT'S TIME TO BID ANOTHER PLAYER FAREWELL!"

 **000**

All of the players arrived at the elimination area, with the Blue Team sitting down, and the Red Team standing up with smiles.

"Alright, Red Team have you made your decision?" Mew queried.

"Yes we have…" Jessica responded.

"Alright, who from the Blue Team is getting the boot tonight?" Victini queried.

Just as Jessica was about to respond, Honey quickly stated, "R.J.'s going. He and Kane are too close and it'd be better to get them apart."

"WHAT!?" the other members exclaimed, aside from Sasha, who slowly gained a smile.

"Oh, wow. Didn't really expect that," said Victini. "But… R.J.-"

"What!? No fucking way!" Kane growled. "That bitch doesn't speak for us! We were gonna eliminate Zahku for being a strong threat!"

"Sorry, but the choice has already been made for your team. Sadly, it was by Honey…" Mew stated.

R.J. was seething, clenching his fists as he stood up. "This is fucking bullshit!"

"Honey, I swear to Arceus, I will end you!" Kane snapped.

"Uh huh…" Honey responded, rolling her eyes and folding her arms. "You act as if him getting eliminated is the end of the world. Get over it. You'll see him back at home."

The members of the Red Team glared at the Vespiquen, while a few members of the Blue Team felt relatively unbothered by the elimination, strangely enough.

"Well, R.J., it's about time for you to go," Mew said as a Lapras could be seen coming from the distance.

Kane, still ticked off at Honey, shoved past her, before approaching R.J.. He sighed, "I'm sorry babe. I honestly thought that we'd make merge, or just close to it, together."

In response, the Beartic locked lips with him. Kane moved his hands to R.J.'s hips. The Beartic broke it just as the Lapras reached the shore. "Just make sure that you kick… Honey's… ass…" the Freezing Pokémon stated sternly as they both turned to glare daggers at the cocky Vespiquen.

"We'll see what happens…" Kane stated annoyedly before turning back to meet his husband's gaze. "I love you…"

"Love you, too," R.J. responded, planting a kiss on the Ursaring's lips once again before heading toward the Lapras.

As the Lapras swam off, Kane returned to his team, still glaring daggers at Honey.

"Well, uh… in light of what just happened, let's get to the surprise," Victini began.

"It better be that this wasn't a real elimination…" Jessica stated.

"Nope," the Victory Pokémon responded. "Now, there is a catch for this surprise. We're gonna need someone from each team that will be able to deal with a lot of pain and danger."

"Honey goes!" Kane stated immediately.

Honey rolled her eyes, "You moron, you realize that pushing me into it will make it so we _don't_ get it, right?"

"I… don't… care," he replied.

"Okay… and for the Blue Team?" Mew queried.

Zahku stood up. "Zahku will defeat danger for team."

"Well, _surprise!_ Honey and Zahku, you two are switching teams!"

Honey's eyes widened, "Wait, what?"

"WHAT!?" everyone exclaimed.

"Yep," Mew responded. "We're shaking some things up. So, Honey, you're now on the Blue Team, and Zahku, you're now on the Red Team."

The Vespiquen and Makuhita, despite still being confused, eventually swapped places, with some smiles and frowns forming on each team.

"Well, you guys can head back to the campgrounds and get to know your new teammates a bit better. We'll call you all down tomorrow for your next challenge, where everything will go right back to normal," Victini responded.

The contestants all started heading back to the campgrounds, with some more upset than others. The hosts turned to the camera. "Well, R.J.'s the last victim of the winning team vote, and sadly, he wasn't even supposed to be the one to go. The contestants are gonna have to be quicker and smarter if they're ever gonna get rid of Honey," Mew said, folding his arms.

"And, since she's now on the losing team, it seems like her time here really _is_ numbered," Victini followed up with a chuckle. "Or _is_ it?"

"What challenge will we put our contestants through next? How will they fare with their new teammates? And who will be the next one eliminated?" Mew asked.

"Find out next time on our island challenge!" Victini finished.

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 _ **Red Team - (Jessica, Kane, Max, Sasha, Tim, Tonya, Zahku)**_

 _ **Blue Team - (Art, Belladonna, Dade, Honey, Portia)**_

 _ **000**_

 _ **I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time on Total… Pokémon… Zero! See ya guys, BYE!**_

 _ **000**_

 _ **Elimination Order:**_

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)**_

 _ **19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)**_

 _ **18th - Marley Banner (The Pranking Prodigy)**_

 _ **17th - Lawrence "Lucky" Addams (The Unlucky Charm)**_

 _ **16th - Lynn Jamison (The Calm Leader)**_

 _ **15th - Christopher "Chip" Torwood (The Buff Brain)**_

 _ **14th - Christine Reynolds (The Composed Musician)**_

 _ **13th - Richard James** **"R.J."** **Mitchell (The Flustered Hothead)**_


	10. Overcooked!

**And the next one…**

 **000**

Returning to the campgrounds following R.J.'s elimination, the teams separated and went into their different cabins, though Honey kept Art outside, leading him behind the Blue Team's cabin.

The Vespiquen hadn't expected this switch and felt that it was very ironic that Kane was the one who volunteered her. Now neither he, nor her former teammates could do anything. She was still irritated that she was on the team with less players, but because of Art being there, she actually had a chance at sticking around longer.

Art was indifferent about the situation. Sure, he was annoyed that R.J. was eliminated, but it was going to happen eventually, anyway. Plus, having Honey on the team gave him an extra vote to work with.

"Well, looks like we're teammates now," Honey responded, folding her arms with a smirk.

The Ferrothorn chuckled sheepishly in response. "Yeah. I never thought that they'd do a team switch. It's kinda pointless, but they've gotta make themselves feel special somehow, I guess," he shrugged.

"Yeah, and I lucked out," Honey responded with a shrug. "If Kane hadn't been an immature baby, one of _them_ would have been on your team, instead."

"Yeah, and since we just lost our strongest player to them, another addition would have been fine," Art responded. "But, it's too late for that. Now we're down to five players and… I'm still outnumbered."

Honey gave him a look, "Uh… you remember that _I'm_ on your team now, right?"

"True, they may try to go for you, first," Art reasoned. "I'm sure that they aren't really fond of you."

Honey scoffed, "As if I care about their feelings. All it takes is a little convincing, and in my case, luck." She folded her arms, "I didn't even know that me saying R.J.'s name first would work. I thought that they'd invalidate it or ask for assurance, but they didn't."

Art rolled his eyes in response, "Amateurs…"

"So, fill me in on these losers. What are their strengths and weaknesses? Other than some of them being easily swayed," Honey requested.

Art gave her a look of his own. "Um, I'm pretty sure that you've already seen all there is to see regarding them in the challenges. Dade is smart and weak, and Belladonna and Portia are relatively the same, except Portia is a lot brighter. Well, in my eyes, anyway."

Upon hearing that, Honey facepalmed before letting out a breath. She had already known that information, or at least inferred it, so Art's explanation didn't do her any good. "Well, hopefully this isn't a _total_ trainwreck…" she commented.

"We'll see," Art responded with a breath.

 **000**

The members of the Red Team entered the girls' side, as Jessica suggested a meeting to welcome Zahku to the team.

"Well Zahku, uh… welcome to the team," Tonya greeted as the Makuhita simply stood in the doorway. "Hopefully you'll like working with us as much as you did with your last team."

The Makuhita looked around at his new teammates before shrugging his shoulders in response. "Zahku indifferent."

"Oh, well great," Jessica replied with a smile. "Just know that, over here, we act as a unit and try to work together the best that we can."

Zahku nodded in understanding, though he felt that what she said was common sense in a general team.

"Well, is there anything you want us to know or just want to say?" Sasha queried.

Zahku shook his head.

Tim chuckled, "Well, all I have to say is _thank you_ for replacing Honey. This is literally the best I've felt since Lynn and I started going out."

Max nodded in agreement, "Yeah, this team definitely needs a bit more positivity at this point. Especially since Honey got rid of R.J. to split up him and Kane."

At the mention of it, Kane softly growled to himself, watching as Honey and Art entered the Blue Team's cabin.

"And I still call bullshit on that," Jessica stated. "So, the first person's name that's said is automatically the one eliminated? No matter if a majority of the team disagrees?"

"To be fair, there weren't any major disagreements with these eliminations until now," Max spoke up. "It would have likely happened before if there were."

"Yeah, but they should have at least warned us about it!" Jessica responded. "It makes them look like they're just trying to save Honey."

"Is this really that big of a deal, though?" Sasha queried, earning a look from Kane. Upon seeing his expression, as well as a few others', she quickly explained, "I mean, this is still a competition. And even though I hate that Kane's upset, it doesn't really impact anything. R.J. was a threat, which actually makes it easy for the rest of us in the long run. Plus, now that Honey is on the other team, she can't screw us over anymore."

"Yeah, but now Honey and Art are on the same team," Tonya explained. "They may be able to make it far and take us out. Eliminating Art would have gotten rid of that opportunity."

"Well, we can't do anything about that now," Sasha responded. "We just have to… deal with what happens and get rid of them the first chance that we get. Dwelling on this just gives Honey more control; we need to just move on. Plus, there's still a chance that the other team will vote her out."

"They'd better if they know what's good for them," Tim said. "I don't think anyone wants her on the island anymore anyway, so it'd be great for everyone."

"Let's hope that they make the right choice," Kane stated as he prepared to make his exit.

"Yeah," said Max, beginning to follow him out.

The guys started clearing out, heading to their own side, leaving the three girls alone. Immediately, Jessica and Tonya looked at the Nidoqueen with knowing looks.

Seeing this, Sasha rose a brow. "What's with the looks?"

"You smiled as soon as Honey said R.J.'s name," Tonya said, folding her arms. "You're glad that he's gone, aren't you?"

Sasha rolled her eyes. "Why does that matter? He's on the other team. Plus, you guys were gonna smile if you were able to get Art eliminated…"

"Yes, because we have no connection to him and he's a threat," Jessica explained. "You almost always sat with him and Kane during breakfast and you guys seemed to be getting along a bit better. Shouldn't it be a bit upsetting for you, too?"

Sasha sighed, "Sorry, but no. Not really. There's no real connection there. I don't even see why you guys are so upset. Especially since a threat is gone and Honey's on the other team. Why focus on the bad part?"

The girls exchanged looks, knowing that the Nidoqueen was going to keep dodging their questions. "Alright, if you say so," Tonya responded.

 **000**

" **Why do they care so much that R.J. got eliminated? He's on the other team, he's a huge threat anyway, and he doesn't even deserve Kane to begin with!" Sasha exclaimed before catching herself. "I mean… I'm over Kane, so that shouldn't matter, but it's still frustrating as hell!"**

 **000**

Similar to the Red Team, a meeting was held in the girls' side of the Blue Team cabin. However, unlike the Red Team, it wasn't to welcome their new teammate.

No, instead Honey decided to take the time to give her new teammates what she considered a 'pep talk'.

"Alright," the Vespiquen began, flying in front of the cabin door. "Let's go ahead and clear the air. I don't give a damn about any of you, and none of you give a shit about me."

The others exchanged displeased looks upon hearing the statement. It was true, but, knowing Honey, they had a feeling that it was going to segue into something insulting.

The Vespiquen continued, " _But_ , we're a team of five going up against a team of seven. So, even though you guys are completely uninteresting, whiny, and weak, we have to actually work together if we want to get anything done."

"Was insulting us really necessary?" Belladonna queried, already annoyed by Honey.

Dade, looking over at her, deadpanned, "It's Honey. You shouldn't be surprised."

" _Anyways_ , I think an easy way for us to be successful is if I act as the team leader from now on…" Honey suggested.

"And how will that guarantee our success?" Portia responded, folding her arms. "Just because you were on a winning team doesn't mean that you're the reason why the team won."

Honey glared at her, "Just know that with me here, this team will be doing much, _much_ better."

Art huffed, "Conceited much?"

Honey glared daggers at the Ferrothorn, who simply cleared his throat and looked to the side. The Vespiquen opened the door of the cabin. "Alright, I think you've gotten the gist of how this team is gonna go, so… meeting's over. Guys, out of my room."

"Gladly," Dade said as he hopped out of the room, with Art following him out without saying a word.

Honey shut the door behind them before folding her arms and looking at the two girls still in the cabin. "Alright you two, this is how it's gonna be… You two are gonna share a bed, and I get the other beds for myself."

Belladonna and Portia exchanged looks of unamusement before looking back at the Beehive Pokémon. Both of them had a significant advantage over her, and they weren't even fond of her, so they ignored her. Portia got into her bed, as did Belladonna.

Seeing this, Honey growled, "Did you not hear me? One of you… move to the other bed!"

"You're not scaring anyone, Honey," Portia stated. "Plus, you're an idiot if you think that we're gonna share one bunk bed when you can have one to yourself right there," she continued, pointing to the empty bunk bed sitting against the back wall.

Honey was both agitated and impressed by their attitudes. On the Red Team, she had Tonya and Sasha wrapped around her fingers until she annoyed them too much. Here, there was no chance at intimidation.

With a disgruntled sigh, the Vespiquen flew to the empty bunk bed, lying on the top bunk. "Well, at the very least, don't bug me," she stated as she rolled over to face the wall.

Belladonna rolled her eyes. "Whatever…"

 **000**

" **Well, with Honey on the team, at least we have an easier target and we won't have to eliminate Portia!" Belladonna beamed.**

 **000**

Because R.J. was no longer in the game, Kane decided to return to the cabin in order to sleep. He was still upset about the whole situation, as anyone would be if they were in his position. It wasn't even the fact that he was eliminated; he knew that it was going to happen to one or both of them regardless sooner or later. It was the fact that Honey caused it just because _she_ felt like it.

But, with her now on the opposing team, there's nothing he could do about it. As he sat on his bunk, he let out a breath as the other guys got settled in their own bunks. Looking at the empty beds once the others sat in their usual beds, Zahku decided to take the bunk above Tim.

Max and Tim looked over to Kane, who was sitting on his old bed against the back wall. "You okay, Kane?" Max queried.

The Ursaring scratched underneath his chin before just lying down in his bunk. "I'll manage," he responded tonelessly as he rolled over to face the wall.

Tim could understand how he was feeling, but couldn't help but feel embarrassed because of how mature Kane was behaving in comparison to how he did. Sure, he acted out during the explanation of the surprise, but he wasn't abandoning the campgrounds or anything.

"Well..." the Tropius began. "...at least Honey's on the other team now, right? She can't fuck with us anymore. And you're the reason why."

Still facing away, Kane responded, "Yeah, but she's not off the island. And if the other team makes mistakes, she could still stick around."

The guys looked at each other, with Zahku simply shrugging and lying down on his new bunk.

Max hummed to himself, "Well, that just means that we'll have to work harder to win these challenges and make sure that the other team has plenty of chances to eliminate her."

"Right," Tim nodded in agreement. "That bitch isn't untouchable. We'll get rid of her sooner or later. Though sooner is _definitely_ preferable."

Kane didn't respond, just completely zoning out and closing his eyes to sleep. Receiving no response, the guys just figured that he either didn't want to talk further or fell asleep. They decided to do the same, with Max turning off the light and flying back up to his bed.

 **000**

Mew yawned as he floated into the kitchen in the Hall of Origins. The kitchen was rather small, being only about the size of Groudon. Scratch marks decorated the ceiling,a result of Groudon's head moving across it.

The refrigerator was only about 7 feet tall, and there was a small kitchen table sitting beside it. Across from it was the oven, sink, and overhead microwave.

Suicune and Jirachi were sitting at the table, both of them eating a croissant as Mew went to the fridge. Jirachi gave him the side-eye before deciding to engage in a bit of conversation. "So, Mew. How's the show coming?"

Mew hummed to himself. He knew that Jirachi and Celebi's show was still going on, and there was a bit of a rivalry between their show and his and Victini's show. However, not really caring for the rivalry, Mew shrugged his shoulders. "It's doing pretty good so far. How about you guys'?"

"Well, we're close to merging the teams on our show. We're down to the final seven," she responded cockily.

Mew nodded in response, "That's cool. We've still got twelve people left."

"Aww… I would've expected you two to be halfway finished by now," Jirachi teased, dipping her croissant in a cup of tea she had beside her.

Mew shrugged as he closed the fridge, a yogurt carton in his hand. He knew that Jirachi was trying to rub it in his face that she and Celebi were finishing quicker, but he didn't really care. Ever since she and Victini broke up, she had been obsessed with sticking it to him and making him look like an idiot.

Suicune finally chimed in with a giggle as Mew floated over to the silverware drawer. "Jirachi, I think they're just taking their sweet time since they're enjoying the fact that they can pretty much force mortal Pokémon to do whatever they say in the competition."

Jirachi huffed, rolling her eyes. "Figures. Victini always loves making others feel like shit."

Mew groaned as he closed the drawer, "What happened to all of the spoons?"

"They've all been used and _someone_ hasn't washed them yet," Jirachi responded, folding her arms with a glare. "That's why I had to mix my tea with a toothpick," she said, holding a tinted toothpick.

Mew groaned, "I've literally been busy with the competition. You or any of the others could have washed them at any time."

"Just because you're too lazy to wash the dishes doesn't mean you can just make them someone else's responsibility," Suicune stated.

Suddenly, a new voice was heard. "And what exactly is _your_ responsibility, Suicune?"

Turning to the doorway, they saw Victini and Latios standing there, with Latios going to the fridge and Victini taking Mew's yogurt.

"Hey!" Mew whined.

As he peeled back the lid, the Victory Pokémon looked over to the table, "Seriously Suicune, your only responsibility is to choose between a taco-loving idiot and a smug kitten, and you still haven't made a choice yet."

Suicune glared at him, with Jirachi groaning, "Victini, this is why you're gonna be single forever. You always say stupid things and act as though you're holier than thou when you're the worst person imaginable."

"And yet you dated me…" Victini responded, using his fingers to scoop out the yogurt.

Jirachi sighed, shaking her head, "And I regret it everyday…"

"Don't you two have a show to do?" Latios queried, looking to Mew and Victini, closing the refrigerator with a carton of milk in hand.

"I'm pretty sure we _all_ have shows to do," Victini responded. "But, today's a special challenge for us, so we're not gonna head out just yet. We're gonna give it about…" He looked at a clock hanging above the microwave, seeing that it was 10:00 in the morning. "Hmm... two more hours."

"Are you sure that you guys aren't just being lazy?" Jirachi responded. "I honestly doubt that your 'challenge' is all that special."

"And I honestly doubt that you and Celebi's show will be more successful," Victini retorted before leaving the kitchen.

Mew groaned as he went back to the fridge to get another yogurt as the girls glowered at him.

 **000**

Max returned to the cabin, having gone out to the mess hall to wait for breakfast. However, the mess hall was closed, and there a sign out front saying that there would be no breakfast. As a result, the confused Delibird sighed before flying back onto his bunk.

"That was fast," Tim commented, having woken up a bit earlier than usual. "What happened?"

"Mess hall's closed for some reason," he replied. "It said there wouldn't be any breakfast today, which is kinda weird."

"It's probably some kind of challenge to see who can last the longest without food," Kane assumed as he stood up, stretching.

"I hope not," Max responded as the Ursaring headed to the door. "I don't know how long I'd be able to last."

Tim shrugged in response, "I'm used to not eating often, so I think I'll be fine. Hardly ever hungry or feel like eating."

"Uh… I think that's unhealthy," Kane replied. "You should probably see a doctor or something about that."

Tim hummed to himself as Kane opened the door of the cabin. "Anyways, I'm heading out for a walk. I'll catch you guys later."

"Oh, uh, alright then," Max affirmed with a nod.

After he left, Max and Tim exchanged looks of slight concern, with Max querying, "Do you think he's gonna be okay?"

Tim shrugged, "He's doing better than I was, so probably. I don't think we should worry too much, he's capable of holding himself accountable, regardless of what happens."

Zahku sat up from his bed with a deep breath. Seeing this, Max decided to interact and maybe get to know the Makuhita a bit better. "Morning, Zahku," he greeted.

"Hello," the Guts Pokémon responded.

"Well, since you're on our team now; why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?" Tim asked.

Zahku rose a brow, "Zahku has nothing to really say. Nothing special about him."

"Oh come on Zahku, there's something special about everyone," Max responded. "Like… what do you like to do?"

"Zahku trains, eats, and sleeps mostly," he responded as he hopped off of the top bunk. "Wants to be stronger."

"Oh, well that's cool," Tim responded. "How strong are you trying to get?"

Zahku walked over to the bed near the back and got on his back. "Very," he responded, going underneath the bed.

Max and Tim exchanged confused looks before seeing the bed begin to ascend and descend. Zahku was lifting the entire bed with ease, treating it like a dumbbell.

"Wow dude, that's… that's awesome," Tim complimented in astonishment.

"Meanwhile, I can barely lift 80 pounds," Max deadpanned, folding his arms.

"Zahku train for years to have ability to do this," the Makuhita responded nonchalantly as he continued to lift the large bed. "Not that hard."

"Not to you, I see," Tim chuckled.

"Hmm… not to change the subject, but have you ever had a girlfriend?" the Delibird queried.

Zahku ceased lifting for a few seconds before humming. "Hmm… no. No long lasting female companion, thus far. Simply intercourse to help with endurance and multitasking. Zahku may look for companionship later."

"Huh, I guess that makes sense," Max responded, looking at him. "Focusing on a goal before trying to get a girlfriend."

Zahku went back to lifting the bed, with the guys watching intently.

 **000**

" **Well, Zahku impressed me a bit when he was on the other team. Now he's still impressing me** _ **and**_ **he's gonna be helping us out!" Tim commented. "Honey is** _ **so**_ **going down!"**

 **000**

Dade groaned as he lied on his bunk. Not only was he only stuck with Art in the cabin, but Honey was on his team now. It was as if his luck was just getting worse. Portia was more than likely gonna be watching him more, Zahku could no longer help him out with the votes, and Honey was going to be a major pain.

"This is so unfair!" he complained. "Why the hell did they decide to do a team switch _now_ out of all of the other times they could have done it?"

Art shrugged indifferently. "I don't know, and I don't care. What I _do_ know is that complaining about it won't change anything, so you might as well get over it."

Dade gave him a look, replying, "So... I take it that you're glad that Honey's on the team since she'll take the attention off of you _and_ give you someone to talk to."

Art glared at him, feeling that the Burmy was pushing his luck. "Listen here, runt," he began. "Consider yourself lucky that you're even still here, because you would have been one of the first ones gone if the others on this team weren't completely annoying or useless."

Dade rose a brow, "But you're completely annoying and you're still here."

Art gave him a look, "Ya know, maybe you should just shut up and hope that we don't vote you out."

Dade scoffed, "Please. I won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Though, now that you mention the votes, I could use your help with dealing with a problem…"

Art scoffed, "After all of that, you expect me to help you? You're delusional..."

The Ferrothorn prepared to exit the cabin, only to be stopped by what Dade said next.

"And _you're_ delusional if you think that you or Honey will make it far if we lose two more challenges," Dade responded. "Portia and Belladonna don't really care about Honey, so she's doomed, and I'm sure that they won't mind getting rid of you once Honey's gone."

Art, knowing that he was right, turned back to face him. "What do you want?"

"I just want you and Honey to help me vote out Portia," Dade explained. "She's becoming a bit of a pain, and I don't think she'll be of much assistance anymore. Plus, she'll more than likely be a threat to you if she makes it further."

The Ferrothorn rolled his eyes, finding his plan to be counterproductive and idiotic. However, an idea immediately formed in his head. Hiding a smirk, he responded, "Okay, I'll help you out. On one condition…"

Dade rolled his eyes, "Of there's a condition, even though you'd be doing yourself a favor as well. What is it?"

"You have to do whatever I say for the next eliminations until the merge happens," Art responded.

Dade gave him a look, "Really? There'd literally just be two other people to vote out. It's not like the choices would be hard."

"Do we have a deal or not?" Art questioned, ignoring the Burmy's response.

Dade rolled his eyes. "Whatever…"

"Good," Art responded.

 **000**

 **Art chortled, "Does he really think I'm that dumb? All I have to do is tell Portia, get her on my side, and then we'll have enough votes to take out the little loser."**

 **000**

 **Dade shook his head with a sigh, "I'll get my way. I'm gonna make sure of it."**

 **000**

Kane had intended to go on a walk alone to clear his head. However, upon passing by the cabin, Sasha saw him and swiftly came out of the girls' room and stood out on the porch. "Hey Kane!" she greeted.

He let out a sigh upon hearing her. He turned back to her, responding, "Hey, Sasha."

Hoping that she wouldn't try to tag along, he just continued walking away. Noticing his demeanor, Sasha groaned to herself. She didn't think that he'd _still_ be hung up over R.J.'s elimination. Wanting to talk to him, the Nidoqueen went down and started following him.

The Ursaring heard quick footsteps coming behind him and clenched his fists. He just wanted to be alone. And, thought it wasn't as evident, after yesterday, he believed that Sasha was ecstatic that R.J. was gone. And, thinking further, she _had_ spoken to Honey before about a plan she had. What if she hadn't been telling the whole truth?

With these thoughts now in his mind, Kane grew a bit suspicious of Sasha. He didn't want to believe that she lied to him and gave Honey the idea, but the possibility _was_ there.

"Hey Kane, wait up!" the Nidoqueen said, running to catch up with him.

The Ursaring gave her a look before looking back forward, continuing along the path they were taking, which branched into a path to the stream, directly to the lake, or an area behind the mess hall.

Seeing this expression, Sasha sighed. "You're not still upset about R.J. are you? I mean, I understand that you're _married_ and all but-"

"But what?" Kane interrupted. "Am I not allowed to be annoyed that my husband was eliminated because some bitch had a problem with us?"

"No, no, I'm not saying that," Sasha responded. "I'm just saying that it shouldn't be that big of a deal because he's just competition. Plus, you see him every day outside of the game."

Kane rolled his eyes, "So, you're saying that you don't care that he's gone? At all? Even though you two seemed to be getting along?"

Sasha sighed. "Kane-"

The Ursaring stopped walking, turning to face her with a stern glare, "Tell me, Sasha. Are you _really_ over me?"

The Nidoqueen blushed, folding her arms. "Of course I am… W-Why do you ask?"

"Because, unlike everyone else who agrees that Honey made a shitty choice, you're the only one who's defending her decision even though it could be argued that _anyone_ on the other team could've been considered a threat!" Kane explained. "So, I ask again, and I _urge_ you to tell me the truth. Are… you… over me?"

Seeing that he was completely serious, Sasha clenched her own fists. "You know what, Kane? I'm not. Okay? I don't think I'll be over you _until_ I can find another guy like you! I don't give a _shit_ about R.J. He told me how you two met and got together, and it's complete bullshit to me! He didn't even want to be with you! It was an ultimatum!"

She continued, "You're an amazing, strong, sexy alpha male who could have anyone that you want, but you've settled for a jealous jackass who probably wouldn't even be with you if he had his fucking act together to begin with!"

Hearing that, Kane clenched his fists tight. It took everything in him to not smack the Nidoqueen. He hated when people questioned or condemned his and R.J.'s relationship as if they know what's best. He glared daggers at the Nidoqueen. "You don't know _anything_ about us. Y'know, I thought that I could deal with your attempts at showing that you don't want me and just try to smooth out the tension that you and R.J. had, but, I guess that was too much to ask. Turns out your horniness and jealousy control your brain. Now that R.J.'s gone, you're criticizing our relationship and practically saying that he doesn't really love me because he got _stuck_ with me. But meanwhile, you're dealing with a failing marriage, so you don't get to judge!"

Sasha gasped, her lip quivering. She didn't think that she'd hurt his feelings. "Kane, I didn't mean-"

"I think it'd be better if you just… left me alone," Kane responded.

"But I-"

"GO!" Kane shouted, startling Sasha, who looked down, tearing up a bit. She turned back around and started walking back to the cabins, leaving the Hibernator Pokémon alone.

He couldn't help but feel a bit bad for yelling at her, but he continued on his walk.

 **000**

 **The Ursaring sighed. "I'll apologize to her later, I suppose," he stated. "No one wants to hear negativity about their relationship, and she should get that."**

 **000**

After also seeing that the mess hall was closed, Jessica, and Tonya decided to invite Belladonna and Portia into their cabin just to have some girl talk.

The four females entered the Red Team's cabin, with Portia taking a seat against the wall, and Belladonna sitting on one of the bottom bunks.

"So, anything new on this side?" Belladonna queried. "Other than the fact that you have our strongest player now…"

"Hmm… not really," Tonya responded. "Nothing much happens on our team. We're pretty peaceful. Well, when Honey's not involved anyway."

Portia huffed, "Don't remind me. That bitch is already a major pain. Not only did she call us useless and try to make herself the leader, but she tried to make _us_ share a single bed just because she wanted two whole bunk beds to herself. She's unbelievable!"

"Yeah, well if you guys lose the next challenge, you can hopefully get rid of her for _all_ of our sakes," Jessica responded.

"Of course," Portia responded with a nod.

"So, have you girls had any _fun_ with any of the guys yet?" Belladonna asked with a curious smile. "You've had all of the really attractive ones on your team, excluding Xavier. No offense to him or the guys on our team, though."

Jessica giggled, "Not yet, but I've thought about it. Chip was on my radar at first, but I got to know him a bit better-"

The Bruxish noticed a glare she was getting from Portia, causing her to sweatdrop. She honestly forgot that the Rhyperior and the Machamp had something going on. Considering that it happened during the last few days that Chip was in the competition, _and_ nobody knew until he was eliminated, it was easily forgettable.

She cleared her throat, "-I got to know him a bit better, and even though I still wanted him to _take a dive_ , there was still a bit of doubt in the back of my mind. But, I'm over it, and I've been talking to Max a bit more, and he's cute."

"Hmm... I don't think I've been looking at any of the guys in that way," Tonya explained. "So, I haven't done anything either. Sure, they're good looking, but I wouldn't go as far as to say I'd just wanna have sex with them."

"Ah, I guess that makes sense," Belladonna responded. "Casual sex isn't for everyone. Some people prefer a strong or standard connection. But I have to say, if I was on you guys' team, I'd have probably tried to date one of the guys."

"Well, it would've probably been hard," Tonya responded. If Belladonna had been on their team from the start, things would have probably remained the same for the most part, and the guys' personalities or personal preferences would have still hindered her. "Tim was still talking to Lynn, Chip was a possibility, and Kane had Sasha on his tail _and_ he's gay. Max would've been the best candidate since he's pretty relaxed and nonchalant."

"He's still cute," Belladonna giggled. "I wouldn't have minded."

Just then, Sasha entered the room, tears streaming down her face as she immediately got in her bed and covered herself with the blankets.

"Whoa, whoa, Sasha, what's the matter?" Tonya queried, rushing over to her bed.

The sound of sobbing was the only thing she and the other girls could hear.

"Sasha…" Tonya urged, sitting on the edge of her bed. She removed the cover from her head, revealing her tear-soaked face.

"What happened?" Portia queried, getting to her feet.

Through sobs, the Nidoqueen expressed, "I… I m-made Kane… hate me!"

She buried her face into her pillow, continuing to sob as the other girls simply exchanged looks of confusion. Kane didn't seem like the type to hate anyone, so they thought that she was overreacting due to her infatuation with him.

"Why would Kane hate you?" Jessica queried. "He doesn't seem like that type of guy."

"I… I told him that he m-made a bad choice marrying R.J. and he… he called me out for being the only one not pissed off at Honey for ruining the plan…" she explained, sniffling. "After I told him how I felt, he told me to leave him alone."

Feeling like they had a better understanding, Jessica sighed as Tonya rubbed Sasha's side. Belladonna was a bit unsure about what to say, while Portia just gave the Nidoqueen a look of apathy.

Based on what she'd just heard, the Rhyperior couldn't really show empathy. "Uh… from you told us, you pretty much talked shit about his spouse and told him that he could do better... a _day_ after he was eliminated," Portia paraphrased. "I'm pretty sure that no one in that situation would want to hear someone say that they have poor taste when it comes to love."

"But I wasn't trying to hurt him, I was just-"

"-Trying to get him to understand your point of view," Portia finished. "That's okay, but there's a time and a place for everything."

"But, he asked if I was _really_ over him and told me to tell the truth about how I really felt…" Sasha expounded. "I couldn't lie to him!"

"Well, I'm sorry, but I still feel that his response was warranted," Portia said, her tone of voice softening as she folded her arms.

"Maybe Kane just needs some space," Tonya said. "Like Portia said, no one wants to hear negative things about their spouse, especially when they're not there for a 'direct' confrontation."

"But I don't want confrontation! I was just telling him how I felt because he asked!" Sasha exclaimed

"Just give him some space, and this'll all blow over with time," Jessica stated.

Sasha just buried her face back into her pillow, still completely embarrassed, sad, and filled with worry. The other girls just exchanged looks of uncertainty.

 **000**

Honey was returning to her cabin due to the mess hall being closed. She was already irritated that she was stuck on the losing team, but now she had gotten out of bed early for no reason since her new teammates decided not to come back and tell her.

As she prepared to enter, she heard the creaking of the other door of the cabin. Glancing over, she saw that Dade was hopping out of the cabin to do whatever. Once he was out of her viewing range, the Vespiquen decided to pay her alliance mate a mid-morning visit.

Floating over to the door, she peered inside and saw that he was on his bunk, preparing to sleep once again. Entering, she scoffed, slamming the door behind her. "Really? You're going back to bed?"

Startled by the slam, the Ferrothorn groaned upon hearing the voice that followed. "Why are you here? Didn't we already talk last night?"

"I can come here if I want. Plus, it's not like I have anyone else to talk to…" Honey grumbled, folding her arms.

Art sighed as he climbed back down off of his bunk. "Well, it's actually good that you're here now that I think about it."

Honey gave him a look. "You question my presence and now all of a sudden it's a good thing?"

"Do you wanna hear the information I have or not?" Art deadpanned.

"Of course I do, you idiot. Especially if it helps _me_ stay in the game," Honey responded.

"Well," Art began. "Dade came to me and asked for my assistance in eliminating Portia."

Honey rose a brow in curiosity. Dade didn't seem to be the type to ask for help with votes. "The pipsqueak came to you for help to vote out the fat surfer? That's odd."

"Yeah," Art concurred. "He tried to make it a point that she'll be a threat later on, but not only do I not really buy it, I don't care. I was thinking that we tell Portia what he's trying to do and get her to vote _him_ out with us."

Honey was actually deep in thought, processing the information and weighing her options. Getting no response from her, Art grew a bit perplexed. "Uh… Honey? You still on the planet?"

Honey narrowed her eyes at him in response. "Yes, I'm still here. I'm just thinking about our options, because the pipsqueak has a point. Portia is physically, and somewhat mentally, strong and perfectly fine with water. For a Rock and Ground-type, that's a major advantage, making her a big threat."

"Yes, I've taken all of that into consideration already, but it's still a dumb idea. She's a good player, so we may start losing more and there won't be anyone left," Art explained. "Plus, don't you find it suspicious how Dade is suddenly asking for assistance from someone that the team is out to get?"

"If you really think losing one player guarantees that the team will lose, you have issues," Honey responded. "I'm fine with getting rid of Portia."

Art gave her a look. "Of course you are," he sighed. "Well, at least I made a deal with him so that we get something out of it."

"You already made a deal with him?" Honey questioned. "Without consulting me?"

"Oh hush, woman," Art responded, rolling his eyes. "You weren't in the room. And I just got him to agree to vote for who I tell him to from now on."

Honey was surprised by that, as she thought that the Burmy would be smarter and independent regarding his votes. "Huh, guess he's dumber than he makes himself out to be. But, oh well. If he's willing to help us, then it's still good for us."

Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard from outside. "CONTESTANTS! COME OUT OUTSIDE, IT'S CHALLENGE TIME!"

"No breakfast, but we still have to do a challenge. Great…" Art drawled.

 **000**

All of the contestants that were in the cabins made their way out and saw the hosts with smiles. Along with them, there were two large, wooden crates behind them.

"Hello contestants!" Victini greeted. "Hope you all still have your appetites."

"The mess hall's closed and you guys just got here, of course we still have our appetites," Belladonna responded matter-of-factly.

"Well, that's because today's challenge is a cooking challenge!" the Victory Pokémon announced.

A few contestants were excited, while others were either indifferent or annoyed. They expected to actually eat, themselves, before having to cook anything.

"Now, this is how it-"

"Hold it," Mew interrupted. "Red Team, you're missing a player."

"Oh, yeah, uh… Kane left to go on a walk," Tim answered.

Victini groaned in annoyance, "Of course…" With a snap of his fingers, the Ursaring appeared among the rest of the group.

Kane was surprised to be back at the campgrounds, but upon seeing the hosts there, he understood why. Upon seeing that he was next to Sasha, he just folded his arms and ignored her look of sadness.

Alright, as I was saying," Victini began. "Each team is required to create a three-course meal that you will serve to one member of the opposing team. That player will be chosen at random at the end of the third course."

"What? How the heck is that gonna work?" Dade queried in confusion. "Couldn't they just lie?"

"We've thought about that concern already, and the players that will be chosen will be hooked up to lie detectors," Mew explained. "So, no worries."

"But lie detectors can be cheated, too," Jessica chimed in.

"Well, we're gonna go by the information it gives us, anyway. I doubt anyone important has ever researched 'how to fool a lie detector'," Victini explained.

Wanting to actually move the challenge along, Mew spoke up. "Anyways, inside each of these crates are ingredients that you can use to create your dishes," he explained, knocking on the top of one of them. "Now, about your cooking locations. Since there's only one kitchen, one team will use _it_ , and the other team will use this mobile kitchen."

Victini snapped his fingers, causing a large flatbed truck to appear before them all, directly across the campgrounds from the mess hall. The flatbed contained the standard tools of a kitchen. This included a counter, a sink, cabinets, a refrigerator, a microwave, and an oven.

Upon seeing this and recalling what they had said before, Art looked toward the hosts with an unimpressed expression. "So, you're saying that the mess hall kitchen is operable, but… you've never decided to use it. Instead, you buy us stuff from the same place every day instead of spending a portion of that on actual groceries…"

Ignoring the Ferrothorn's usual condemnation, they continued explaining the challenge. "Anyways, as the winners of the last challenge, the Red Team gets an advantage," Mew explained.

Victini nodded, "Yep. You guys get… a cookbook!" He handed Kane a large cookbook entitled 'Mama Rosa's 'Rumptious Recipes'.

"Mama Rosa's 'Rumptious Recipes…" Jessica read. She smacked her lips, "Well, she had to keep the alliteration somehow…"

"Now, in addition to that, you guys also get to choose which kitchen you use," Mew explained. "Both of them are fully operational, but you're free to choose your location."

The members of the Red Team exchanged looks before Tim answered, "I think we'd rather stay outside."

"Alright then. The Red Team gets the flatbed kitchen and the Blue Team gets the mess hall kitchen," Victini stated.

"Alright, now that it's all settled, you guys have three hours to create your courses," Mew established. "If you have any pressing questions, just ask us. We'll be back at the hall watching you from there. Just call our names and we'll come back."

"And… Go!" Victini exclaimed before the two hosts teleported away.

 **000**

 **Honey groaned, "My family always has our food either catered or made by professional chefs. I've never had to cook or prepare anything in my life, so I hope that one of these losers knows what they're doing."**

 **000**

Portia grunted as she picked up one of the crates of food. "Come on guys, let's go."

As the team of five began heading to the mess hall, a smirk formed on Tim's lips. "You guys have fun with the bitch," he teased.

Honey glared at him, while the others simply ignored his comment, as they were already annoyed by him.

"Tim, don't antagonize them," Jessica warned. "We've got work to do."

The Tropius groaned, rolling his eyes. "Fine… Let's just get started."

The members of the Red Team started climbing aboard the flatbed, with Tim choosing to stay off of it for the time being. "So, what are we making?" Max queried eagerly, twisting his tail.

"Well, we have to make an appetizer, entree, and dessert…" Tonya recapped.

"And we have an entire cookbook full of recipes to work with," Kane said, sitting the cookbook on the counter. "So, let's just brainstorm for now."

"Well, we know that we're gonna have to do something that'll actually impress the hosts," Jessica said. "So-"

"Wait, wait… how are we _really_ gonna be judged?" Tim questioned. "They said that they're gonna choose someone from the other team to taste the food with a lie detector hooked up to them. But they never said _how_ they were supposed to judge."

"I think they'll tell us when they get back," Max responded. "They have to choose a person from each team, anyway."

"Well, that just makes this harder," Tonya commented, folding her arms. "But, at least they have to be honest, so let's make the best dishes we can."

"Does anyone have any ideas?" Kane queried.

"Better yet, who's gonna be the head chef?" Tim asked, looking around. "Who here knows how to cook the best?"

The players exchanged looks. Kane cleared his throat, responding "Well, I barely cook, so I'm out. R.J. is the one who always cooks."

"Huh, well I guess that Honey screwed her new team over already," Tim chortled. "Anyway, I don't cook either. I usually have food delivered to me or one of my friends cooks."

"I just know how to cook noodles and heated up frozen foods…" Max admitted.

"Zahku no eat a lot at home, but when do, he eat berries and hunt," Zahku explained. "Hardly cook kills though."

The girls narrowed their eyes at the guys, as it seemed too typical and odd that they didn't cook actual meals for themselves. The guys, themselves, simply gaped at Zahku's explanation, as eating raw meat was pretty dangerous.

"Okay, well I know how to cook…" Jessica stated exasperatedly. "What about you girls?"

Tonya shrugged, "I don't cook often, but I know how to."

Sasha wiped her face before sniffling. "I know how to cook pretty well," she responded.

Jessica sighed, giving the Nidoqueen a look of sympathy. "Sasha, come with me…"

The Bruxish started floating away, with the Nidoqueen following her. All eyes went to Kane, who only groaned to himself.

Once they were a good distance away from the others, Jessica gave Sasha a serious look. "Sasha, I know that you're still upset, but you have to get over it. Crying isn't going to change the outcome of what happened. You need to be strong and just carry on."

"Look, I know! It just really hurt to hear him say that and I still think he hates me," Sasha explained.

"Why does it matter?" Jessica queried. "He's a married man who doesn't have any interesting you romantically. And, you unintentionally upset him by trash talking his love life, so it's warranted. Your best bet is to just help us win this challenge and see if this gets you back in his good graces."

"And what if it doesn't?" Sasha inquired. "I at least still want to be friends…"

Jessica groaned in exasperation. "Then _I'll_ talk to him… Now, will you get a hold of yourself?"

Sasha looked down with a sigh. She glanced back over to the others, who were watching and waiting for them to return. She looked back to Jessica, still holding a sad expression. "Okay…"

The Bruxish nodded in response before the two of them started heading back over. Once they returned, Jessica sighed, "Alright, sorry for the interruption. Let's get back to the challenge shall we?"

"Well, flipping through the cookbook, we found something called a trifle," Tonya explained, showing the page to the Bruxish. "We think that it'll be a unique dessert to do."

"Hmm… it looks pretty good," Jessica opined. "I guess we can try to do it. I mean, if we have the right ingredients, anyway."

"Oh right, we need to check out what all we have in the crate," Kane said as he hopped down off of the flatbed to go to the wooden box.

He picked it up with ease, despite it weighing about 200 pounds. As he was carrying the crate over, Tonya inquired,"How heavy is it?"

Kane placed the crate on the truck bed before responding, "Hmm… I'll say about… 190 to 200 pounds. So, there's gotta be a crap ton of food for us to use inside."

Zahku walked over to the crate, ripping the top off of it. Numerous boxes, cans, cartons and bags of food were uncovered.

The others exchanged looks, with Max taking out a box of Graham crackers. He chuckled, "This… is gonna be great."

 **000**

The Blue Team was in the mess hall kitchen, thoroughly disgusted by the setting they were in. The kitchen, despite being presumably operational, was a complete dump. There was dirt and grime in every nook and cranny. The tiled floor was disheveled and covered in dust and gunk. The wooden walls were stained in unknown fluids. Cobwebs were in nearly every corner.

The appliances weren't any better, with the stove having chipped paint, the refrigerator being covered in rust, with water stains all around the base of it, and the microwave missing buttons. The odorous kitchen also reeked of spoiled milk and burnt popcorn, making it much worse.

"Mother of Arceus, I think I'm gonna be sick…" Dade commented, holding his breath.

"Fully operational my ass…" Art commented, looking around. "This place looks awful."

Portia let out a sigh, disappointed by the scenery as well. "Well, we're gonna have to make do with what we have."

Belladonna, using her claws, popped the lid off the box., revealing all of the food that they had available. The Golem peered inside and hummed before gasping and taking out a box labeled 'Choco-Fuzz'. "Oh my Arceus, I haven't these in forever!"

"The hell is 'Choco-Fuzz'?" Art queried.

"Who cares?" Honey spoke. "We have a challenge to do, remember? This place looks like complete and total garbage, but Portia's right. We have to make do."

As she started taking food out of the box and placing it on the kitchen island. As she did so, with Belladonna's assistance, Dade brought up an important question.

"So does anyone here even know how to cook?"

Everyone immediately stopped, exchanging looks with each other. Noting the expressions the others had, Dade smacked his lips. "Okay, uh… I'll take the looks you guys are giving off as a 'no', and now pronounce us all screwed…"

"I mean, I mainly know how to microwave food because…" She let out a sigh before continuing, "My uncle had me most of the time and he couldn't cook to save his life. And I only ever made it home just in time for dinner."

"Your mom never taught you how to cook?" Art queried. "Isn't that like… one of the few things that girls are taught against their will or something?"

"What year do _you_ think you're in? This isn't the olden days when humans were still around, or even after they all went extinct and Pokémon 'evolved' further, mentally," Belladonna queried. "We're not _required_ to learn anything."

"Okay, so we really are screwed then," the Ferrothorn stated. "We have no cookbook, and no one here actually knows how to cook anything."

"I mean, I know how stoves and ovens and everything work. I just never really had to _cook_ cook, because I never had a reason to," Belladonna explained. "I usually just go out, microwave food, or go on dates where the dude or chick cooks."

"I'm small," Dade deadpanned. "And I don't think being close to hot objects will be a good thing for me. I'm not trying to catch myself on fire because of this cloak of mine..."

"Okay, everyone just shut the hell up!" Honey exclaimed, getting everyone's attention. Once everyone was quiet, the Vespiquen let out a sigh. She looked around the kitchen again before taking a breath. "Now, we're _not_ completely screwed. Believe it or not, I was taught to cook by my grandmother, though I didn't want to."

"Huh… that's surprising," Art commented. "I'd think that you'd consider yourself too rich and special to cook for yourself."

The Vespiquen glared at the Thorn Pod Pokémon in response. "Anyways…" she continued. "We're not _completely_ hopeless, because you have me here."

Belladonna and Portia glanced at each other with annoyed expressions, while Dade simply rolled his eyes.

She continued, "Now, we're not gonna do anything flashy. As if those nimrods on the other team know anything about taste anyway. We're just gonna do three simple dishes."

"Okay… and does your definition of simple match ours?" Dade queried.

Ignoring him, Honey continued to take out different foods from the box. Eventually, she stopped, looking over all of the food.

"Any ideas 'Oh so great, Honey'?" Portia sarcastically queried, folding her arms.

The Vespiquen picked up the box of frozen mozzarella sticks. "Okay, this can be our appetizer."

"Mozzarella sticks?" Dade deadpanned. "Out of everything we could do, you suggest that we just microwave frozen mozzarella sticks?"

"I'm sorry, but do _you_ know how to cook?" Honey replied rhetorically. "Oh right, you don't, because you're a small dweeb that's afraid of a little heat."

Dade glared at her annoyedly as Belladonna spoke up.

"Hey, just because the rest of us weren't taught doesn't mean that we don't get to have a say," she argued.

"I already said that we aren't doing anything flashy," Honey reminded exasperatedly. "And, since we only have boxed or canned food, and none of us are fucking great at this, we're doing mozzarella sticks. Deal with it!" she snapped.

The others exchanged looks, with Portia shaking her head in disapproval.

"Well, if we're doing that for an appetizer, what are we gonna do for the main entree? Fry corndogs?" Art questioned sarcastically.

His response was a pack of spaghetti being thrown at his face.

"Spaghetti. One of the easiest dishes to make," Honey responded. "I hope you losers at _least_ know how to boil water."

"Of course we do," Portia responded matter-of-factly. "Now, could you stop belittling us already? It's really annoying."

"Not as annoying as you sleeping," Honey retorted. "Seriously, your tossing and turning kept me up and you kept moaning for that moron, Chip!"

"HEY!" Portia roared, a look of rage on her face. "Look here, you little bitch! Me dreaming about a guy I like is _nothing_ compared to the bullshit that you've put everyone on this island through. You're an insufferable whiner who barely does shit for herself, and when you finally _do_ do something useful, you act all high and mighty, as if you're better than everyone. And I know all of this without you even being on this team that long… _that_ is how awful you are."

Honey was seemingly unfazed by the Rhyperior's rant. She had heard it all before from other people, and this time was no different. With an apathetic expression on her face, Honey responded, "You done?"

Portia folded her arms, her glare remaining. She didn't have anything else to say, and judging by the way the Vespiquen was looking at her, she didn't care.

Seeing her go silent, Honey huffed, "Good. Now if you're done wasting your breath, why don't _you_ get started boiling the water to cook the spaghetti."

"Wait, what about the dessert?" Belladonna inquired.

"We're just gonna do ice cream and make brownies," Honey stated. "We can do that later once we have everything else already settled. For now, let's focus on what we have."

"Mozzarella sticks and spaghetti. Man, we sure are gonna take it to the other team!" Dade expressed sarcastically.

"Quiet," Honey demanded as she took out a few Tamato Berries. She placed the berries next to him. "Why don't you and durian boy get started on the sauce?"

The Burmy and Ferrothorn exchanged knowing looks before looking back at the Vespiquen. "And how exactly do you expect us to do anything with no good appendages?!" Art asked in a gravelly voice.

Honey growled in annoyance. Could these people do _nothing_?! "For fuck sake! You people are useless! Just get out! Leave the ladies to do the work like men always do!"

"Hey, it's not our fault that we were born without functioning limbs!" Dade argued.

"Well, maybe you could actually help if you finally _evolved_ ," Honey stated bluntly. "Seriously, how the hell are you still a fucking Burmy after all this time? Are you really _that_ shitty? No wonder these losers kept you around this long."

Dade glowered at her before his expression turned to that of uncertainty. He hopped out of the kitchen area, with Art following without a word. Belladonna scoffed, giving the Beehive Pokémon a look of vexation. "Do you enjoy being a jerk to everyone around you?"

"Do you enjoy wasting time?" Honey retorted. "You people keep trying to question me and my methods when you don't even have any ideas or capabilities for yourself. We need to get started."

The other girls exchanged looks before Portia responded, "Just because you're able to _somewhat_ cook, doesn't mean you can treat us like shit."

The Rhyperior grabbed the box of brownie mix, deciding that she wanted to work on those. She was done talking to Honey at this point and was just gonna get a part of the challenge over with.

Belladonna picked up the pack of spaghetti that was thrown at Art before placing it on the counter. "Are there any pots or pans anywhere?" she asked, looking into the box.

"There's probably some in the cabinets in here," Portia responded as she gathered all of the ingredients that'd go with the brownies.

Seeing the two actually working, Honey smirked to herself, as they were finally doing something worthwhile.

 **000**

" **We're obviously at a disadvantage in this challenge. Only three of us can actually do anything," Honey groused. "Hopefully those two nimrods can at least distract or do something to the other team to make it easier for us."**

 **000**

"Okay, so we have Max and Tim working on the wontons, Zahku and Tonya are working on the trifle, and the rest of us are working on the chicken and rice casserole," Jessica stated. "Everyone fine with that?"

The others nodded in affirmation, very satisfied with their assignments.

"Alright, great," Kane chimed in. "Let's get to work."

"I think we should take turns since there isn't enough space up there for all of us to work at the same time," Max suggested.

"Yeah," Tonya concurred. "And that way, we can offer more help if we can."

"I think that can work," Sasha responded with a nod. "I don't think any of our dishes will take that long to prepare. The real time consumer would just be us waiting for them to cook."

"I say that you guys go ahead and do your casserole first to get it out of the way," Tim advised. "Didn't the cook time for it say something about an hour or something?"

"Yeah," Jessica answered. "That sounds like a good idea. Kane, Sasha, come on up. Let's go ahead and get this done. The rest of you guys can just chill out and do whatever until we're finished. Then I'll just lure you guys back or something. "

The Ursaring and Nidoqueen climbed onto the flatbed, with the others leaving in order to do their own things. With them gone, the three players got started with their main course.

"Okay, so we need an actual casserole dish first," Jessica commented. "Any dishes or pots in the box?"

"Uh… no," Kane said, lifting up the ingredients that were still in the box. "Nothing else."

The Bruxish rose a brow in confusion, "If there's no pots or pans or anything, then how do they expect us to be able to cook anything?"

Sasha spotted a cardboard box sitting next to the refrigerator, growing suspicious of it. No one had taken notice of it before, oddly enough. She went over to the box, sliding it toward herself before opening it, revealing numerous bowls, pots, pans, a cutting board, and ceramic plates and dishes.

"Oh, here's some," she made known to Kane and Jessica. The two of them came over, with Jessica humming as she looked through the box until she found the dish that would work.

She took out a white, ovular container-like dish and sat it on the island where they would be working, with the others following her back over. The cookbook was still sitting next to the sink, open on the page that detailed how to make the chicken and rice casserole.

Floating over to read it, Jessica listed what they needed for their course. "Okay, so we need onions, rice, cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, chicken breasts, and seasonings of our choice."

Kane started looking through the ingredients, pulling out everything that they needed, with Sasha standing nearby, not interacting out of fear. Noticing this, Jessica gave her a stern look. Having glanced over to her, Sasha received the look and looked down dejectedly.

She let out a breath and slowly made her way toward him as he looked at multiple cans. "I… uh… Do you need some help?"

"No, it's fine," the Ursaring responded with a sigh. "I'm just taking things out of a box…"

Sasha nodded, keeping quiet afterwards. Soon enough, Kane had finished, but was scratching his head. "Okay, so… good news and bad news," he said. "The good news is that we have majority of everything that we need…"

"What's the bad news?" Jessica asked in a concerned tone.

"We don't have any cream of mushroom soup. We just have cream of chicken, cream of broccoli, cream of tartar, cream of wheat, and cream of corn," Kane explained.

"Uh… do you mean creamed corn?" Sasha queried.

"No, there's literally something called 'cream of corn' in here," Kane said, showing them the single can.

Jessica groaned, "I guess we're gonna have to substitute something else for it. Why wouldn't they put in cream of mushroom soup, but include everything else?"

Sasha shrugged, "Maybe they don't like it?"

"They aren't the ones that're gonna be eating it, though," Jessica reminded. "So that wouldn't make any sense. Plus, how would they know if we would or wouldn't need it?"

"Well, let's not dwell on it," Kane suggested. "Let's just try to make do with what we've got. It probably won't be any different if we use the cream of chicken."

"Yeah, the dish _is_ chicken based, anyway," Sasha reasoned.

"And it gives me a few naughty thoughts about Blaziken…" Jessica giggled.

As Kane took out a few of the cans, in response to the statement, he huffed with a playful smile, "I'm pretty sure that it's not _that_ type of cream, Jessica…"

"Hey, you never know," Jessica joked as she floated back over to the book. "Well, if we've got everything that we need, barring the cream of mushroom soup, we can get started. So, first we need to chop up the onions…"

Taking the cutting board out of the box, Sasha placed it next to the casserole dish, only to realize something. "Wait, do we even have silverware or cutlery?" she asked.

"Well, this fake kitchen has cabinets, but none of the pots or plates were inside. I doubt if the drawers actually had silverware," Kane assumed.

Opening a drawer next to the sink, Jessica uncovered numerous forks and spoons, but no knives. She opened another drawer beside that one, which revealed numerous knives. "Well, you'd be wrong," she responded with a giggle.

Kane rose a brow as Sasha went over and took out a knife. He shrugged in response, "Eh, I've been wrong before."

Sasha took two onions over to the cutting board and began chopping them. With her now distracted, Jessica floated over to Kane to talk to him about what happened.

"Alright big boy, what happened between you and Sasha?" she asked in a whisper.

Kane looked at her before letting out a sigh. "She pushed it. I'll just say that," he responded. "I don't hate her or anything, but she just crossed a line and lied to me."

"Kane, you have to realize that she's clinging to you and likes you so much because you're what she wants in a man," Jessica explained. "And with you being gay _and_ married, she knows that she'll never have you, and her emotions are running wild. She came back to the cabin _crying_ because she was afraid that you hated her guts because you told her to leave."

Kane's eyes widened, "What?!"

"Yeaaaah," Jessica responded. "That's why she wasn't saying much and why she was being a bit distant from you. She still thinks that you resent her."

Kane sighed, "It wasn't even that big of a deal. I just needed some space away from her. I'm over it now; we have to work together, anyway. No need for me to hold a grudge."

"Well, when this is all over, you're gonna have to talk to her and set things straight," Jessica responded.

Understanding what he'd have to do, the Ursaring nodded before looking over to the Nidoqueen.

 **000**

Dade and Art were walking around out of boredom. It wasn't something that the two were eager to do together, but since this was still challenge time and they didn't have anything better to do, they decided to stick together. Plus, this gave Dade the opportunity to discuss his and Art's agreement.

"So, you still insist on making me vote with you after you help me with Portia?" he inquired.

"Of course," Art replied. "You don't expect me to do something for you without something in return do you?"

"Like I said before, it benefits you, too," Dade reminded. "And I can easily get convince Belladonna and Portia to eliminate Honey and then eliminate you if we lose."

Art rolled his eyes, "I know, you've already made that clear. No need to repeat yourself. Though, you seem to not realize that I can easily tell Portia what you're planning and get her to eliminate _you_ instead."

"And you really think that she'll believe _you_. The guy who's working with Honey?" Dade scoffed. "I sincerely doubt that. Why are you even working with Honey anyway?"

"Because I'm the smartest on this team and she wanted some assistance when she was still on the other team," Art explained.

"And you decided to go along with her… why?" Dade queried. "If she annoys people, why would you want to associate yourself with her?"

"Because if I've learned anything about you people, is that you're all weak," Art commented. "You all make a huge deal out of everything insulting Honey says, when all you have to do is ignore her. She's no one special. Plus, this is a competition, and things that you don't like are going to happen. It doesn't matter."

"Well, she's still annoying, so people are going to respond to annoyance negatively," Dade argued.

"Hey, all I'm saying is that if they were _really_ annoyed by her, she wouldn't still be here," Art responded. "They got rid of Kay early, but they didn't handle Honey, so that's their own fault and they can't really complain."

Soon enough, a familiar voice was heard, making them stop in their tracks.

" _So, how's it going with the Queen Bitch?"_

Turning around, the twosome saw that Tim and Max were trailing them. The Tropius and Delibird both landed, the former holding a smirk.

"Well, to answer your question, things are as you would expect. She's controlling and annoying," Dade answered. "Though, Art here believes that everyone who complains about her is weak."

The Ferrothorn gave the Burmy the stink eye as Tim gave narrowed his eyes at him. "So we're weak for not liking someone who's a useless cunt and insults people?"

"Hey, all I'm saying is that you people had ample time to get rid of her, but you didn't take it," Art expounded. "Getting all pissy about her insulting you or getting people eliminated _is_ weak, to me, because you all seem to forget that this is a competition. Trash talk and eliminations are a part of the game, so by getting pissed at her, you're pissed about the game."

"Look, I hate Honey, but that doesn't make me weak," Tim defended, glaring at him. "And you're probably just saying this because you're working with her directly now. Just because she doesn't bother _you_ doesn't mean she doesn't bother anyone else, and it certainly doesn't mean that we're all weak."

"Then get tougher skin," Art deadpanned. "You can complain all you want, but at least learn how to take a few words."

"You realize that you guys can easily eliminate her now, right?" Max chimed in. "This could all end if you guys lose the challenge."

Art scoffed, "Well, sorry but _this_ guy wants-"

Dade cut the Ferrothorn off. "Well, like you just said, it depends on whether we win or not. If we lose, she's most definitely getting the boot. No one on the team likes her anyway aside from this guy," he said, gesturing to Art. "But, you never know what may happen."

"Uh… you guys outnumber her, don't you?" Tim queried. "It should be easy. Even without _his_ help."

Art rolled his eyes as the Tropius narrowed his eyes at him once again.

"Say, why are you guys not in the mess hall?" Max queried, realizing that the two weren't doing anything that'd help their team out. Granted, they weren't either, but it wasn't their turn yet.

"Well, Honey deemed us useless since we were born without usable limbs," Dade explained. "And since she only likes to hear herself, we left."

"Sounds about right," Tim reasoned.

"What about you guys, why're you here instead of working?" Art countered.

Max explained, "We're taking turns using the kitchen so that we don't end up making mistakes with everyone being up there at the same time."

Dade huffed in response, "Lucky. Your team actually knows how to work well together."

"Yep," Tim chuckled. "But, hey. If you guys manage to eliminate Honey, maybe you'll be able to handle things better."

Art stifled a laugh, "I doubt it. You guys still outnumber us."

"More in number isn't always a good thing," Max responded with a shrug.

"Whatever," Art responded, growing tired of the conversation. All Tim was doing was repeating himself and trying to get them to focus on eliminating Honey. "Shouldn't you two go see if your teammates need any help?"

"Shouldn't you?" Tim countered, giving him a look. "You're fine with Honey's crap, right? Why don't you go ?"back and just supervise since she thinks you're useless anyway?"

"Really? 'No you', followed by an even more immature statement? That's your response?" the Ferrothorn deadpanned. "And here I thought your tantrum and running away were childish. Just learn to get some thick skin, like I said. I don't have time for you…"

The Ferrothorn started walking away, causing Tim to grumble to himself while glaring at the retreating Grass and Steel-type.

Dade, seeing this as another opportunity, cleared his throat. "Hey guys, uh… sorry if this is random or weird, but… would you guys be interested in an alliance of sorts?"

Tim and Max exchanged looks before the Delibird offered a response. "Well, if we said yes, how would it even work? We're on different teams."

"Oh, no we're not gonna do anything with it right now unless you guys want to," Dade explained. "I'm just asking ahead of time. If we all make the merge, we'll have a group to work with."

"Makes sense I suppose," Tim reasoned. "Though if we don't make it to the merge, this'd be pointless."

"Well, if worst comes to worst, _I'll_ probably be eliminated before you guys do," Dade explained. "But then again, you guys _could_ still have some assistance because I have Belladonna in another alliance. If I tell her and you all still make it, you can work together."

"Wait, why would you do that?" Max queried, a bit hesitant and confused as to why he was offering an alliance and post-elimination help for them despite them being on different teams and hardly ever talking.

"Well, you guys actually seem cool. Plus, Tim has gone through a bit because of Honey, and you just seem to be a go with the flow type of guy, which could make you a target," Dade explained. "Wouldn't want guys like you to go so soon."

The Tropius smiled to himself, while Max was still a bit skeptical about him.

"Th-" Tim began before the three of them heard an ear-piercing grinding noise, causing them all of flinch.

After about five seconds, the sound dissipated, though Max and Tim had an idea of what the sound was. "Well, guess that's our cue to head back," Max recognized. "Jess said that she was gonna 'lure us back or something', after all…"

He started walking back to the campgrounds, as Tim and Dade watched. The Tropius chuckled before turning back to Dade. "Well, we've gotta get going. Uh… let's talk after the challenge. And bring Belladonna, too, so we can see if she'd be okay with it."

Dade nodded affirmatively, to which Tim nodded back before turning around and flying back toward the campgrounds. Dade chuckled before deciding to hop back to the mess hall to check on the progress of his team.

 **000**

" **Alright, so now I have a possibility of Tim and Max being in my alliance as well," Dade explained. "I'll convince Belladonna that we can trust them and that if I'm eliminated, which won't be happening anytime soon, she can work with them."**

" **Hmm… maybe I can-"**

 **000**

Portia was sitting on the island of the kitchen, which was actually staying stable despite its decrepit appearance. She was stirring the brownie batter, tasting it ever so often so that she knew when to add a bit more sugar.

Belladonna was sitting on the counter next to the stove, swinging her legs out of boredom as she waited for the spaghetti noodles to properly cook.

Honey was the only one unaccounted for, as she was in the doorway of the mess hall, watching her ex-team at work, or well, watching as members returned from different locations.

" _Those pathetic losers,_ " she thought to herself. " _They really think that they have a chance just because I'm not on the team anymore. I'll show them…"_

Suddenly, a faint odor of something burning filled her nostrils. Turning around, she noticed smoke coming from the kitchen.

Rushing back, she went inside and saw that Portia was taking the mozzarella sticks out of the oven. They were now completely charred, making Honey growl and clench her fists.

"Well, looks like the mozzarella sticks are a no-go," Belladonna commented as she moved the pot of spaghetti off of the eye.

"You two didn't think to _check_ on them?!" Honey seethed.

"They're your responsibility!" Portia argued. "You're the one who decided to leave after you put them in!"

Honey groaned, "This is supposed to be a _team_ effort. So you should've still checked! Now we don't have a simple appetizer!"

"Maybe if we had our _own_ cookbook, this'd be much easier," Belladonna deadpanned as she strained the spaghetti.

An idea formed in Honey's head immediately as she left the kitchen again. Portia called after her, "Where are you going? You need to work on the appetizer!"

 **000**

" **As soon as I think the coast is clear, I'm gonna go and take the other team's dumb cookbook," Honey explained. "I'll tear out a bunch of the pages and throw the rest back at them. That way,** _ **my**_ **team actually has something presentable."**

 **000**

Honey stood in the doorway of the mess hall once again, her gem glowing red. A loud buzzing sound filled the air as multiple Combee emerged from the forest.

They were directed toward the Red Team. The cloud of black and yellow flew over to the flatbed. At the flatbed, Max and Tim were getting their few ingredients ready.

Upon hearing the buzzing sound, the two of them turned to see the cloud of Combee heading in their direction.

"What the heck?!" Max exclaimed.

Tim gaped in shock as the Combee began attacking them. Looking around, he saw that Honey was flying toward them.

He growled, "Max, use Ice Beam on these things!"

The Delibird fired an orb that blasted three blue ray's around the area. All of the Combee were frozen solid within seconds, dropping to the ground.

Covered in Bug Bite marks, Max scratched his arms. "What was with the sudden attack?"

"Honey," Tim seethed. "That bitch sicked her pre-evolutions on us for some reason."

Max sighed, "I guess she's trying to screw us over so that her team wins."

Tim scoffed, "Unless they know how to cook well, I doubt that it'll be a problem. Let's just get back to work."

As they turned back around to get started on the wontons, Max noticed that the cookbook was gone.

"Uh… what happened to the cookbook?" he inquired.

Tim looked over and then realized that he hadn't seen Honey since the swarm happened. He put two and two together before kicking the island.

"SHE STOLE THE COOKBOOK!" he bellowed. A few seconds later, something fell on his head, causing him to let out a pained grunt.

What hit him bounced off of his head and landed in Max's hands. "Oh, here it is… but, why was it-"

"Thanks for the recipes, losers!" Honey interjected as she flew back toward the mess hall.

"Wait, what did she-" Tim began as Max opened the book. There were multiple pages that were ripped out of the book, including the one that detailed how to make the wontons.

Max let out an exasperated sigh. "She ripped out a bunch of pages… including the one for the wontons…"

Tim twitched, "You've gotta be _kidding_! What are we gonna do now!?"

"I mean… we can try to make…" Max began as he flipped through the pages. "A flatbread," he said, pointing to the picture in the book.

"Flatbread on a flatbed…" Tim deadpanned. They had their minds set on the wontons, but since Honey just stole the pages, they were going to have to make do. Letting out a sigh, he responded, "I guess that can work."

"Well, let's get started," the Delibird replied. "We're lucky that we didn't actually start making any of the wontons yet."

"Yeah… _great…_ " Tim sighed.

 **000**

As Portia poured the brownie batter into a pan, Belladonna mixed salt, sugar, Nomel Berry Juice, and pepper into a Tamato and Oran Berry sauce.

Portia tasted the brownie batter, licking her lips in the aftermath. "Not bad, not bad at all," she complimented to herself.

"Hey Porsche, do you mind tasting my sauce?" Belladonna queried. "It tastes okay to me, but I don't know if it'll be too sweet, spicy, or bitter for others."

"Oh, sure," the Rhyperior responded, walking toward her to taste her sauce.

"Alright, I'm back," Honey said as she re-entered the kitchen. She placed the numerous pages that she was able to tear out on the island and dusted her hands off.

Seeing the papers, the girls' attention immediately went to the Vespiquen and what she just brought with her. Portia picked up one of the sheets and saw that it was a recipe for a Chocolate and Nanab Berry Souffle.

She narrowed her eyes at Vespiquen as Belladonna picked up a few of the other sheets. "You stole pages from the other team's cookbook?" Portia questioned, already knowing the answer.

"No duh…" Honey responded, rolling her eyes. "Now that we actually have recipes to work with, we can scrap all of this other crap and do something better."

"But I've already made some sauce for the pasta," Belladonna replied. "Portia was even gonna taste it so that-"

"No," Honey interrupted. "Pasta is the most overdone, cliché entrée out there. We want to do something different. Now that we have these recipes, I expect us to actually put them to use."

"How did you get these pages anyway?" Portia asked, folding her arms.

"Does it matter?" Honey responded exasperatedly. "Now, get to work."

Portia huffed, "Great, now I have to start a brand new dessert."

"Get over it," Honey stated, flying past her with a page of her own. "As a matter of fact, why don't the two of you get out of here. Those knuckleheads on the other team actually have a decent strategy it seems."

"And what strategy is that?" Belladonna inquired, picking up a few of the pages.

Honey expounded, "Whoever's working on a certain course gets the kitchen to themselves until they finish setting it up and putting it in wherever it needs to be. Last time I checked, chode neck and Saint Dick were the only ones over there."

"Wha- We have three hours, remember?!" Portia reminded. "And I'm pretty sure we've wasted like forty minutes already! Having each of us take turns like that could waste even more time."

"Oh yeah, I guess you're right. It's not like all three of us being in the same vicinity while working on three different courses will cause a lot _more_ irritation and issues," Honey retorted, folding her arms with a glare. "Now, stop trying to be a damn contrarian and just go with it! I'm going first, so you two just stay out there in the dining area until I'm finished."

Belladonna, not wanting to argue with Honey, exited the kitchen. Portia and Honey exchanged hateful glares before Honey gestured to the door with a head tilt.

Portia rolled her eyes before following Belladonna out of the kitchen.

 **-00-**

Portia grumbled to herself as she exited. She saw that Belladonna was sitting at one of the tables near the mess hall door.

She went over to the table, taking a seat across from her. "I really hate this…" she grumbled, resting her elbow on the table.

Belladonna shrugged, "Well, we have to just learn to deal with it. For now, at least."

Portia sighed, "I wish Chip was still here. At least there'd be _something_ to take my mind off of Honey."

A familiar voice suddenly chimed in,"Well, according to Art, we're all weak for letting Honey's attitude and behavior bother us."

Looking to the door, the girls saw Zahku enter with Dade standing on his head.

"Oh, you're back," Belladonna acknowledged. "And hey Zahku," she greeted with a wave.

Zahku waved back in response as Dade hopped off of his head and onto the table. Portia, having caught on to what Dade had said, queried, "Uh, what was that about Art thinking we're weak?"

Dade hummed before explaining the situation. "Oh, Art said that we're weak for letting Honey affect us. And he said that we should just ignore her because she's not special."

Hearing that, Portia's eyes widened a bit before a glare formed on her face. However, upon further thought, she let out a sigh, "Maybe he's right."

"Wait, what? You agree with him?" Dade responded in shock. "I'd think that you, out of everyone else on the team, would disagree, considering how you feel about him."

Portia shook her head. "Not this time. He's just… he's right. I've been letting Honey get to me, and that's weak of me. I shouldn't be letting what a spoiled brat says get under my skin. I'm stronger than that. I know I am."

"You are," Belladonna responded. "There's no doubt. Even after what you've been through, you're still a cool, pretty headstrong girl."

Portia smiled, "Thanks."

"Well, let's hope that we lose this so that we can eliminate Honey once and for all and prove Art wrong," Dade said.

Belladonna nodded in agreement, and, despite not fully trusting him, Portia nodded as well.

 **000**

 **Portia sighed, "Okay, I'll worry about Dade later. Right now, Honey needs to go and she needs to go** _ **tonight**_ **."**

 **000**

Zahku left the mess hall shortly after dropping off Dade; they weren't on the same team anymore, after all. He had been walking with Tonya when the two stumbled upon Dade as he was heading back. Tonya offered to take him back quickly, but Dade insisted that Zahku take him back because of the friendship that had formed between them.

The Makuhita started walking back toward the lake , pondering what his next move would be in the game. He was actually beginning to not trust Dade because of his sudden attitude.

It wasn't even the fact that he was being more 'strategic', Zahku just felt a completely different vibe from him now. Plus, with him on the other team, he didn't have any way to help even if he wanted to. He let out a sigh as he felt a brief gust of wind hit him from behind. He looked to the right of him, seeing that Tonya had caught back up with him.

"Here you are," she said, having been looking for him. "Where'd you go? I thought you were just gonna drop off Dade and come back."

In response, the Makuhita sighed. "Zahku… need time to think."

Tonya rose a brow. She didn't really consider the Guts Pokémon to be one who truly thinks before acting. "Think about what?"

"Game," he stated simply. "Want to win, after all."

"Well, there's not much that you should think about," Tonya responded. "I mean, sure, having a game plan is fine, but I think that the real planning should wait until we're all competing together without teams. Because planning now, I feel, is pretty useless because as long as your team wins, you're safe. The only thing you have to worry about is if your team will blame you for a loss. That's usually what gets you eliminated. Just stay in the clear and you should be fine."

Zahku deadpanned, "Zahku has very hard time believing that."

After a few seconds, Tonya smacked her lips. "Okay, I guess that _does_ sound… a bit stupid. But, I feel like I still have a point. You don't _have_ to plan; sometimes things will just fall into place. All you have to do is convince people that you're not a threat to them."

Now _that_ , Zahku could agree with. He shrugged his shoulders as they continued walking. "Zahku suppose."

Tonya looked back, humming. "Say, maybe we should head back to the campgrounds. See if Max and Tim are done or are close to being done. We're the only ones who haven't made our course yet, and I don't think they have a method of letting us know to come back."

Zahku nodded in understanding, and the two of them started heading back to the campgrounds.

 **000**

Back at the Hall of Origins, Mew was watching the contestants on a set of monitors. He was stationed in a recreation room, and was sitting in a bean bag chair as a result. There were a few weights, video games, and a box of toys, specifically for Phione. As he took a sip of soda, he could feel a few pairs of eyes watching him.

He turned toward the doorway and immediately found the source of this. Celebi, Jirachi, Articuno, Suicune, and Latios were all peering in. Rolling his eyes, he greeted them with a question, "What did I do now?"

Celebi giggled before answering, "Oh nothing. We're just watching to see how your wreck of a season goes. I mean, you're not even there to watch over them and answer questions or provide commentary like a _good_ host."

"Yeah," Jirachi giggled, "All you two do is give them a challenge and then disappear. It's laziness at its finest."

"We're almost always there for them during challenges!" Mew argued. "This is one of the first times we haven't been there."

"And why aren't you there now?" Articuno queried. "What's the difference between sitting on your ass here and sitting on your ass on the island?"

"Well…. this place has air conditioning," Mew responded, folding his arms. "Why do you care about what we do anyway? Shouldn't you worry about your own shows?"

"Like I said, we're close to merging our teams, so we're taking a break," Jirachi explained.

"Our show's already over," Articuno explained haughtily. "So, I'm fine."

"And Latias and I haven't even started yet," Latios explained. "We're starting tomorrow."

"And our show is almost finished since Entei just wants to get it over with," Suicune responded with a shrug.

"Well good for you," they heard a voice say. Victini appeared into the rec room, holding a couple of bags of food. "Most of you guys rushed to get your shows finished or took the easy way out by choosing the least amount of players. If anything, _you_ guys are the lazy ones. We're just having fun. You do your crummy shows the way you want, and we'll do ours the way we want."

"Yeah, and your way will ensure that you guys never get an _actual_ show," Articuno laughed. "What kind of challenge are two even doing right now?"

"For your information, it's a cooking challenge," Victini answered, handing Mew one of the bags. "And we're gonna have someone on the opposite team judge the food with a lie detector."

"That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard," Celebi opined. "Lie detectors are shit. And _you_ are the hosts. You're supposed to be the ones tasting the food and judging."

"And it's just a cooking challenge," Suicune chimed in. "Unless you actually do something spectacular, no one's gonna care."

"Well, if that's your mindset, you're a moron," Victini explained. "It's mainly about the contestants and how they complete the challenge. If you have boring contestants, like I assume a majority of you do, _then_ no one's gonna care. Our players are actually pretty entertaining, and the challenge is going pretty well. Now, unless you wanna continue wasting your breath, I suggest that you be on your merry way."

WIth huffs and smirks, the others decided to leave the two of them alone. With them now gone, Victini pulled up another bean bag chair.

"They really love to put us down…" Mew commented.

Victini shrugged in response as he pulled out a carton of fries. "Eh, they're just salty like these fries," he said before placing a couple in his mouth. "They're used to us-"

"Mainly you…" Mew interrupted softly, opening his bag.

"-wanting to be better than them, heckling them, and pranking them on occasion, but now that _we're_ actually having fun with this and taking our time, they're heckling us and trying to make us feel shitty."

Mew shrugged as he took out a chicken sandwich wrapped in foil. "Well if that's what they're going for, they're failing. I'm not really feeling shitty, I'm more so annoyed. But, that's karma I guess…"

Victini laughed. "Karma for what?" he asked before swallowing what was in his mouth. "A few pranks and trash talk? That's all in good fun."

"Yeah, well not everyone feels the same about that stuff," Mew said before taking a bite of his sandwich. Immediately, his eyes widened and he gave Victini a look. "Seriously? You got a spicy sandwich for me? You know I hate spicy..."

Victini chuckled. "Hehe, yeah…" he responded as he turned his attention back to the screens.

 **000**

Kane was sitting at the edge of the lake. He needed to be alone in order to think about what he was going to say.

He needed Sasha to know that he didn't hate her and that she _really_ needed to forget about him. Her persistence wasn't healthy and was actually getting a bit creepy.

"Arceus, how am I gonna get through to her?" he asked to himself. "It's never been this hard for me to get a girl to understand.

"-And what are you doing all the way out here?"

Turning to the source of the question, Kane saw Art approach him from the side. Being that they only ever spoke because of R.J., they decided to still be civil with each other.

Art continued with a joking assumption, "Mourning your boyfriend's elimination?"

"What?" Kane chuckled. "No, no. It's shitty and I'm still annoyed at Honey for it, but I'm not gonna _mourn_ him. I'll see him again once I'm back at home."

Art shrugged, "So, what _are_ you doing here, then? Shouldn't you be helping your team with the cooking?"

Kane shrugged, "We have a system in place, so I'm done for now. What about you? Why're you here?"

Art rolled his eyes, "Honey deemed me and Dade useless, so we left. Though, I don't know where the little bastard is now."

"Bastard?" Kane rose a brow before chortling softly, " Sounds like you have issues with the little guy."

Realization struck the Ferrothorn after hearing Kane say that. He could tell him about Dade's plan, which would get another person against him if he makes it to the merge.

"Well, considering that he's planning on using his status as 'the little guy' to make it further in the game, yeah… I have issues with him," Art groused.

"I mean, we see things like that all the time," Kane responded with a shrug. "The little guys try to accomplish something that other people couldn't and come out on top."

"Well, since you seem to know about this already, why not help me eliminate him when the time comes?" Art queried.

Kane chuckled, "Are you asking for an alliance?"

The Ferrothorn gave him a look, "No. I'm asking for possible assistance with a possible future issue. There's no guarantee that I'll even make it to the merge."

"Ahh, gotcha," Kane nodded. "But what's in it for me?"

Art groaned. "What?! What could _you_ possibly want?!" he queried, piqued by his question.

"Hey, I just want you help me stay in the game…" Kane explained, folding his arms.

The Thorn Pod Pokémon gave him a look. "You realize that you're already more popular than me, right? What the hell could I do to make that even better for you?"

Kane shrugged in response, before remembering his real reason for coming to the lake. He doubted that Art would know anything about his situation, but it couldn't help to get some outside input.

"Actually, forget the 'helping me stay in the game' thing," Kane responded. "I just... I need help with Sasha."

"Oh, of course," Art responded, rolling his eyes. "She's been eye-fucking you ever since you met."

"Exactly," Kane responded. "And this morning, I kinda blew up at her for agreeing with Honey and talking about R.J. in a negative light, so now apparently she thinks that I hate her."

Art chuckled at this, resulting in Kane ripping out a few blades of grass and throwing them at him. "It's not funny. I don't like having enemies and I don't like people being upset either because of, or at, me."

"Well then, do something about it," Art responded. "I don't know what you want me to help you with when it's simple."

"I already know that I'll have to talk to her!" Kane exclaimed. "I just need some advice on how to get her to understand that she won't be able to be with me while not upsetting her even more. We've been through this so many times, already..."

"Hey, if multiple people telling her that she can't be with you isn't enough, I don't know what to tell you," Art responded. "It just sounds to me like she's gonna stay hooked on you until she finds another guy she likes better."

Kane sighed. "Yeah, she told me that. I've still gotta get her to understand that I don't hate her, though."

"Then do it!" Art responded. "I don't know why you're telling me."

He began walking away, leaving the Ursaring alone. "Just tell her that you _don't_ hate her and tell her to get her head straight. If she doesn't, then that's her problem, not yours."

Once he was out of sight, Kane looked out at the water before letting out a breath. He picked up a stone before chucking it.

 **000**

Jessica and Sasha were at the sandbar, with Sasha sitting down with her legs folded. Jessica was swimming in the water, something that she didn't do often, as Sasha let out a sigh. "Jess, can I ask you something?" the Nidoqueen began.

The Bruxish stopped swimming, facing her. "You just did, but what's up?" she asked playfully.

"Do you… ever plan on getting married?" she asked.

Jessica mentally sighed. She really didn't want to talk about marriage or relationships, as she felt that it would just segue into a conversation about Kane again. Nevertheless, she decided to answer her. "If I find the right guy, there's a possibility," she responded.

"Well, what makes a guy _right_ for you?" Sasha inquired.

Jessica hummed, having given the idea a thought in the past. "Well, he'll just need to be handsome, intelligent, charming, fun, and if he's packing mad meat, that's a huge plus," she explained.

Sasha looked down, as those where some of the characteristics she wanted in a man. Her husband used to be that way, but he changed. Kane had the same characteristics, which was why she was so smitten by him. "Well, looks like you're looking for a guy like Kane or my _old_ husband."

Jessica sighed. "Sasha, seriously. You need to stop this negativity and obsession. It's getting irritating to listen to and deal with. You're acting like Kane is the only guy that'll ever treat you like your husband used to. There are plenty of good guys in the world, why are you looking for the same thing? Is Kane really the only guy you've ever talked to that's attractive to you in _any_ way?"

Sasha sheepishly looked down, rubbing her arm, "Well… no, but-"

"Then why are you so crazy about _him_? You have options!" Jessica interrupted. "Hell, even _if_ Kane was straight and single, what makes you think that he'd behave the same way throughout the entire relationship? Sometimes people change as they mature and their tastes change."

Sasha couldn't say anything, as she actually _didn't_ know what to say.

"You need to understand. Kane is _gay_. Kane is _married_. Kane is _faithful_ ," Jessica emphasized, needing the Drill Pokémon to fully understand how ludicrous and desperate it was for her to still be hounding the Ursaring. "He does not _hate_ you. He was simply upset because you insulted his relationship. Please Sasha, you need to stop worrying about him. This is not healthy."

Sasha let out a sigh as the Bruxish continued, "You need to either work things out with your own husband, or divorce him and move on."

In response, Sasha just held her head. " _What is wrong with me?_ " she squeaked out. She had gone through this so many times earlier in the game. Honey mentioned that her husband could sue her, but she could still walk away free if she won the game. It had been hammered in her head for the longest time that Kane couldn't be with her, and yet she was still behaving like a desperate teenager.

Sasha collapsed on her back, staring at the sky with a dismal expression. "I just keep going in circles," she whispered to herself. "I just keep making myself look more and more like a loser…"

Seeing what she had just done, Jessica rose a brow in confusion. She floated up over her, looking down at her, "Uh… are you okay?"

The Nidoqueen shook her head, saying, "No. I'm not okay. I'm a desperate slut who can't take a hint…"

The Bruxish narrowed her eyes at her, finding her description of herself to be unnecessarily negative. "Sasha, get up… You're not a slut."

In response, the Nidoqueen slowly sat up, looking down at the sand dejectedly. "Then what am I?" she asked, fighting back tears. "I'm certainly not a good person."

"You _are_ a good person, Sasha. You just have to stop what you've been doing and focus on yourself. Self preservation is key," Jessica explained. "You will find a guy that'll love and care for you, better than your husband, one day, but now's not the time to focus on that. You're in a competition and your main goal is to win. Let's focus on _that_ , instead _._ Okay?"

Sasha took a deep breath. "Okay," she responded. She rose to her feet, rubbing the back of her head. "But, what do I say to Kane when I see him?"

"Well, I'm sure that _he'll_ be the one with things to say," Jessica responded. "So, it'll be fine."

 **000**

 **Sasha took a few deep breaths, rubbing her temples. "Okay… I've really gotta get a hold of myself. I've been in a cycle of denial and hope and I have to break it. Jessica's right, I need to focus on the competition at hand and worry about romance afterwards."**

" **Kane is off-limits… Kane is off-limits…"**

 **000**

Honey was preparing potstickers on a tray. She had created her own variation of a stuffing using ground chuck, paprika, chopped peppers, diced green onions, chopped Enigma Berries, salt, pepper, and garlic. The Vespiquen was trying to fold the dumplings in the way they were instructing, but kept messing up the technique due to her claws poking through the potsticker wrappers.

She already ruined five of the wrappers, and there were only ten in the single pack they were given. She growled to herself as she carefully folded the top of the sixth dumpling. Despite her best effort, she still poked a hole through the top at the last second.

Twitching, the Vespiquen decided to just keep the potsticker the way it was and just put it to the side. With this, she decided to just use the dumplings that she had put to the side as well, growing annoyed by the tedious task, in her opinion.

She huffed, " _Finally_." She had six potstickers at the ready, and while most of them looked poor in shape, the Vespiquen didn't care. She just wanted to be done so that she could move on to something else.

She placed a skillet on the stove before turning on the eye it was on top of. She glanced back at the page she had. "Okay… vegetable oil…"

She grabbed the bottle of oil that was sitting next to the baking soda on the island. She squirted some into the pan, making sure not to use too much.

As she started putting the potstickers in the pan, she saw, from the corner of her eye, Portia enter the kitchen.

Upon seeing the amount of progress that Honey had made in over thirty minutes, the Rhyperior gaped in shock. "Mother of- You're still not even done yet?!" she exclaimed. "What've you even been doing in here?!"

"Hey, this takes a while!" Honey argued. "My claws fucked me over a few times, but at least I'm making progress!"

"We only have like an hour and a half left! We all need to be working on our dishes!" Portia stated as she went back to the door.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I still need some privacy in here!" Honey responded, putting the last potsticker in the pan.

"We don't care about _your_ needs. We all need to be working on something so that we actually have a _chance_ to win!" Portia stated as Belladonna, with Dade on her head, entered the kitchen once again.

Honey scoffed, "Whatever. Since you losers are gonna be in here, I'm gonna leave."

The Vespiquen started leaving, with Belladonna looking at her pan in concern. "What about your potstickers?"

"If you want to win, _you_ watch them. I already have them where they need to be. Just take them off before they burn," Honey instructed as she made her exit, leaving Dade, Portia, and Belladonna alone.

Portia growled, "I'm so tempted to let her shit burn so that we _do_ lose."

Dade looked to her, "Well, why don't we? It's not like she's gonna be of any use with her crappy attitude."

Belladonna let out a moan of unsurety. "Uh… I don't know. I don't want to throw a challenge just to get rid of her. She's at least doing the challenge, we can hate her attitude, but we can't deny that she's actually doing something."

Portia groaned, annoyed that Belladonna brought up a good point. "I guess you're right. We should be fair, even if she's a major annoyance," she grumbled.

"I mean, if we lose, we can still vote her out," Belladonna clarified. "I just don't want us to just lose out of spite."

"Well, I guess if we don't want to do that, someone should get her potstickers because… I think they're starting to burn," Dade acknowledged, noticing that the dumplings were emitting steam and blackish smoke.

"Oh, she just put them on," Portia explained, waving away his concern. "They need about another five minutes or so…"

"Yes, but how hot did she make the stove top?" Dade queried.

A few popping sounds from the pan gave them a few ideas as Belladonna rushed over to turn them off.

 **000**

Tim and Max managed to finish their flatbread, so Tonya and Zahku now had the chance to do their dessert. And with this type of dessert, a trifle, it was going to be very easy.

"Alright Zahku, we're gonna do this trifle and all we have to do is make layers with sweet things, custard, and whipped cream," Tonya explained, taking out a trifle bowl out of the box next to the fridge.

Zahku shrugged his shoulders. Due to him not being used to so many name brand foods, as he mainly just hunted and ate berries, he couldn't find any real enjoyment out of creating a dessert. The show was actually his first time eating things other than what he usually did. "Zahku not very excited. Just simple dessert."

"Aw… come on Zahku, we can have fun with this," Tonya urged, nudging him. She went over to the available ingredients. Her eyes lit up once she saw a small container of Razz Berries.

She picked up the box before looking back at Zahku. "See? I'll start us off with a few Razz Berries."

She dumped some of the fruit into the trifle bowl, forming the base of it. "Alright, there's some fruit. Now it needs lady fingers."

Zahku rose a brow, "We need to cut off fingers for dessert?"

Tonya shook her head immediately, "No, no, no. Lady fingers are like sweet sponge biscuits that are shaped like fingers. But, we don't have any, so we're gonna have to substitute."

Looking over the ingredients once again, she noticed a box of Twinkies. " _Those can work_ ," she thought to herself.

She grabbed the box of cream-filled sponge cakes and brought them over to the bowl. "We can use these!"

"Zahku not used to foods like this," the Makuhita explained.

Tonya rose a brow before remembering that he lived in a mountain. The thought of him living in that environment, and what she remembered about him, brought a question to her mind. Placing the box of Twinkies down, she looked at him curiously.

"Uh… Zahku, if you're not used to this kind of food, you live in the mountains, and you usually meditate and focus on getting stronger, how did you get on the show?" she asked.

"Female training partner mentioned show and showed Zahku flyer," he explained. "Said that it would make Zahku stronger."

"Okay… but don't you have to sign up online?" Tonya queried.

"She have computer," Zahku answered. "Teach me how to use."

Now understanding, Tonya giggled to herself. "You're a strange guy, Zahku. But, it's a good strange."

Zahku rose a brow before Tonya took about eleven Twinkies out of the box, leaving only one. With a small smile, she handed the box with the final one to Zahku. "Try it, you may like it."

Zahku looked at the box before taking out the final treat as Tonya started making the next layer of the trifle. Unwrapping the cake, he took a quick sniff, inhaling the sweet odor, before taking a bite.

The sweetness of the dessert, as well as the cream inside, was a bit odd to the Makuhita. The texture was also a bit strange to him. However, despite the texture being odd to him, it tasted pretty good.

The Accelgor finished putting the Twinkies into the bowl on top of the berries. She looked back over to Zahku, who was finishing off the Twinkie. "See, I told you that you'd like it," she commented.

Zahku shrugged in response. "Tasted okay. Zahku still not too impressed, though."

Tonya sighed. "Okay, then. Let's just keep this trifle going then. I'll handle the layers, and you just hand me things that you think will work. Oh, wait, do we have any custard?"

Zahku simply blinked in response. Tonya sighed before speeding over to the other ingredients and swiftly checking through everything before returning to her original position. "Okay, there's no custard. So, we're just gonna have to rely on the whipped cream," she said, holding a can of whipped cream in her hands.

She started spraying the cream into the bowl in a circular fashion as Zahku walked away to inspect the other ingredients.

 **000**

Art decided to return back to the mess hall in order to check on his team's progress. He was hoping that they were actually working well and not wasting what little time they had left.

Entering the mess hall, the Ferrothorn let out a gruff groan. "ALRIGHT!" he announced his presence. "How far have you people gotten in this challenge?"

He walked toward the kitchen before entering. The smell of smoke hit him like a ton of bricks as he waved a vine around. "What the hell happened in here?"

Portia sighed in exasperation. She gestured to a paper plate with brownish black potstickers on it, "Well, Honey screwed up her potstickers, so now they're a bit burnt. _I'm_ waiting for the Jell-O to cool in the fridge, and now I'm watching over this steak while Belladonna and Dade work on the mashed potatoes."

She pointed to the side, as the Golem and Burmy were mashing peeled potatoes in a bowl. Art was actually impressed by their progress, saying, "Huh, not bad. Not bad at all."

"Well, actually, it's _kinda_ bad because of Honey's dish, as we should have expected," Dade commented. "But other than that, we're decent."

"Well, sorry that I didn't do shit," Art said nonchalantly. "Not like I really could anyway…"

"You're just lucky that Honey's a much bigger annoyance at the moment," Portia stated firmly. "If we lose a challenge after she's gone, you're next."

Art gave her a look. He decided to go ahead and share the information he had with the others. "Even though Dade came to me asking if I could help him eliminate you?"

Dade paled, not thinking that the Ferrothorn would mention their arrangement. He wore a dumbfounded look, but he quickly did away with that expression, replacing it with a look of vexation. He scoffed as Belladonna and Portia both looked at him in shock, "What the heck are you talking about?!"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about, runt. You wanted me and Honey to help you vote out Portia because you said she was giving you problems…" Art expounded smugly.

"Dade… what's he talking about?" Belladonna inquired, unsure of what to make of it.

Portia was glaring daggers at the Burmy, the minor trust she had regained now completely gone. "Yes, _please_ explain this, Dade. What _problems_ do you have with me?"

Dade turned to the two of them in fake surprise, "W- Y-You guys are seriously buying this?! Come on! Art has been gone ever since Honey called us useless. Honey left like twenty minutes ago and he _just_ now decides to come back with this huge story? Give me a break…"

Art blew a raspberry, "Really? You think _that_ defense is gonna work?"

Dade gave him a look, "No, the question is: Do _you_ think your accusation is gonna work? Need I remind you that you and R.J. were the most negative ones on the team initially, you're the smartest and most annoying guy on the team, again, you're working with _Honey_ , and you just got back and started going on a long spiel about me being desperate to ask _you and Honey_ , of all people, for help. If I was gonna ask someone, it'd be these two." He gestured to Belladonna and Portia.

Art rolled his eyes, while the girls exchanged looks before glaring at Art. Seeing this, Art scoffed, "Typical. Believe the weakling because they're _always_ the victim. Great work."

"Art, either shut up and try to help us, or get out," Belladonna stated.

The Ferrothorn was tempted to just leave, but he had a feeling nothing good would come if it.

"Hmm… you know what, I'm not gonna make myself look even worse than the twerp has already made me out to be," he stated. "I'll supervise you guys…"

"Oh great… so you're gonna keep doing nothing…" Dade deadpanned.

Art glowered at the Burmy, the Bagworm Pokémon nudging a clove of garlic toward Belladonna.

While the Golem was on Dade's side, Portia was still skeptical of the whole situation. She believed that Dade had issues with her, especially since she confronted him in the last challenge, but she didn't think that he'd actually try to get help from Honey and Art.

However, something that Belladonna told her yesterday suddenly struck her.

" _He said that since he was small and pretty insignificant, no one would care or suspect him of anything._ "

Glaring at the Burmy from the corner of her eye, she let out a soft growl that went unheard due to the sizzling steak.

 **000**

" **Yeah, Belladonna and I are gonna have a talk…" Portia stated, her arms folded.**

 **000**

" **And now Portia probably wants** _ **me**_ **gone indefinitely…" Dade reasoned, the disappointment evident in his tone of voice. "Art, you're definitely next to go after Honey."**

 **000**

Victini licked the sauce from his sandwich off of his fingers as he crumbled up the bag and wrapper. "Well, I'm done," he announced. He looked to Mew, who was drinking a bottle of water because of his spicy sandwich. He chuckled, "Too hot for ya?"

Mew gave him a look, withdrawing his mouth from the bottle, "Screw you…"

"Nah, but maybe you can ask Heatran, Terrakion, or Entei," Victini retorted. Mew rolled his eyes in response, the joke being pretty predictable. "Now, come on, their time's almost up."

Mew sighed as he wrapped the remainder of his sandwich up for later. "I'll be back," he said as he exited the room.

He had remembered hearing something about how spicy foods aren't as spicy after refrigeration. Inclined to believe it, as it made a bit of sense, he headed to the kitchen to place his food in the fridge. As he reached his destination, he heard a ruckus and groaned upon recognizing the voices.

He floated inside to see Virizion berating Cobalion, as she usually did. The stone-faced Iron Will Pokémon, upon seeing the pink cat floating by, rose a brow. "You taking a break from your show?"

Mew shook his head as he opened the fridge. "Well… yes and no. We're heading back there, now."

"Hey!" Virizion snapped. "Don't you fucking change the subject! I'm getting tired of your stupid nonchalance and know-it-all attitude!"

"I don't even do anything!" Cobalion growled through grit teeth as he started walking out. "Get over yourself and maybe someone here will actually wanna be with you!"

"Big talk from a bastard who knows that he wants me…" Virizion shot back haughtily.

Cobalion paused before turning back around with a serious glare. He stomped back towards her, which gave Mew his cue to leave.

Returning to the rec center, the New Species Pokémon saw that his co-host was already gone. Letting out a groan, he muttered, "Typical." He teleported himself out of the hall.

When Mew teleported back to the island, he immediately heard Victini announce, "20 MINUTES REMAINING! CHOP CHOP!"

As the challenge was coming to its end, Mew began thinking about the second part, which would determine the winner. He nudged Victini, "Now that the challenge coming to the end. I think we should be more reasonable with how it's gonna be judged. I mean, both Celebi and Jessica had good points about the lie detectors being trash."

"We're not gonna be using a standard lie detector, you know," Victini explained.

Mew was confused. He thought that they were going to use the normal machines; there wasn't any indication that another machine would be used. "Wait, what? What are you talking about?" he inquired.

"You'll see when the time comes…" Victini chuckled, raising Mew's suspicions.

 **000**

In the final twenty minutes, everyone who had left their stations started returning to them in order to have a final inspection of their dishes to make sure everything was made either correctly or to the best of their abilities.

The Red Team had their flatbread on the, then cleaned, cutting board, their casserole still in its dish, steaming and their trifle in its bowl. The flatbread looked a bit burnt in some areas, but it still looked decent enough to present. An appetizing odor wafted from their station, giving Mew a bit of a hankering for what they had cooked up.

Meanwhile, the Blue Team was exiting the kitchen, placing their dishes on one if the tables nearest to the mess hall door. Their potstickers sat on a paper plate, the steak and potatoes were placed on a ceramic dish and covered in a homemade gravy, made with a recipe Art gave them, and the Jell-O, having been refrigerated for less than an hour, was slowly turning into slush in the plastic bowl it was created in.

Victini looked down at a timer as it reached zero. He clasped his hands together, causing two picnic tables to appear out of thin air; one was red, and the other was blue. "Alright, each team bring out your dishes and place them on your tables!" he directed loudly.

The contestants did as they were told, walking toward and placing their dishes on the table. The stark contrast in visual quality was very much apparent, with the Red Team's dishes looking much more professional than the Blue Team's.

"Alright," Victini began. "You guys finished the cooking phase, but now it's time to judge them."

"I still don't see how this is going to be fair," Jessica opined. "Someone could be lying, but the lie detector could say that it's the truth and vice versa."

"Oh don't you worry about that," the Victory Pokémon replied with a smile. "We have a _special_ lie detector that pretty much guarantees that we'll get the truth."

"Guarantee? What happened to 'We're gonna go by the information it gives us, anyway'?" Art inquired sardonically.

"That was to confuse you guys and get you to question everything," Victini explained. "But, that didn't really happen as much as anticipated, so it's whatever."

"Just tell us who's judging…" an impatient Honey stated, folding her arms.

"Mew?" Victini turned to the New Species Pokémon.

Mew cleared his throat, "Tonya will be judging the Blue Team's food, and Belladonna will be judging the Red Team's food."

"Okay, you two girls come this way," Victini instructed, leading them to the ends of the tables. Tonya was standing at the end of the Blue Team's table, and Belladonna was at the end of the Red Team's.

Suddenly, the sound of squeaking was heard as Victini and Mew rolled two chairs from behind the Blue Team's cabin. They looked like combinations of a sofa chair, a rolling chair, and a drying chair that you would see at a salon. Each chair had maroon cushions that looked old, with the spongy cushions being exposed. Each one had a steel plate attached to the cushion, and they also had leg restraints and large domes above them.

The inclusion of the chairs caused looks of bewilderment to form on the contestants' faces. Were _these_ the lie detectors?

"Uh… what're those?" Dade queried, a bit perturbed at their ragged appearances.

"These are Lie Detector Derrière Deposits," Victini explained, patting the tops of the chairs. "They deliver punishments based on the occupant's type."

"Are they supposed to smell like used condoms and dust?" Belladonna queried, fanning the air around her.

"The better question is how do you know what that combination smells like," Victini responded with a chuckle. "Now, both of you take a seat on the metal plates and we'll get started."

The girls exchanged looks with each other before each taking a seat in the chairs. Fancy plates, along with knives, forks, and spoons, appeared on the table before them.

Once seated, Mew began explaining how they were going to judge the food. "Now, you're gonna judge the dishes solely on taste, as that's the most important part. You're gonna score each course out of 5 and at the end, we'll add them together for the final count. And, remember to be honest. I'm pretty sure you won't like what these things do if you lie."

Belladonna nervously gazed upwards at the dome above her head as Victini let out a sigh. "Alright, let's get this started. First up, the appetizers. Blue Team, you guys can go first. Just tell us what it is, or what it's _supposed_ to be."

Portia cleared her throat as she placed the paper plate in front of Tonya. "Well, these are potstickers made by Honey. However, they ended up a bit burnt because of her poor handling of them."

"HEY!" Honey snapped.

Tonya took a whiff of them and could immediately smell the burntness. She sighed before scanning the plate for the least charred looking one. Eventually, she picked one up and took a bite of it.

The flavors were a very odd combination. It was sweet, bitter, and bland all at the same time. She didn't even think that was possible. "Uh… well, there's certainly a strange filling inside of it. And of course it still tastes burnt. I'll give it a 2 out of 5..."

The chair rumbled a bit before stopping, signifying that she was, indeed, telling the truth.

"Alright, nothing happened, so the Blue Team starts with a solid 2," Victini announced. "Red Team, you're up."

Jessica placed the flatbread in front of Belladonna via kinesis. "This is a simple flatbread with a bit of oregano and parmesan."

Belladonna tore off a part of the flatbread before bringing it to her snout to smell it. She couldn't deny that it smelled delicious. She put the piece in her mouth, and despite it being very crunchy, it had a good taste.

"Hmm, not bad at all," the Golem commented as she tore off another piece. "Kinda crunchy, but not tooth chipping," she said before eating the other piece. She hesitantly looked up at the dome. "Uh… 4 out of 5?"

The chair started rumbling, similar to when Tonya answered. However, unlike her's, some actions occurred. The dome turned upwards toward the sky, pulses of light from the sun entering it.

"Ooh… looks like Belladonna's lying," Victini stated, gesturing to the dome.

"W-What!?" Belladonna exclaimed. "I actually liked it! That's not a lie!"

"It looks like it's charging a Solar Beam," Mew said. "You might wanna try again before it turns back around at you."

"Five out of five?" she tried, causing no change. "Uh… um… 4.5?"

The dome seemed to stop charging once that was said, flipping back down toward her. She let out a sigh of relief, saying, "I guess the crunchiness didn't take _that_ much away from it…"

"Really? It almost blasted her because she didn't give them a high enough score? That's bullshit!" Art complained.

"Hey, the metal plates they're sitting on is analyzing their body heat and brain activity. It's not bullshit at all," Victini retorted. "Now, so far the Red Team is in the lead with 4.5. Blue Team, your entrée…"

Portia brought Tonya their entrée, explaining, "These are your standard steak and garlic potatoes covered in a homemade gravy."

The dish actually smelled pretty good compared to the appetizer, so Tonya was actually looking forward to trying it. She picked up the spoon before scooping up a bit of the potatoes and tasting them. They weren't as smooth as they looked, and were a bit heavy on the salt. Her face tightened in a grimace before she shook her head with a deep breath.

"Mother of Arceus, those potatoes are salty. I mean, on fries, sure, but on regular potatoes it's a no for me. I couldn't even really taste any garlic," Tonya opined.

"And the steak?" Dade urged, hoping that it wasn't that bad.

Tonya attempted to cut the steak, but it was a bit tough to do. Eventually, she was able to carve a piece off and take a bite. However, it was very chewy and hard to really get down. The flavor was very much on point, though.

"Okay, the steak was tough and chewy, but I liked the seasoning you did for it. Reminds me of when my granddad barbecued for family reunions," Tonya explained. "As a whole dish… I'll give it a 2.5? The potatoes were just too salty and the steak was still tough."

The chair rumbled, but nothing occurred, signifying that she was being honest once again.

"Well, looks like we're tied up right now," Mew said, folding his arms. "4.5 on both teams."

"The Red Team's next dish will break the tie no matter what, so it won't be for long," Victini explained. "What've you got, Red Team?"

As Kane scooped out some of the casserole onto Belladonna's plate, Jessica simply stated, "It's a chicken and rice casserole."

The odor that wafted from the entrée made Max's stomach growl. Belladonna grabbed a fork to try it. Taking a bite, her eyes widened as she immediately went back for another bite, and another. Eventually, she finished the portion she was given. "Okay, that tasted _great._ 5 out of 5 for sure!"

"BELLADONNA!" Honey fumed.

"What do you want from me? Their food is actually good!" Belladonna argued. "Plus, I don't want to be blasted by a Solar Beam!"

"Ugh… of course you hosts chose someone easily impressed to judge them, and someone neutral and sensical to judge us. That's not biased at all…" Honey groused, holding her head.

"Yeah, why'd you pick these two, anyway?" Tim queried. "I'm sure we would all love to see Honey get scorched repeatedly by trying to make us lose," he chuckled, earning him a glare from said Vespiquen.

"Yeah… but that'd be too easy," Victini responded. "We just chose the people on each team who we feel aren't doing that much, but are still reasonable. Now, back to the judging."

"The Blue Team has 4.5 and the Red Team has 9.5," Mew explained.

"Alright, so that the Blue Team doesn't automatically lose, we're gonna double the scoring system for this final course," Victini explained. "Now, instead of scoring from 1 to 5, you'll score from 1 to 10. That should still give the Blue Team a chance."

"Go ahead and present your dessert, Blue Team," Mew directed.

Portia let out a sigh, placing the plastic bowl in front of Tonya. "Well, we initially did brownies, but we had to scrap it, so we tried doing Jell-O. But, it didn't cool in the refrigerator long enough, so it's still kinda liquified and slushy."

Being that it was Jell-O, Tonya simply took a spoon and started eating it. There wasn't anything wrong with it at all, and it was Oran Berry flavored, which was considered to be the best flavor.

"Ahh…" Tonya let out a satisfied sigh. "Well, you get a few points off for it not being completely done, but it's still a 9.5 to me. Jell-O is Jell-O."

The chair didn't budge, so Tonya giggled. "This wasn't that hard at all."

"And that brings the Blue Team's total to 14," Mew announced. "If the Red Team gets a 5 or higher, they take it."

Seeing that the trifle was next, Tonya decided to explain it as Kane scooped some out for Belladonna. "Well, that's a trifle that Zahku and I made. Its got Razz Berries, Twinkies, Vanilla Wafers, Graham Crackers, whipped cream, and orange zest."

"Orange zest? This is an Island Challenge, not Top Chef!" Art exclaimed.

Belladonna took a bite of the trifle and immediately moaned in delight, licking her lips. "Okay… this is probably the best dessert I've had in my entire life," she muttered.

The chair didn't budge after she said that, so that was a promising sign.

Tonya nodded, "Glad you think so."

"And what's your score, Belladonna?" Victini queried.

"10 out of 10," she said, still eating what was on her plate. "I'm gonna need more of this…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you don't get more until everyone else has some, too," Mew explained with a chuckle. "And that includes the hosts."

The New Species Pokémon quickly grabbed one of the forks and drove it into the trifle before pulling it out a taking a bite. His eyes widened, "Wow… this _is_ great."

"All they did was put sweet stuff together in a bowl!" Honey exclaimed.

"Yes, and you guys tried and failed to make Jell-O. Get over it," Tim responded.

"Well, Blue Team, looks like you guys will be sending someone home tonight," Victini stated. "And because she helped with the judging, you cannot vote for Belladonna. She's got immunity."

The contestants exchanged looks of annoyance before Victini spoke up again. "But, on the bright side, you're gonna be eating the Red Team's food for dinner before you head down."

"There's no way I'm eating their dreck!" Honey responded coarsely.

Victini shrugged, "Eh, suit yourself." He floated over to the Red Team's table, where the others were starting to eat the food they made.

Portia sighed, "Well, I'm gonna go try some _edible_ food. You guys can stay and glare all youbwant."

"I'm not glaring," Dade responded as he started hopping to the other table as well. "I just know that there's probably not gonna be much left for me."

 **-000-**

As everyone spoke and clamored over the food at the Red Team's table, Art and Honey exchanged looks. The Vespiquen cleared her throat, "Well, I guess one of us will be leaving the game tonight."

"Yep," Art responded with a sigh. "And it's more than likely gonna be you."

Honey rolled her eyes, "Yeah, what else is new? These people have made it evident that they wanted me gone for the longest time, and it took me getting sent on the loser team for it to finally happen. Bunch of idiots..."

"See, that, that right there is why you're getting eliminated," Art explained. "You're so self-absorbed and elitist that you think the world owes you something, that people are supposed to cater to your every whim, everyone is under you, and if someone does something that you don't like, they're shit."

Honey scoffed, "So? What are you, my therapist?"

"No, I'm the only person here that actually gave you a chance and tried to help you," Art replied. "If you want to say that it makes me as bad as you, then go ahead, but I'm not the one that everyone hates."

"Of course people hate you," Honey responded. "I'm pretty sure your team wanted you gone a long time ago."

"Yes, but that's not hatred, that's strategy. I'm a threat and I'm somewhat pessimistic. Getting rid of me early saves them a lot of grief later on. But, as you can see, I'm still here, for now," Art explained. " _You_ , on the other hand, _you_ are hated. You talk down to nearly everyone, throwing insensitive remarks and insults just because people are being themselves, make any errors, or not doing what you say."

"How is it my fault that these people are overly sensitive and ignorant?" Honey responded.

"It's not that. It's the amount of times that you do it. You talk shit almost all the time and it becomes very annoying. And, if you had been paying attention, that's how that Stufful chick got eliminated in the first place," Art explained. "You really need to get over yourself if you ever expect to have lasting relationships. Whether they romantic or just friendly. Because right now, with how you've been acting throughout the show, you're destined to have a lonely life of deflecting people."

The Ferrothorn walked over to the Red Team's table, leaving Honey to think to herself. She didn't want to be alone for the rest of her life, but she also hated how stupid some people could be. She and her brother had been told, growing up, to be aggressive, yet confident so that people didn't take advantage of them and their fortune.

However, despite both of them doing this, her brother still ended up making friends, while she grew up without having any. However, that was okay with her, as she didn't really care for other people anyway. As she matured, though, she developed crushes and wanted friends, but she never understood why people either ignored her or kept pushing her away.

But now, after hearing everything Art said, it become clearer. _She_ pushed _them_ away with her aggressive and bitchy attitude, even though their attitudes were usually the same as hers, or worse. As she looked over to the others once again, she let out a sigh before flying back to the Blue Team's cabin.

 **000**

 **Honey had her arms folded as she took a breath. "Okay, I admit, I've screwed myself royally. I tried to be a more normal player earlier, but that didn't last long. And looking back, I** _ **guess**_ **I could have handled things a bit differently, but what happened happened."**

 **She shook her head. "This sucks…"**

 **000**

As the contestants began disbanding, Kane placed a paw on Sasha's shoulder, getting her attention. The Nidoqueen turned around to face him, a faint blush forming on her face.

"Sasha, we need to talk," the Ursaring stated.

She initially rose a brow but she recalled what Jessica said about _him_ probably having more to say. She hesitantly responded, "Oh, uh… okay."

Kane began leading her to the forest, with Sasha mentally repeating that she was going to focus on the challenge and not on the hunk.

 **-000-**

Kane lead the Nidoqueen to the glade, wanting their conversation to be private. He took a deep breath, "Okay, Sasha, listen-"

However, before he could say what he wanted to, Sasha interrupted him. "Wait," she stated. "Before you say anything, I just want to say… I'm sorry. For everything. The desperation, the fantasies I have of you, and what I said about R.J. earlier today. I know that you're happy with him, and I should have respected that instead of acting jealous."

A small smile formed on Kane's face. "Well, thank you for that. Now, what I wanted to say is… uh… well…" He let out an annoyed sigh, " Look, you're a beautiful girl and you can very well be with whoever you want. But, you have to realize that I'm off the table, and that nothing is going to change that. I don't want you to think that I hate you or that you're unattractive, because I don't feel either of those things. I just don't like when people talk about me or my husband in that manner, okay? I'm willing to still be acquaintances, or even friends, but you really need to understand."

Sasha blushed in response, mainly because of the compliments he gave her, but she got it. Jessica told her to focus on the game at hand, and Kane just reinforced that he didn't want anything to do with her romantically _and_ gave her a bit more confidence. She was fine with just being friends with him, and she didn't want to screw anything up again.

She rushed toward him, hugging him. "I understand…" she responded, nuzzling his fur. She released Kane, who chuckled sheepishly.

"You sure you're okay?" the Ursaring queried.

She nodded back affirmatively. "Yeah, Jessica talked to me earlier, too. I'm just gonna focus on the game," she assured.

Kane nodded, "Great."

 **000**

" **Well, looks like I won't have to worry about Sasha that much anymore. That's a huge relief," Kane stated. "Now I can focus on the game more, too."**

 **000**

Portia and Belladonna were inside of the girl's side of the cabin. After hearing Dade's plan via Art, Portia definitely needed to talk to Belladonna.

"Belladonna, we need to talk about what happened in the kitchen earlier…" the Rhyperior stated.

The Golem rose a brow in response. "You mean about Art's accusation? I thought we agreed that he was lying."

"Yeah… about that. Do you remember what you told me that got you to trust Dade in the first place?" Portia asked. "About him being too small and insignificant to be a suspect in anything?"

Understanding where she was going with this, Belladonna folded her arms. "So, you think that Art was actually telling the truth?"

"I don't know if he is or not, but I know that we can't trust Dade now," Portia explained. "How are we gonna know if he's telling us the truth if someone else accuses him of something that he _could_ have done?"

"Hey, he's still been doing good and helping out the team. I don't think he'd lie to us," Belladonna responded.

"Bella, our numbers are steadily decreasing on this team. If we're not careful, he could take one of us out and we'll look like fools," Portia explained.

"Are you really that worried about Dade?" Belladonna asked her, surprised at how serious Portia sounded about it. "He hasn't been suspicious, to me, in the slightest. I think you're being paranoid."

Portia sighed to herself. Dade was making sure that she was safe, and thus wasn't showing any signs in her eyes. Feeling that she wasn't _really_ understanding, Portia advised her, "Well, even so. Just watch him closely and be careful."

Belladonna didn't see the point, but nodded.

"BLUE TEAM! HEAD ON DOWN TO THE ELIMINATION AREA!" they heard.

"Well, time for us to get rid of Honey," Belladonna laughed.

"Yep," Portia nodded.

 **000**

The members of the Blue Team all arrived at the elimination area at the beach. They were joined by

a few members of the Red Team, who wanted to spectate the elimination.

"Wow, looks like we have an audience this time," Victini chuckled as he and Mew appeared. Mew was holding the chip bag with other chip bags inside of it.

"Well, the Blue Team will be going from five players to four players," Mew said. "Let's see how this works out…"

"You all know the drill by now, and I'm pretty sure that we all know who's heading home tonight, so let's go ahead and get this over with," Victini said. "It's actually a unanimous vote, and the one going home is…

…

…

…

…

...Honey!"

Mew tossed everyone on the team a bag of chips except for Honey.

"YES!" Tim exclaimed. "Finally!"

"Tim, you're really pathetic, you know that?" Art deadpanned. "It's not a big deal."

"Quiet, you!"

Honey rolled her eyes. "It's really not that big of a deal. You people have talked about it for the longest time, so this time I just made it easier and voted for myself, too."

"Well, see ya Honey," Jessica stated. "I expected you to last a bit longer, in all honesty."

"And I'll admit, you played the game well," Art commented. "You eliminated a couple of threats and got these guys' panties in a bunch over it."

"Art, just shut it. You're probably gonna be the next one to go, ya know," Tim said. "At least now that the bitch isn't competing, the game will actually be fun."

"Tim, seriously," Max deadpanned. "Honey's eliminated. You don't have to keep being aggro."

"Hey, she's the one who started with me before we even got on the island," Tim retorted. "If she hadn't tried to boss me around before we even met you guys, threw insults at me, wasted a vote on me, and eliminated Lynn, I wouldn't fucking-"

Suddenly, Tim was silenced with a kiss, by none other than Honey. The Tropius hadn't noticed the Vespiquen approaching him with a glare, as he was still looking down, talking to Max.

Tim's eyes went as wide as saucers, as did a few others', as Honey broke the kiss. "See ya around, loser," she said, petting his face before flying away from him.

"Well, Honey. It was nice seeing you compete," Victini commented as the Lapras swam up to shore.

Honey wanted to be profane and talk about how she hated it there, but she decided to tone herself down for a change, "The experience was pretty… different, I'll give you that. But, I'm fine with going, I guess. Art actually helped me understand something about myself… so I'm gonna try to make some changes."

"Wow, that's… actually good to hear. Kinda shocking, but good nonetheless…" Mew opined.

Honey shrugged as the Lapras started swimming away.

"Wait, _now_ she wants change? After all of this?" Kane queried. He, along with a few others, turned to Art. "Why couldn't you have said something to her earlier?!"

"Because I didn't care and still don't," Art answered. "All I did was tell her about how everyone here hated her, how insulting people in vast quantities is annoying, and how she was gonna be alone forever if she kept it up."

"We told her about herself all the time, though," Sasha responded.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you guys did that out of rage every time," Art explained. "I just gave her a chance when she came to me, we made the small alliance, and we went back and forth at times. I'm actually a bit surprised that she listened and took what I said to heart."

"Hey, uh… should we do something about Tim, because he looks a bit… traumatized over there," Dade commented.

Tim was still frozen in shock as all eyes went to him. Max stifled a laugh, "I told you that she may have a crush on you, dude."

The Tropius still didn't say a word until Jessica used Hydro Pump on him, soaking him, and snapping him back to reality.

"Wha-, where, what the _hell_ just happened!?" Tim questioned.

"Apparently Honey had a thing for you," Portia revealed, folding her arms. "She kissed you, and you froze."

Tim gagged before shuddering, "I hope Lynn doesn't think anything of it…"

"Well, you guys can head on back to the campgrounds," Mew said. "You can dwell on what just happened there. We'll see you guys tomorrow."

The contestants started heading back to the campgrounds, with Belladonna holding everyone's chips.

Mew and Victini turned to their usual camera as they began closing out the episode. "Well, there you have it. Honey is _finally_ eliminated, and the teams are as uneven as ever!" Mew announced.

"Find out who gets eliminated next by tuning in next time on our island challenge!" Victini ended.

 **000**

" **Might as well not waste a vote, so I'll go ahead and vote for Honey with the others…" Art shrugged.**

 **000**

" **Time for Honey to** _ **finally**_ **go," Belladonna commented.**

 **000**

" **So long, Honey," Dade chuckled.**

 **000**

" **I'll make it easy for them," Honey said.**

 **000**

" **I'd vote for Dade, but I don't think there's a point," Portia commented. "Honey it is…"**

 **000**

 _ **Votes:**_

 _ **Honey - 5 votes (Art, Belladonna, Dade, Honey, Portia)**_

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 _ **Red Team - (Jessica, Kane, Max, Sasha, Tim, Tonya, Zahku)**_

 _ **Blue Team - (Art, Belladonna, Dade, Portia)**_

 **000**

 _ **Elimination Order:**_

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)**_

 _ **19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)**_

 _ **18th - Marley Banner (The Pranking Prodigy)**_

 _ **17th - Lawrence "Lucky" Addams (The Unlucky Charm)**_

 _ **16th - Lynn Jamison (The Calm Leader)**_

 _ **15th - Christopher "Chip" Torwood (The Buff Brain)**_

 _ **14th - Christine Reynolds (The Composed Musician)**_

 _ **13th - Richard "R.J." James Mitchell (The Flustered Hothead)**_

 _ **12th - Honey Winchester (The Royal Pain)**_


	11. Scavenger Hunt

**Next**

 **000**

As the contestants walked back from the elimination area, Sasha commented, "I can't believe Honey's finally gone. It's almost like a friendly aura has washed over this place already."

Art, straggling behind the group, scoffed in response. "If you people really think a single person was ruining your experience, you need to reevaluate your life. All Honey did was play the game; you guys just didn't like it and made it personal."

"Art... hush," Jessica deadpanned. "Just because you approved of Honey's methods doesn't mean that we care."

"And yet you responded anyway," Art retorted.

"Hey, we just got rid of Honey," Kane chimed in. "Maybe we _shouldn't_ waste more of our time talking about her. Let's just move on."

As the contestants arrived back at the campgrounds, they separated based on their teams and began heading into their cabins.

"We'll talk to you guys tomorrow," Belladonna said as a farewell as she and Portia entered their side of their cabin.

As they did, a look of realization hit Sasha as she looked around. Jessica noticed this as she and the guys reached the steps of their cabin. "Something wrong, Sasha?"

"Uh… it's probably not a big deal, but was Tonya with us when we went down there?" the Nidoqueen inquired, scratching her head.

"I don't think so…" Max responded. "And… now that you mention it… neither was Zahku."

Kane wasn't too concerned about it, as the five of them only went down there for their own entertainment. "They probably didn't really care about Honey's elimination," he surmised with a shrug.

"That's true," Max shrugged, opening the door of the guys' side. The guys began entering, with Jessica saying, "Talk to you guys later," before the door was closed.

"I just thought that Tonya would want to see Honey get eliminated," Sasha responded as she opened the door of the girls' side. "I mean, maybe she-"

"Whoa!" Jessica interrupted as she looked inside, her eyes going as wide as dinner plates.

Looking into the room, Sasha's eyes mimicked Jessica's at what she saw. Tonya and Zahku were both asleep in Tonya's bunk, the Accelgor snuggled up close to him. Both Jessica and Sasha gaped in shock and surprise before Sasha slowly closed the door with a nervous expression.

In a whisper, Sasha exclaimed, "What the heck was that!?"

"It looked like Tonya got it in with Zahku," Jessica recalled. "And I thought that _I'd_ get laid here first."

The Nidoqueen groaned. "Well, what do we do? I don't think either of them wants anyone to know about it. It's probably why they didn't come to the elimination ceremony."

Jessica let out a sigh in response. "I suppose you're right. And by that logic, we can't really sleep in there because it'll be pretty awkward when they wake up."

Sasha looked to the guys' door. "Well… I guess we can ask the guys if we can sleep on their side tonight. "There's three bunks per room, after all."

Jessica giggled as they made their way toward the room, "Well, this'll certainly be an interesting development."

Sasha knocked on the door, with the door opening a few moments later. Max rose a brow. "Uh… is it later already?" he joked.

"Apparently so," Jessica replied with a giggle.

"Say, uh… do you guys mind if we sleep in here for the night?" Sasha hesitantly asked, looking down.

The guys exchanged looks of surprise. They didn't mind, but it certainly was an odd request. Kane replied, "I mean, sure, but is there something wrong with you girls' side?"

The girls exchanged expressions, unsure about if they should tell the guys or not. They decided to keep it vague, as they didn't want to completely lie to them.

"Uh… let's just say… it's a situation that we're unsure about dealing with right now, so we're trying to leave it be for the time being," Jessica explained.

"Well, come in," Max said, allowing the girls to enter the room. "We don't know when Zahku's coming back, but his bunk is above Tim's, so your choices are either below me or above Kane."

Sasha's eyes widened at that possibility. However, knowing that she was trying to focus on the game, she sighed. Turning to Jessica, she said, "I'll take the bunk under Max."

The Bruxish rose a brow, but understood what she was doing. "Fine with me."

Tim, despite still being confused about the kiss, chimed in with a question, "Won't Tonya be confused about where you guys are?"

Jessica stifled a laugh as she headed toward the back bunk, "Oh, I think she'll be fine..."

The guys looked at each other in slight confusion, but decided to leave it be. They had a feeling the girls didn't want to talk about it anyway.

 **000**

Dade chortled to himself as he sat in his bunk, "You almost had them convinced Art, you were _so_ close…"

The Burmy was, of course, referring to the confrontation that happened in the kitchen during the challenge. He was actually a bit worried back there, but was glad that he was able to convince the girls that Art was full of it.

"You know, maybe you shouldn't try to accuse people of things when _you_ have so many things going against you," Dade teased. "Anyone can easily discredit you."

Art rolled his eyes. "I've already made my impact," he tonelessly replied as he climbed onto his bunk. "All I had to do was plant a seed of doubt and now the girls will be rethinking things."

Dade scoffed, "I sincerely doubt that. They don't have any reason to doubt me. Well, at least Belladonna doesn't…"

Art chuckled. "Well, if Portia already has her suspicions, I have a feeling that she's expressing her feelings about you to Belladonna right now…"

Dade shrugged. "Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. But, the fact of the matter is… I haven't done anything but work with the team. So, Belladonna is still gonna be more likely to believe _me_ than you. Therefore, Portia possibly listening to you and talking to her about it… it doesn't really mean anything."

The Ferrothorn rolled his eyes with a huff. "All I've gotta say is that you'd better watch yourself. You'll slip up sooner or later."

Dade chuckled, "Yeah, you'd think that. But, unlike you, I'm prepared for the future. You should probably do the same, because if we lose another challenge, you're gonzo..."

Art glowered at the Burmy as he yawned and turned over to face the wall. "G'night," the Burmy said.

 **000**

" **What the hell is up with that guy?" Art queried. "I thought that he was just some useless pipsqueak that we could easily get rid of in a moment's notice, but he's actually lasting."**

" **And it doesn't help that he has Belladonna almost completely fooled and Portia doesn't really like either of us," he expressed. "It's a major pain in the ass."**

 **He sighed, "The only thing that I can do to make sure that** _ **I**_ **last longer is either help him with Portia or make sure that we win these next challenges."**

 **He groaned in annoyance, hating that he'd have to either give in or work himself harder.**

 **000**

Following the conclusion of their last episode, Mew and Victini returned to the Hall of Origins, as per usual, in order to hang out and get some rest. They had teleported into the lobby, as it was the area that could easily access the kitchen, bathrooms, and hallways.

"Well, I feel like that was a successful episode," Mew commented. "Hopefully people actually like what happens when they watch it."

Suddenly, the sound of laughing could be heard coming from the living room, which was just beyond the kitchen. "You hear that?" the New Species Pokémon queried.

"Yeah, they're probably watching some crappy horror movie with stupid humans," Victini assumed as he and Mew started floating through the kitchen to investigate.

Arriving in the living room, they saw the Legendary Beasts, the Legendary Birds, the Eon Duo, Celebi, Jirachi, the Swords of Justice, and Heatran all sitting on the couch.

"Alright, what cheesy slasher movie are you guys watching this time?" Victini asked as he and Mew floated over to them.

"Oh look, it's moron one and moron two," Jirachi sneered.

Mew and Victini glanced at the screen and saw that it was the ending sequence of their latest episode. Mew rose a brow in bemusement. "Uh… you guys were actually watching our show?"

"Yeah," Suicune explained. "We never really watched it, we just assumed that you guys were doing shittily, and… well, you just proved us right."

"Yeah, like… who the hell lets their villain get eliminated so early?" Moltres laughed. "You guys are screwed now."

"What? Why the hell would we be screwed when the most annoying player just got eliminated?" Victini queried.

"Viewers… want… _drama_ ," Celebi explained. "Keeping people like Honey, or whatever her name was, in the game keeps views high because people always anticipate their elimination and keep watching until it happens. Since she just got eliminated, your views are bound to go down the shitter."

Mew sweatdropped, while Victini simply rolled his eyes. "And once again, you're talking out of your ass just because we're having fun," he responded. "Honey being eliminated won't change anything. Views don't even work like that. And what the hell did you want us to do? Suddenly make it a reward challenge so that she didn't get eliminated?"

"No," Articuno answered. "Instead, you could have made it a challenge that they actually had a chance of winning."

"Yeah, seriously, you had a team of seven vs. a team of five… for a cooking challenge. And two of the guys on her team couldn't even do anything," Entei added.

"Hey, it's our show, not yours. Worry about yourselves," Victini responded. "It's not like you guys' shows are gonna be that successful anyway. Some of you just rushed through it just because."

"Keep making excuses all you want. Doesn't make what we're saying any less true," Suicune stated.

"O-ho-kay," Victini laughed. "You lot can keep trash talking _our_ show, and we'll just keep working and providing _good_ content for those with actual unbiased thoughts."

The Victory Pokémon floated out of the living room, leaving Mew alone with the group. The New Species Pokémon sheepishly chuckled before following his co-host's lead.

Once they were gone, Terrakion let out a sigh, turning to the others. "Are you guys seriously still trying to demotivate them?" he asked. "Why can't you just let them be successful and have fun?"

"Those assholes have no business being good at this!" Celebi exclaimed.

"Yeah," Articuno agreed. "How do they get away with the pranks, apathy, and insults, but then turn out being good at hosting these shows?! That's unfair!"

"Well… maybe instead of thinking of it as an unfair situation, maybe think of it in a positive way," Heatran proposed. "If they're successful and keep doing shows, they may spend more time away from here, meaning that we'll deal with them less."

"That's true… but they don't really _deserve_ to have success," Virizion explained. "That's the main thing."

"Who cares?" Latios chimed in. "Whether they deserve it or not, they'll still be out of our hair more often, so it'll be great! I mean, unless you guys' need for revenge trumps relaxation for a while."

The other legendaries exchanged looks with each other, the male Eon Pokémon having a bit of a point. There _was_ a chance that if Mew and Victini were actually successful with their show, they'd be free from their presence, pranks, negativity, and more.

"I _guess_ we can lighten up a bit," Raikou spoke with a shrug.

"As long as they don't talk shit to us about anything, I guess we can hold our tongues..." Articuno added.

"Good, because you're acting as bratty and immature as they were back then," Latios responded.

They gave the jet dragon a look of annoyance before turning back to the television, with Celebi grabbing the remote.

 **000**

The next morning, on the island, Tonya shifted a bit in her sleep. She felt something smooth against her and the smell of musk filled her nostrils.

Her eyes slowly flickered open as she slowly sat up. Yawning, she rubbed her left eye before looking around and seeing that no one else was in the cabin aside from her and-

"Zahku," she groggily croaked out.

The Makuhita was still sound asleep, prompting the Accelgor to narrow her eyes at him. She started rocking him a bit, which caused him to stir. Eventually, the continuous movement woke up the Makuhita, who sat up without using his hands. "Zahku awake now," the Guts Pokémon stated groggily.

Tonya giggled a bit before kissing his cheek. The Makuhita let out a grunt before hopping off of her bunk. He looked around the room and saw that they were alone, causing him to inquire, "Where other teammates?"

Tonya hummed before surmising, "I guess the other girls saw us asleep and didn't want to impose."

Given that response, Zahku shrugged his shoulders and started heading to the door. Seeing that he was preparing to leave, the Accelgor quickly shouted at him to get him to stop. "Wait!"

Zahku turned back to her with a hum, curious as to what she wanted.

The Accelgor sheepishly queried, "So… how was it for you?"

The Makuhita chuckled to himself before giving her an answer. "Zahku had fun time."

"Okay, good. Um… and… are you still sure that you don't want any relationships right now?" she asked, hoping that his mentality had changed. "I mean, it's fine if you don't. I was just hoping that… maybe…"

Zahku sweatdropped, rubbing the back of his head. "Zahku not really in right mindset for long romantic partnership right now. Mainly want to focus on being stronger person. Zahku apologizes."

"No, no, no need to apologize," Tonya reassured him, despite feeling a bit saddened. "I'm the one who suggested this, anyway."

Sensing that she was still upset, Zahku felt a bit bad. He went back toward her bunk, climbing onto the top to plant a kiss on her cheek, as she did to him earlier. Tonya blushed once he did this and watched as the miniature sumo wrestler made his way out of the door.

She sighed as she lied back in her bed, a smile on her face.

 **000**

 **The Accelgor swooned, "Yeah, I convinced Zahku to…** _ **train**_ **with me while everyone else was going to watch the ceremony. I was hoping that maybe we could try something and I could get him into having an actual relationship instead of just casual partners."**

 **She let out another sigh, this one sounding a bit depressed, "But… it didn't really work out. I'm not upset, but I would've liked having him for a boyfriend. Just… learning even more about him and maybe introducing him to more things he's not used to…"**

" **But, oh well. Maybe he'll come around," Tonya said.**

 **000**

Portia tossed and turned in her bed, biting down on her pillow as she let out soft, muffled groans.

Belladonna, climbing down from one of the bunks, turned toward her, rubbing her eye. She couldn't help but softly giggle to herself as saw her friend's unconscious hip gyrations.

Assuming that she was dreaming about Chip, the Golem decided to leave her friend alone for a while.

She was heading down to the beach in order to take a swim. She really needed to calm her mind. In spite of her initial response to Portia's suspicions, the Megaton Pokémon was actually growing a bit worried about the competition, specifically about Dade.

She thought that Dade was a good guy, as he was willing to help her out in the competition _and_ he was pretty smart and useful in challenges, despite his size.

However, Portia's anxiety and Art's accusation were actually causing her to second guess her allegiance with him. She was initially dismissive of their warnings and accusations, as she hadn't seen any evidence. But, being reminded of what Dade had said to get her on board was causing her to rethink her situation.

She let out a sigh as she reached the sandy beach, the grains tickling her toes. She walked to the edge of the water as it washed over her feet before sharply inhaling, taking in the ocean's scent. She continued walking out until she reached a suitable spot. It was then that she took a seat, allowing the water to really wash over her.

She sighed in relief as the cooling liquid soaked her rocky body. Her anxiety was slowly washing away as new ideas formed in her head. Even _if_ Dade was planning on betraying her, or had plans to eliminate others, she would just play along with it and pretend to be surprised. And, as she and Portia talked about before, the two of them could just team up against the Burmy if he tried anything.

At the moment, the Golem was fine with how things were going. Now that Honey was gone, the team was fine to her. All they had to do was win the next challenges so that they didn't have to worry about who to eliminate first.

Letting out another breath, the Golem decided to get back up. Her head now a bit more stable, she started heading out of the water and back to the cabins.

 **000**

" **Alright, all the team has to do is win more challenges," Belladonna reasoned. "That way, I don't have to pick sides so fast. Though, now that I think about it, that'll be easier said than done. We only have four people left, after all…"**

 **She sighed, "This is gonna take a lot of effort."**

 **000**

Following his exit from the girls' side of the cabin, Zahku decided to go on a brisk jog to clear the fuzziness in his head. His head always got clogged after intercourse for some odd reason, almost as if his brain couldn't fully process what had transpired.

Max, having been heading to the mess hall, as per usual, observed the Makuhita exiting the girls' side of their cabin and jogging off. He was surprised to see this, perplexed as to why the Fighting-type opted to sleep in the girls' side as opposed to his normal bunk. Surely this wasn't a common occurrence when he was on the opposing team.

He gazed back at the mess hall, where he'd usually sit in wait for both the other contestants to enter and for the hosts to arrive with their breakfast. These actions directly mirrored how the Delivery Pokémon worked. Whenever the holiday season arrived, the Delibird was always one of the first to arrive at the mall in which he worked. He would get into his chair and wait for people to slowly, but surely, fill the mall. In addition to this, the food court opened, allowing him to get food whenever he wanted. It put a dent in his pay, but he didn't really mind.

He felt compelled to just go inside and wait like he always did, but his curiosity was piqued. He flew back over to the cabin, peering in through the girls' window. Upon seeing Tonya lying on her side, and noticing that all of the other bunks were neat, Max was able to put two and two together.

"That sly rascal…" he whispered to himself as he went ahead and flew back towards the mess hall. He took a seat at his usual table, the idea of Zahku actually sleeping with Tonya swimming in his mind.

"Didn't think he had it in him…" he commented to himself.

Truth be told, the Ice and Flying-type was both impressed and intrigued, but also a bit perplexed. What made the two of them want to do it all of a sudden? Was it casual? Were they going to try for an actual relationship? And with the kiss Honey gave Tim, why did she decide to do it right before she left if she knew how she truly felt about him this whole time?

The Delibird was always intrigued about how some relationships form, break, and progress. It was just a bit mind boggling to him when it came to choosing who you'd want to talk to and when. He understood the concept of love and wanting to spend the rest of your life with someone, but the clear-cut process of it always eluded him, especially with how you could get mixed results from using the same methods.

He had never been in a relationship because of this. He didn't know a concrete way to approach it, and he really didn't want to screw up. Sure, he was able to give some advice to others or know when infatuation is involved in certain situations, as the case with Tim and Lynn, but when it came to himself, he was a confused mess.

The offer that Jessica proposed to him a couple of challenges back returned to his mind. She had asked him about casual sex, and he didn't completely turn it down. He knew that casual sex was essentially just for fun and had no strings attached, but he actually wanted a relationship, as he felt that he'd be very awkward and confused in the aftermath of casual intercourse.

He let out a sigh as he tapped his flipper on the table. "Maybe I can talk to Jessica or Sasha about this," he said to himself. "I really need to be a bit more open."

 **000**

 **Max sighed. "Well, Chip helped me with being a better conversationalist. Maybe one of the girls can help me understand relationships a bit better. I know all of the basic things, but I just feel so nervous and confused about what to do or say when pursuing one, and I don't know how, or why, some people choose their partners or why they do** _ **anything**_ **really."**

" **Mother of Arceus, I sound like an idiot…" he said embarrassedly. "I can give other people advice about it, but I don't fully understand it, myself. Makes perfect sense…"**

 **He took a deep breath, "You know what, I'm not gonna worry about it now. Just gonna focus on the game at hand…"**

 **000**

Sasha yawned as she rolled over in the bunk she was occupying in the guys' side. She didn't know if it was because of the different room or what, but she felt a lot more comfortable sleeping with the others all together. Perhaps she just liked that she was in the same room as Kane. Or, maybe she just liked the fact that nearly all of the beds were filled, giving her a feeling of being protected.

Whatever it was, it went away as soon as she woke up. She slowly sat up, not wanting to accidentally hit her head on the bottom of the bunk above her. The sound of soft grunting filled her ears as she glanced over to the doorway.

Her eyes widened a bit as she saw Kane doing pull-ups in the doorway, something that he hadn't done for a while. Her eyes were focused on his rear, following it as it went up and down. Realizing what she was doing, the Nidoqueen snapped back into reality, clearing her throat.

Having heard the noise, the Ursaring glanced back and noticed Sasha smiling at him with a raised brow. "Trying to entice me we your pull-ups, huh?" she asked playfully as he dropped down.

Kane, whose mind hadn't been on anything since they came to an understanding, shook his head. "No… this is just something I do every so often," he answered, panting softly.

"I was kidding," Sasha giggled as she started getting out of bed. As she stretched, another soft yawn was heard as Jessica awoke.

The Bruxish smacked her lips before seeing the two of them talking. "What's going on, here?" she groggily queried with a cheerful inflection.

"Mornin', Jess," Sasha responded, "And nothing, really. Just talking."

"Riiight…" Jessica teased as she floated down past them, causing them both to narrow their eyes at her. "Anywho, I'm gonna see if Tonya's in the cabin yet."

"I'm still wondering where Zahku went, too," Kane said, eyeing the Makuhita's empty bunk.

"Eh, he'll probably turn up during the challenge," Jessica stated. "Maybe… he didn't like the cabin and is sleeping how you and R.J. did for a while."

Kane hadn't thought of that possibility. It was false, but it made a bit of sense to him. "Well, he _did_ get used to sleeping around his friends on the other team. Maybe he's not as comfortable around us as we thought."

Jessica and Sasha exchanged looks, with Sasha chiming in, "Oh, I _definitely_ don't think that's the case. Uh… why don't you just ask him when you see him?"

"Uh… alright," Kane replied, a bit confused. How did she know that it wasn't the case?

As she and Jessica made their exit, the Nidoqueen stated, "We'll see you boys later."

The two of them left, with Sasha closing the door behind them. Kane grew a bit suspicious, folding his arms. Tim, who had been awake, but lying down and facing the wall the whole time, rolled onto his stomach.

"I have a feeling that they're hiding something," he expressed, having heard everything.

Kane nodded affirmatively, "Yeah, I do, too."

 **-000-**

Entering their side of the cabin, Jessica and Sasha saw that Tonya was the only one inside. Upon seeing the two girls, though, the Accelgor immediately greeted them. "Hey girls. Where were you last night?"

Jessica and Sasha exchanged glances before looking back at their friend. Jessica began, "Uh… we slept in the guys' room since… y'know…"

"You and Zahku seemed _pretty_ comfortable in here last night," Sasha finished, folding her arms.

Tonya could only blush and giggle in response. "Yeah, we were…"

"How the heck did this even happen?" Jessica queried, floating up next to her. "I mean, I thought that _I'd_ be the first one to get it in."

Sasha added, "Yeah, like… did he come to you or did you come to him? What was the process of this?" She couldn't really imagine a guy like Zahku fornicating with anyone.

Tonya sighed, "Well, it's a bit weird, but… I started talking to Zahku during the fire theme challenge. He talked about how he got stronger by keeping his mind clear, not eating, and having sex with larger Pokémon."

Jessica and Sasha were astonished to hear about that, but Tonya continued with a giggle. "I had the same reaction as you two. I thought that he was just very weird and questioned how he could get someone to have sex with him in the first place. Though, at the same time, I was intrigued by him."

"Wait, so you were intrigued by him, but you were also okay with eliminating him when we had the opportunity?" Jessica queried.

"Hey, I wasn't the one who suggested it," Tonya explained. "I was curious, but I still knew that he was a threat. And then he was switched onto our team. And we actually did pretty well together in the challenge. Plus, we talked a bit about how he even got here, given his lifestyle, and how he wanted to just think about how he could win the whole game."

"Aw… you two got to know each other a bit better," Jessica cooed.

Tonya blushed, "Yeah. And after the challenge ended and they called the other team down, Zahku wanted to stay behind, and I decided to stay with him. We talked a bit more about _my_ life and my former drug habits. Then, I impulsively asked about his training again and told him that I was curious about how it would work for me. After that…"

She giggled, insinuating that they got busy. The girls were impressed, but Jessica needed to know one thing in particular.

"And how was he?" she asked with a smile.

Tonya gave her a suggestive smirk in return. "I'll just say… for a guy like him, he's got some interesting maneuvers…"

The girls all shared a laugh as Sasha took a seat on her usual bunk and Jessica kept her position next to the Accelgor.

Jessica giggled to herself, "Y'know, I've had a couple of experiences with guys who just did the same positions and techniques over and over again. It got kinda boring after a while, so I took a month-long break from it."

Hearing these two talk about their sexual experiences just reminded Sasha of her marriage and the fact that she had no new, exhilarating experiences. This caused her to let out a depressed sigh, "Try four months. Almost five and likely to continue until I get a finalized divorce."

Jessica hissed, "Ooh, I don't think I could last that long. It just feels so… stimulating and makes you feel whole. At least, that's my experience."

"Yeah, well my experiences _used_ to be a bit better, but as time went on, my husband started putting in less effort, pretty much just finishing for himself, and then it just stopped altogether," Sasha explained, folding her arms in a huff.

Tonya let out a sympathetic sigh, "Don't worry, Sasha. Things will get better for you down the line."

A doleful expression formed on her face, "Y'know, the more people tell me that, the less I start to believe it." She stood up, preparing to exit the cabin.

The more she thought and talked about her failed marriage, the more jealous and depressed she felt. She exited the cabin, wanting to clear her head so that she could focus on the game and not think about this later.

Once she left, a look of concern formed on Tonya's face. She wanted to follow and talk to her a bit more, but was halted by Jessica.

"It's okay, just give her some time," she suggested. "I'm sure she'll feel better later."

The Accelgor sighed, "I hope so."

 **000**

Dade hummed to himself as he climbed down from his bunk. He looked to Art, who was sitting on his bunk with an indifferent expression. The Burmy chuckled upon seeing his face. He couldn't tell if the Ferrothorn was thinking, annoyed, or completely done.

"So, how'd you sleep?" Dade asked teasingly, knowing how the Thorn Pod Pokémon probably felt already.

Art gave the Burmy a look of annoyance before responding. "Well, I dreamt of you being crushed by a Wailord and me winning this competition. So… I slept pretty well."

"Interesting…" Dade tonelessly responded, expecting a response of that caliber. "Well, you should be happy to learn that I'm willing to give you another chance to help me."

Art's eyes widened a bit, as he was already thinking about how to tell the Bagworm Pokémon that he'd help him without sounding defeated. He quickly fixed his face, returning to his apathetic expression. He glanced back down at the Burmy, who continued, "So… are you in?"

Art rolled his eyes, "Whatever. As long as it saves me from being eliminated."

"Great!" Dade exclaimed. "Glad to hear that you're being sensible."

"Yeah yeah," Art responded, rolling his eyes. He didn't want it sound like he was relying on the Burmy for safety, so he decided to make it into another agreement of sorts. "I'm only doing this as long as you keep me in the game. So, if we lose more than two challenges, I expect you to keep _me_ around instead of your pet rock. If not, I'll most definitely rat you out and I will _make_ them believe me."

Dade gave him a look. He didn't really expect for that to work, did he? He had just tried, and practically failed, to convince Belladonna and Portia that he was up to something. Sure, Portia was still wary, but she didn't flat out agree with Art.

Knowing that the Ferrothorn was likely to fail, Dade sighed. "Well, since you insist on being difficult… fine. I'll see what I can do."

Art still didn't trust the Burmy, suspecting that he was lying. However, he decided to leave it be for now and just responded accordingly. "Good…"

"Now, uh… could you get the door for me?" the Bagworm Pokémon asked, gesturing to the closed door. Art narrowed his eyes at the Bug-type.

 **000**

Max was tapping his flippers on the table inside of mess hall as he waited for his fellow competitors to enter. Soon enough, as time passed, the others began to slowly occupy the building, filling the air with the sound of conversation and groans.

Once Jessica entered the mess hall, Max's eyes widened as he quickly waved at her. This caught her attention, allowing Max to gesture for her to come over. The Bruxish obliged, floating over to him with a smile.

"Hey, hon," she greeted. "What's up?"

Max sighed, "I think I need some help…"

Jessica was a bit surprised. He was probably the calmest, most nonchalant guy on the island.

What could he possibly need help with? "Help with what?" she asked.

Max let out a sigh before explaining, "Well… I… I think I have relationship issues."

The Bruxish's eyes widened upon hearing that. Was this a chance for her? She cleared her throat, "Um… what kind of relationship issues?"

Max rested his head on one of his arms, "I just… don't get them. Why are girls or guys attracted to certain people? How do I talk to people if there are so many mixed responses to the same thing? Does love at first sight really exist?"

Jessica continued listening, curious as to why he was suddenly thinking about that stuff. "Whoa, whoa, sugar. Slow down. What's got you thinking about this in the first place?"

The Delibird responded, "I just… Ever since I saw Zahku walk out of you girls' side and I saw Tonya inside, too. I've just been thinking about how it all works because, well… that was completely unexpected."

The Gnash Teeth Pokémon inquired, "Wait, you know about them?"

The Delibird shrugged, "Like I said, I saw Zahku walk out of the girls' side. I went to check to see why he was in there, and I saw that Tonya was the only one inside. And since all of the other beds were pretty neat except for her's, I kinda pieced it together."

With lidded eyes, she giggled, "Well, that's _some_ detective work…"

Max denied this, not considering what he did that big of a deal. "Not really. I just used context clues."

"Fair enough," Jessica replied. "So, what did you want _me_ to help you with?"

Max cleared his throat, "Well… I was thinking… maybe you could help me understand and maybe give me a bit of advice about them?"

A seductive smile crept onto the Bruxish's face upon hearing that. He was curious, and she could very well help him in more ways that one. "Oh, sweetie… I can do a _lot_ more than help you understand…"

Max blushed in response, knowing what she was insinuating. He still wasn't completely against it, as they were pretty much friends at that point, and she was cool. "Uh… I-I…"

Jessica tittered before kissing his cheek, causing him to blush. "Don't worry, Max. I'll help you out after the challenge. It'll give us more time…" she said with a suggestive wink before floating back over to where Sasha and Tonya were sitting.

Max let out a sigh before looking back at the girls, who looked back at him with smiles on their faces, immediately making Max turn back around quickly.

Just a few moments later, Mew and Victini appeared in the mess hall, with the former holding the bags of food. "Hello, contestants!" Victini greeted with a wave. "I'm sure that you all had a goodnight's sleep last night."

Portia giggled to herself, "Oh, most definitely."

"Good to hear," Victini responded. As Mew placed the bags on the table and started taking out the breakfast boxes, the Victory Pokémon continued. "Today's challenge is going to take place in the glade again, so once you finish breakfast, meet us down there and we can begin."

Mew finished taking out the boxes, balling up the plastic bags. "You guys are almost at the halfway point," he stated. "There's eleven of you left, and you never know when we're gonna dissolve the teams. So, it might be in your best interests to put forth a lot more effort and decide who you would or wouldn't want to go up against, mano a mano, on your own teams."

"I mean, you just told us when the dissolve is gonna happen," Art reasoned. "The merge usually happens when half of the players are gone, and there were twenty of us competing…"

"Art… can you just be quiet for once?" Victini rhetorically inquired with an unamused expression.

"Anyways, I suggest that you decide who you want and don't want to see later on and handle it now," Mew advised as he dumped the plastic bags into the trash can.

He and Victini exited the mess hall, heading to the glade to prepare for the challenge.

 **-000-**

Portia let out a dreamy sigh as Belladonna brought over two breakfast boxes. Placing one in front of her, the Golem smiled at the Rhyperior. "So, I take it that your dream last night was an _intimate_ one."

Portia breathed softly with lidded eyes, nodding with a smile. "Yeah, just an…" she breathed, "...amazing dream about me and Chip fooling around in a meadow. It just makes me wonder how good he is…"

Belladonna chuckled, "Well, he's able to lift you up _and_ he has a good bod. I'm pretty sure that that guarantees a great time in the bedroom."

Portia giggled in response as she sat up to open her breakfast box. The breakfast box, this time, contained a waffle, scrambled eggs, and a sausage patty. Two packets of syrup were also inside. As she picked up one of the syrup packets, she started thinking about what Mew suggested.

She hummed to herself as she started putting syrup over her eggs and waffle. She was thinking about whether Dade or Art was a bigger threat in the game.

Dade was pretty manipulative and could act like a clueless bystander whenever he was confronted, while Art was just generally sensible and annoyingly smart. Plus, he was much stronger than Dade. It was a tough call for her.

Seeing her spaced out expression, Belladonna thought that she was having another vision about Chip. Knowing that she was one to talk about strategy, Belladonna decided to snap her out of it, snapping her fingers and waving her hand in the Drill Pokémon's face. "Porsche…"

Portia snapped out of her trance and looked down at her breakfast. Her food was slathered in the sweet glaze. She put down the now empty packet before picking up her plastic fork.

Belladonna rose a brow, "Another Chip dream?"

Portia hummed questioningly before offering an explanation. "No, no. I was just thinking about whether Art or Dade should be the next one to go if we end up losing today's challenge."

"Oh…" the Golem responded flatly. She didn't want to think about that; she was hoping that her team was able to win so that they didn't have to worry. Her stress was beginning to build up again.

Upon hearing the uncertainty in her voice, Portia grew a bit worried. "You okay?"

Belladonna sighed, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just… I don't want to have to think about that right now. I'm hoping that we actually win more challenges so that we don't have to make any rash decisions."

"Rash decisions?" Portia queried, confused as to what she meant. "What are you talking about? If we lose, all we have to do is eliminate Art and Dade. They just insinuated that the merge is coming soon, anyway."

"Yeah, but I don't know if I want to betray Dade since he's helped us out in the challenges," Belladonna explained. "And… I'm also unsure about if I believe he's really targeting you or if he tried to work with Art. I'm just… confused. I don't know. I just don't want to deal with it right now."

"Well, Bella, you're gonna have to deal with it eventually," Portia reasoned. "There's only one person who can with this competition, so there's no real reason for you to feel the way you do. Once the merge hits, Dade will just be another competitor."

Belladonna sighed, "I guess…"

Portia expressed, "Just calm your nerves. You don't have to cater to Dade's every whim just because he's trying to keep you in the game. You don't really owe him anything since he's the one who offered to help you in the first place."

Belladonna shrugged before taking a bite of her eggs. Portia grew a bit perturbed, but decided to just move on from the subject.

 **000**

" **I really hope that Belladonna doesn't just do what Dade tells her to," Portia expressed, folding her arms. "She's much smarter than that, and even** _ **she**_ **is starting to doubt him."**

 **She then let out a sigh, "You know, I really dislike what Dade is more than likely doing, and I'm getting** _ **really**_ **tired of Art and his bullshit complaining, but I'm also getting tired of eliminating people on our team. The other team needs to start losing more players; they have more threats over there."**

" **We really need to pull off a win in the next challenge or else we'll keep dwindling until the team is nonexistent," Portia expressed.**

 **000**

Max was still sitting by himself at his table, his breakfast box in front of him. He didn't really mind the solitude at the table, as it allowed him to freely think about whatever he wanted, whether it was about the competition, his life in general, or subjects that he either didn't understand or was fascinated by.

He could feel a pair of eyes piercing through him as he started putting syrup on his waffle. He had a feeling that he knew who the culprit was and, as he glanced behind himself, saw that he was correct. Jessica was still eyeing him hungrily. He felt like a Deerling in headlights, or a piece of meat in a Pyroar's den.

He swallowed to himself as he looked back down at his breakfast box. He couldn't shake the feeling that once the challenge was over, Jessica was going to try and have some _fun_ with him. She had kissed his cheek for Arceus' sake! If that was going to be the case, then he didn't know whether to be terrified, eager, or to remain nonchalant like he normally did. He just wanted advice, but if he was going to get more than just that, he supposed that it would be okay.

As the thought of Jessica trying to get freaky with him starting filling his head, the Delibird didn't notice the small Pokémon that was making his way toward his table. Dade was pushing his breakfast box across the floor little by little, as Zahku wasn't in the mess hall at that time. He had gotten lucky that his chosen box didn't open when he pushed it onto the ground.

Eventually, the Burmy grew tired, and a bit annoyed that no one had acknowledged or tried to help him out. He ceased his pushing, and instead called out to the Delibird. "Max!"

The Delibird turned in his direction, and noticed what he was trying to do. "Oh…" he said as he got up to help the Burmy to the table.

After placing Dade on the table, along with his box, Max sat back down, laying his head against one of his flippers. Noticing his expression, the Burmy grew interested. "Something wrong, Max?"

Max shook his head. "No, I'm okay. I'm just thinking to myself. No problem."

"Okay, okay," Dade nodded. "Well…" he began, looking around. He looked back at the Delibird, saying in a hushed tone, "We didn't really get to talk last night, so maybe we can actually talk later today."

Max shrugged his shoulders. He was still skeptical about the Burmy suddenly wanting an alliance, but he also knew that Tim was actually into it, so he felt that he was just going to have to deal with it. "Yeah, maybe," he responded nonchalantly.

"Okay, so just tell Tim that we'll meet after the challenge, before we come back for dinner," Dade instructed.

"Sure," Max responded tonelessly with another shrug.

Dade rose a brow at his tone, growing a bit suspicious and perturbed. "You sure nothing's wrong?"

"Yes," Max answered as he took a bite of his waffle.

" _Uh huh…"_ Dade thought to himself as he opened his box.

 **000**

" **I'm not sure what Max's deal is," Dade explained. "He seemed fine with it yesterday, but now he's acting like he wants nothing to do with the alliance."**

" **Then again, I don't know him that well, so that may just be how he is sometimes," he reasoned.**

 **000**

 **Max deadpanned, "Yeah, I have other things that I care about more than some alliance a guy who barely talks to us wants us to join."**

" **No offense to the guy. I'm just not bothered at the moment. I'll tell Tim and tag along when the time comes, but it doesn't really matter to me."**

 **000**

After vaguely informing the other girls about what Max wanted from her, as to not embarrass him or put his business out there, Jessica giggled as she kept having naughty thoughts about the Delibird.

Seeing her prolonged gaze at the Ice and Flying-type, Sasha jokingly expressed her concern, "Jess, if you keep staring like that, you'll scare him off."

"How are you so sure that he's gonna be okay with you trying to bed him down?" Tonya queried.

"Well, I asked him about what he thinks about casual sex, and when I offered, he practically said that he may be fine with it," Jessica explained with a smile.

The girls were surprised by that revelation, not thinking that Max would be the type to do sexual things. He seemed more like someone who would help a person get laid than actually get any action himself.

"Huh… well, okay, I guess," Sasha responded with a shrug. "Didn't think he'd be into that kinda stuff."

"I didn't either," Jessica revealed with a giggle. "Just makes _me_ a bit more curious…" she said suggestively, looking back over to the Delibird.

As interesting as the conversation was getting, Tonya wanted to change the subject and try to talk more about the game. The merge was coming soon, after all. She cleared her throat as Jessica and Sasha shared a laugh.

The Accelgor queried, "Say, uh… should we talk about what we're going to do if we lose a few more challenges before the merge?"

Immediately, Jessica and Sasha's laughing stopped as they looked toward Tonya. The thought that they could still lose had momentarily slipped their minds due to the amount of players that were still on their team compared to the other one.

"Uh…" Sasha began, scratching her head. "Well, we're gonna have to vote people out, obviously, but… It's gonna be pretty hard," she said, gazing back at Jessica.

The Bruxish let out a breath, "Tell me about it." They had four great guys on the team, and choosing one of them to eliminate was going to be very tough, as they didn't want to see any of them go.

Zahku was relatively new to the team, but they knew that he was pretty chill _and_ he was a powerhouse. Kane was pleasant to be around and he was very strong. Max had his humorous moments and he was generally reasonable and helpful, and Tim was rational and cool. Sure, these characteristics didn't sound like much, especially Tim's, but the whole team functioned well with all of them there.

Tonya rubbed the back of her head."Well, if we have to choose one to vote for, maybe it should be Tim. I mean, Zahku and I just had our moment, Sasha wouldn't vote for Kane, and you're planning something with Max. Tim's the odd man out."

Sasha nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I suppose that makes the most sense," she concurred.

Jessica let out a sigh of disappointment, as the Accelgor had a point. Tim was a very cool guy and she got along well with him. Heck, everyone on the team got along well with each other. "I guess… Damn it, that sucks."

"Yeah, it really does," Sasha agreed. "That's why we need to make sure that we keep winning these challenges. We don't wanna lose anyone."

"Right," Jessica nodded in agreement, with Tonya doing the same. "So, let's just continue pushing forward until we make it to the merge."

 **-000-**

Tim and Kane were still sitting in the cabin, chatting about their own relationships. Having just started one a few days back, Tim was asking for advice from the married bruin. Sure, he was gay, but he was essentially the 'alpha' of the relationship.

"So… you guys' first date was dinner and a movie?" Tim inquired, having asked the Ursaring about his and R.J.'s first date. "Isn't that a bit too plain?"

"Well… I don't really know if I'd call that our first _date_ date," Kane clarified. "That was mainly an incentive that he earned in school. He got a 'B' on a test, so I told him that I'd take him to whatever restaurant and movie he wanted."

Tim nodded in understanding. "Well, what _would_ you call you guys' first date?"

Kane chuckled, "The funny thing is that we went on our first date as a couple _after_ we already banged."

"Wait, what?" Tim queried in confusion.

"Yeah, a friend of mine had thrown a pool party. We had fun, and then we headed back home. I got in the shower to wash off the pool water and stuff, when all of a sudden R.J. walks in, gets in the shower, and kisses me," Kane explained. "He caught me completely off guard, because he kept saying that he didn't know what he was and he didn't care throughout the time we were living together."

Tim could infer what happened next, rhetorically asking, "And after he kissed you, it turned into something more?"

Kane nodded affirmatively, "Yep. I'm not gonna go into detail about what all we did, but that's the gist of it. After that, we talked about where we wanted to go from there, and we decided to start dating."

The Hibernator Pokémon continued, "The first place we went as a couple was Putt-Putt Golf and Bowling." He chuckled a bit, "His temper got the best of him on a few of the holes and he ended up snapping like... three clubs. And _I_ had to pay for them."

Tim scoffed with a chuckle, "Wow. How could you be with him for so long knowing he did things like that?"

"Well, because I spent enough time with him to know what makes him tick. I've also grown accustomed to his anger, and it's been slowly getting better as time passes," Kane explained. "Thirteen years together and I love him more and more every day."

Tim only nodded in response, a smile forming on his face. Kane really was the epitome of loyalty and strength, precisely the reason why he wanted a bit of guidance from him. However, before he could ask about himself and Lynn, there was a knock at the door.

They guys exchanged looks before looking back at the door, Kane rising up to answer it. Opening the door revealed none other than Max, who was holding two of the breakfast boxes. "Hey," he greeted tonelessly as he entered.

"Oh, you brought us the boxes?" Tim queried. "You know, I don't really eat breakfast these days. I just wait until dinner."

"Well, considering that the hosts hinted at the merge coming soon, I think that the team's gonna need more energy," Max explained, laying one of the boxes in front of the Tropius.

"Wait, they talked about the merge?" Kane chimed in, closing the door.

"Yeah," Max responded, handing the Ursaring his box as he walked back over. "They started talking about how we may wanna start deciding who we would and wouldn't want to go up against down the line."

"Oof…" Tim groaned. "Well, looks like we're gonna have to put in a lot more work. Our team's fine the way it is right now, so I really don't wanna lose."

"Anything else happen?" Kane asked as he took a seat and opened his box.

Max hummed, thinking about what was and wasn't important. After a few seconds of thinking, he decided to just tell them everything he knew. It wasn't much anyway. "Well, Tonya and Zahku slept together. That's why Jessica and Sasha slept in here last night," he began. "Uh… I'm a failure when it comes to personal relationship knowledge and I'm still very confused and curious about the concept, so Jessica may or may not try to help me understand by sleeping with me, and… uh…"

He walked over to Tim, whispering in his ear about Dade still wanting to talk to them. Tim was still too taken aback by the other knowledge to respond. Luckily, Kane was able to muster up a few comments.

"Okay, what the hell happened today?!" Kane exclaimed. "All of that was just at breakfast? Jeez…"

"I-I'm sorry. Did you just say that Tonya and _Zahku_ slept together?" Tim responded, still flabbergasted. "Like… newest member Zahku? Broken English Zahku?"

"Yes…" Max responded with a shrug. "I was a bit surprised myself. That's part of why Jessica's gonna try to explain to me how this relationship stuff actually works."

"I mean," Kane began. "Relationships are fairly complicated, mainly because everyone is different. We all have different tastes and everything, so there's no clear-cut way that it works."

"Well I just wanna know what a woman thinks about it since they're the ones most commonly asked," Max explained. "I'm not stressing about it, either. It's just a genuine curiosity."

"Speaking of stressing… who are we voting for if, Arceus forbid, we lose today's challenge?" Tim queried, lackadaisically opening his box. "I honestly have no idea."

"Same here," Kane expressed.

"Uh… I mean, we can always just vote for Zahku," Max chimed in. "He's a cool guy and all, but I'd rather not go up against him when the teams are gone."

"No," Tim stated immediately. "We're not doing that. That'd be the same thing that happened to Lynn. Get eliminated right after starting a relationship."

"Okay… then maybe we shouldn't worry about it until we see the results of the challenge," Max suggested. "No point in trying to choose someone if we haven't even lost yet."

"Fair enough," Kane responded, taking a bite of the eggs.

 **000**

Once everyone finished their breakfast, they all made their way to the glade. Once they arrived at the grassy field, they noticed two small, empty display cases. One was sitting on top of a red cloth, and the other one was sitting on top of a blue cloth.

"Welcome to the site of you guys' next challenge," Victini introduced. "A scavenger hunt!"

"Really? We have to look for stuff _again_?" Art groaned. "Are you that depraved of ideas already?"

Portia nudged the Ferrothorn to get him to pipe down, earning her a glare from the Thorn Pod Pokemon.

"Anywho…" Victini continued. "This challenge is your standard scavenger hunt. We will provide each team with a list of items, and your jobs will be to find them."

Mew immediately followed up with the catch. "However, like the flower picking portion of the Grass-type challenge, there will be a few hindrances that stand in your way. So, this will be quite difficult."

"Once you procure an item on your list, you must bring it back to the display case before going back to search for another one," Victini explained. "This means that splitting up is a definite no-go."

"So we _really_ have to stick together the entire time?" Tonya questioned with a disappointed tone. "That'll take forever."

"Oh don't complain…" Art retorted, rolling his eyes. "You're a speed freak. It's not like it'll take you people that long…"

"Aww… someone sounds upset," Jessica teased. "Need a courtesy blow before the challenge actually starts?"

"I'd rather throw myself into the volcano," the Ferrothorn deadpanned, the thought of the Bruxish coming near him with her mouth causing him to mentally gag.

"And I'm sure that no one would care," Mew grumbled to himself.

"Ignoring that," Victini continued, rolling his eyes. "The team that brings back all of the items on their list and closes the case will win. The losing team sends someone home."

As the remaining contestants exchanged looks, Mew handed a member of each team a list. Max, having been the given the Red Team's list, rose a brow upon reading a few of the items on the list. "Uh… I'm… pretty sure that some of these items belong to legendaries. Red Orb, Lustrous Orb, Rainbow Wing…"

Victini chuckled before responding, "Yep. There are quite a few items on those lists that belong to our dear 'friends' at the Hall of Origins and we made sure to make them very hard to retrieve."

"How courteous of you," Tim deadpanned with an irritated visage.

"It's no problem at all," Victini chirped, ignoring his sarcasm. "We have to make things more challenging as time goes on, anyway."

"Alright, I think that's enough chit-chat," Mew stated, clasping his hands together. "You guys know what you have to do, so get to it."

Victini followed him up with a nod, "Challenge starts now!"

Both teams split up immediately, their arduous searching set to begin.

 **000**

Having ran through the trees to leave the vicinity, the Red Team made it out of the forest, finding themselves on the beach.

"Okay, we should go over the list and see what all we're working with," Sasha advised. "Now, you said that we have the Red Orb, Lustrous Orb, and Rainbow Wing… Is there anything else?"

Max droned, "Uh…" He gazed back down at the list. "We also have a Red Scale, Magma Stone, and Flame Orb."

"Okay, that's six items that we have to find, and we have to go back to the glade every time we retrieve one," Kane breathed, folding his arms. "This is gonna take forever."

"No it won't, sugar~," Jessica responded with a smile.

The Ursaring glanced at her in unsurety. "How? They said that we can't split up at all, and apparently some of these things are going to be hard to get to."

Jessica glued her eyes to the hunk, a warm smile forming on her face. Those eyes slowly turned blue, with the same aura enveloping the Hibernator Pokémon. He found himself being lifted up and slowly spun around.

"H-Hey! What're you doing?!" Kane exclaimed.

Tim chuckled upon seeing this, "Well, I think that Jessica being part Psychic-type will help us out a lot..."

Kane was placed back on the ground as Jessica explained herself.

"Pretty much what Tim said," she breathed. "I'm a Psychic-type, and they didn't give any restrictions, so this will be a breeze."

Just then, as if on cue, Victini's voice echoed throughout the island via the loudspeaker. "Thanks for the reminder, Jessica! No telekinesis or teleportation allowed!"

Jessica's initial expression quickly turned sour with the announcement. "Well, _that_ plan just went south for the winter."

"Don't worry, Jess. I'm sure that we'll still be able to do just as well," Sasha reassured, patting the Bruxish's protuberance. "We'll just have to be smarter and more careful if things get rough."

Jessica let out a sigh of exasperation, having been eager to help the team win the challenge using her abilities. "Well," she breathed, "I guess we're just gonna have to deal."

"If that's the case, I say that we get the obvious ones out of the way since they're gonna be the ones that give us the most trouble," Tim suggested.

"And which ones are you talking about?" Tonya inquired.

"Well…" the Tropius began, turning to face toward the water. His eyes scanned over the sea, the sandbar and volcano coming into view. "I feel like it's pretty easy to tell where the Magma Stone is…" he said, gesturing toward the heated landform. "Heck, it may even have the Flame Orb, too."

Kane, hands on his hips, let out a sigh, "Well, let's get going, then. We don't have time to waste."

With the coals from the Fire-type challenge gone, the path to the sandbar was clear, allowing for easy access. The Red Team quickly made their way toward the piece of land.

As they traveled toward the volcano, Tonya stuck close to Zahku, grabbing his hand. The Makuhita was caught off guard, staring down at their locked hands. He understood that holding hands was a symbol of love and signified a relationship, but he wasn't sure as to why the Accelgor was doing this. He thought that they had an agreement.

He pulled his hand away slowly before continuing forward, with Tonya letting out a sigh.

Max eventually chimed in with a question regarding the challenge, "So, if you guys had to guess how long it'd take us to finish this challenge, what would your guess be?"

"Hmm… approximately… two or three hours," Jessica guessed. "Maybe more."

Max shrugged in response, "Sounds about right."

Eventually, they reached the sandbar, the salty stench of the ocean filling the contestants' nostrils, or whatever nasal passage that they had.

"Okay, let's see what's going on inside of this magma-filled pimple," Tim said as he and his teammates continued walking forward.

As they started walking onto the volcano, a few doubts started entering Sasha's head. The Nidoqueen inquired, "What if there's nothing here? What if they thought ahead and put them somewhere else to throw us off?"

Nobody responded to the Drill Pokémon, initially, instead they exchanged looks of uncertainty. Eventually, Kane offered a reasonable reply, "Well, if that's the case, we'll just have to search somewhere else."

The Red Team reached the peak of the volcano, their eyes perusing the massive hole before them. A wave of intense heat struck the contestants like a semi-truck, as the volcano was filled with much more lava than it was before.

"Jeez, this thing looks like it's about to erupt," Tim commented, flinching from the heat as a few beads of sweat dripped down his neck.

"And I don't see any special pedestals or signs that an item is around here," chimed Sasha, inspecting the area. "But, then again, we're just on this side and there's smoke coming from the crater."

"I'll check it out," Tonya offered as she hopped forward. She sped around the perimeter of the crater, making sure that nothing was there.

Meeting back up with her teammates, the Accelgor smacked her lips, folding her arms. "Okay… there's nothing."

There was a collective groan, with Tim scanning the ground in disappointment. "Uh… sorry guys," he apologized sheepishly.

Jessica shook her head, feeling that he had no reason to express regret. "It's okay, hon. It was a good lead."

"Uh…"

Hearing the sound, the contestants turned their attention to Max, the source of the utterance. They saw that the Delibird was excruciatingly close to the crater, gazing inside.

"What's up, Max?" Tim asked inquisitively.

"Well…" the Delivery Pokémon began, wiping away sweat that dripped from his face. "The good news is, there _is_ an item here. The bad news… it's actually inside of the volcano."

The others slowly approached the crater to peer inside. The magma was a given, but along with it, there seemed to be a stone structure sitting in the molten rock. Atop the structure sat a reddish-orange stone. Closer inspection revealed that the stone was causing the smoke emission.

"That's the Magma Stone!" Tim identified.

"Yep…" Jessica deadpanned with a sigh. "So… the question now is… who's gonna get it?"

There was a moment of silence, with the teammates exchanging looks, waiting for someone to volunteer. That silence wasn't broken until an utterance from Zahku got all eyes on him. "Zahku not really scared of hot rock," the Makuhita said as he prepared to climb down into the crater.

Nearly everyone's eyes widened upon hearing that. Was the Makuhita insane? They knew that he was unreasonably strong and had a high pain tolerance, but even _he_ wouldn't survive going down there. With that in mind, Kane quickly grabbed the Makuhita by the 'knot' on his head and lifted him back out. "Whoa-ho-ho… No, you're not going down there like that. You may be strong, but you're not invincible."

Zahku narrowed his eyes in exasperation. They had no idea about what he was really capable of. However, he decided to leave the situation be. Perhaps they would come up with a better idea.

"So… if we're not gonna let Zahku go down there, how are we gonna get it?" Sasha queried.

Analyzing the situation, Tonya glanced at Tim and Max, both of them being Flying-types. "Well, we could have Max or Tim fly down there and grab it for us."

Tim's eyes widened in fear as he quickly came up with an excuse, which also made sense. "I-I u-uh… um… I… can't. I'm unable to really grab things. And not to mention I'm deathly allergic to fire and lava…"

Everyone gave him a look, finding his latter excuse unnecessary and excessive. Jessica cleared her throat, "Tim, the fact that you can't grab things is common knowledge. We weren't gonna ask you to do it."

Tim sweatdropped. "Oh…"

"Yeah… plus, you and Max can both fly, _but_ you both are really bad with fire and the like," Kane expounded, folding his arms as his eyes focused back on the smoking crater. "So, we're still stuck."

Sasha let out a sigh, trying to think of a way to retrieve the Magma Stone without causing a lot of pain to her teammates. As she attempted to brainstorm, Zahku made another endeavor to get into the volcano's crater, only to be foiled by Kane once again.

She perused the inside of the crater before looking at her teammates. Her eyes settling on Jessica, she glanced back and forth at the magma-filled opening and the Water and Psychic-type. "Jessica," she finally spoke. "Why don't you try to get it?"

Deadpanning, the Bruxish answered, "Because I don't think anyone's in the mood for fried fish. Plus, you heard Victini, I can't use telekinesis or teleportation to help us out."

"Maybe… but you're still a Water-type,"the Nidoqueen reasoned. "You could use Hydro Pump or some other Water-type move on the stone and grab it with your teeth."

"Hey, that actually sounds like it could work!" Tonya complimented. "Let's do it!"

Jessica groaned. She didn't want to do it, but it didn't seem like she had a choice. She was the only one with an advantage against fire, excluding Sasha, but the Nidoqueen couldn't float like she could. She was most definitely not looking forward to this. "Fine…"

The Bruxish started floating toward the stone structure, the smoke making things more difficult and annoying. In an attempt to support her, Max stated, "Be careful…"

Jessica shot him a glare in response, causing him to sweatdrop. When she turned back around, a blast of fire shot from the depths of the molten rock. Closer inspection of the magma revealed that Slugma and Magcargo were swimming inside of it, and they were all rather displeased by the Red Team's appearance, specifically the Bruxish floating over the crater.

"Oh… this doesn't look good," Tim said, seeing the new dilemma they were facing. The Lava Pokémon's piercing glares were slicing right through them, causing a wave of anxiousness to wash over the group, excluding Zahku.

The Slugma and Magcargo simultaneously blasted Flamethrowers at the Red Team, which combined to form one large blast that went right toward them.

 **000**

The Blue Team decided to search for the Gracidea first, as it was more than likely going to be the most tedious to search for. With it being a plant, and majority of the island being covered in plants and vegetation, it would probably take them hours to find it, especially since there were only four of them.

As they walked along a path that lead to the mountains, Art let out a groan of annoyance, stopping in place. It was Portia's idea to go start with the Gracidea, but he didn't see the point of it. They had six items to search for, and they would have to transfer them back to the glade before they could move on to another one.

It didn't make sense to go for the item that would likely take them the longest to find. The Ferrothorn felt that what they were doing was counterproductive. He wanted, nay, he _needed_ for his team to win. He may have agreed to vote with Dade, but he still didn't trust him; not by a long shot. He much preferred it if his team actually won the challenge so that the Burmy didn't have a chance to screw with him.

"Can someone please explain to me why we're wasting our time?" the Ferrothorn bluntly queried.

"We're doing the challenge, obviously," Portia answered, pausing and turning back to the Ferrothorn with a piercing glare. "Now, why don't _you_ explain how we're wasting time by doing what we're told?"

They were already down to four players and now he was complaining about them doing the challenge? What was his problem?

Art cleared his throat before giving his explanation. "Well, considering that we can only proceed by finding and bringing individual items back to the glade, _and_ it'll likely take us _hours_ to find just _one_ specific flower on this island, it's probably not the best idea to go for it _first_ …"

"And how are you so sure that it'll take us a long time to find the Gracidea?" the Rhyperior questioned exasperatedly.

"Maybe the fact that there's only _four_ of us!" Art retorted, raising his tone. "We can't split up, we have to find six items on this _huge_ island, and we have a low amount of players. Therefore, I have a right to be concerned about how we're spending our current time."

"Well, okay then, Mr. Prickles, why don't _you_ tell us what we should look for first and we'll see how long it'll take us to find it?" Portia suggested.

"Finally, a good suggestion," Art said, walking toward Belladonna, who was holding their list.

Dade, having remained quiet the whole time, decided to chime in with a reminder, "Uh… did you guys miss the part where they literally said that they intentionally made the ones connected to Legendaries hard to retrieve? This is likely gonna take more than a couple of hours."

"Which is why I mentioned the fact that there's only _four_ of us!" Art exclaimed. "We're better off going for the easier ones first so that we can spend as much time as we need on the harder ones. We're already at a significant disadvantage."

"Okay, okay. Y'know what? Fine. Just hurry up tell us where _you_ want to go and we'll see how well that works for us…" Portia stated, folding her arms in a huff.

"Gladly," Art said as Belladonna held up the list for the Ferrothorn to see. "Okay, let's see…"

Going over the list, Art's face twisted into a scowl. "Wow, how fortunate," he sarcastically stated. "Everything on our list is a Legendary item except for the Blue Card..."

"Greeeat, so it pretty much makes no difference," Portia deadpanned, rolling her eyes.

Belladonna offered a suggestion upon hearing that, "So, since everything is _apparently_ gonna take a while, anyway, let's just continue down the path for now."

"Yeah, _that_ is probably our best course of action. Why change route when we're already searching?" Dade rhetorically questioned. "Plus, I doubt that they'd literally stash the items _anywhere_. It'd probably take us days to find everything. All we really have to do is check the most prominent areas of the island and we're bound to find something."

Art groaned. "Okay, fine. We're stuck together, so I guess I have no choice in this matter. Onwards… to wherever the hell we're going."

Portia rolled her eyes, grumbling to herself as she continued walking down the path. Belladonna picked up Dade, placing him on her head before following the Rhyperior through the forest. The Ferrothorn let out a sigh of vexation, clenching his eyes shut for the duration of it, before re-opening them and trailing his teammates.

 **-000-**

The four members of the Blue Team eventually reached the mountains, with Art straggling behind due to his lack of interest. He wanted to win, but he hated how his team was going about this challenge. However, he was outnumbered, so there wasn't anything he could do about it.

"Well, we're here," the Ferrothorn deadpanned. "What now?"

"If you shut your mouth, maybe we can move on with it," Portia stated bluntly. Art rolled his eyes before deciding to oblige. The faster they got through this, the better. Hearing his silence, she cleared her throat before turning back to the mountain. "Well, there's no Gracidea… but I feel like they'd put the Adamant Orb in here since it just seems like the type of environment for it."

"Well, judging from the list, this may be our best bet," Belladonna agreed. "But, then again, we don't know if they stuck it inside or outside. And it could take a while to find _it_ , too, since we have to stay together."

"Well, if that's the case, why don't we just follow the stream and head to the lake," Dade suggested. "If we think that the Adamant Orb is here, then Art may have had a point when he said that we should try to find the ones that may be easier, first."

"Finally, someone else has common sense," Art opined. "Seriously. We have a Douse Drive and a Blue Orb on our list. I'm pretty sure that those are cues for us to search around _water_."

"You didn't say that before. You just said that we were wasting time, so don't try to act like you were right the whole time," Portia stated, turning back around. She looked back down at Dade, and although she still didn't trust him, going to the lake wasn't a completely bad idea.

"So... are we heading to the lake now?" Belladonna inquired, as silence filled the air.

"It's not like we have any other plans besides than this stupid mountain…" Art stated as he began following the stream down to the lake. After a while, he noticed that he wasn't being followed. With a groan, he called, "You people coming, or what?"

Portia had a feeling that the Ferrothorn was just going to continue to act this way at nearly every turn, so she decided to just stay quiet and go along with him. If they ended up failing, then they had all the more reason to vote him out.

Without saying a word, the Rhyperior followed the Ferrothorn down the stream, a scowl fixed upon her face. Belladonna and Dade exchanged looks before following them.

 **000**

The members of the Red Team jumped out of the way before the mega Flamethrower was able to reach them. The blast caused the portion of rock they were initially standing on to melt and leave a few scorch marks.

Max groaned as he sat up, rubbing his head, "Well, that could've gone better."

The others who had leapt out of harm's way were also either groaning or dusting themselves off. Jessica, after seeing the attack, and dodging her own, quickly went back to check on everyone.

"Are you guys okay!?" she expressed with concern.

Kane stood up, dusting himself off with a sigh, "I've been better…" The Ursaring popped his back before leaning down to help the girls up as well.

"Well…" Tim began as he stood up. "Now that we know that there's a bunch of Slugma and Magcargo in there that can unleash fire-based Kamehamehas, maybe we should come up with another plan."

"What else can we do?" Tonya asked. "Sasha and Jessica are the only ones here with any type of advantage over them."

"Zahku can handle himself," the Makuhita sternly stated, folding his arms. "He can just-"

"You're not getting yourself killed," Tonya responded with a firm hand, narrowing her eyes at him. "Again, you may be strong, but you're _not_ invincible."

Zahku rolled his eyes with a sigh in response. They were really underestimating the Makuhita's physical and mental prowess.

"So… what? Do we try Jess again?" Max queried, looking to the Bruxish before focusing back to the group. "I mean, she didn't really get a chance to try to grab it because of the Flamethrower that got blasted at us."

"That seems to be our only option at this point," Kane said, folding his arms. His own gaze went to the Gnash Teeth Pokémon, asking, "You up to try again?"

In response, Jessica let out a soft breath, looking back at the crater. She really didn't have a chance to try to grab the stone, as she got worried after the others nearly got incinerated by the mega Flamethrower. She was worried that the Lava Pokémon would try that same attack on her if she got close to the stone, even as a Water-type.

Nevertheless, she sighed, "Yeah. I guess I can try again."

"What about the Slugma and Magcargo?" Sasha chimed in, worried for her safety. "They'll reduce her to ash before she gets to it!"

Suddenly, an idea formed in Tim's head. "What if we distract them?"

Confused visages formed on everyone's faces as they turned to the Tropius. Tonya was the first to question his suggestion. "Uh… did you not remember what happened a few minutes ago? I don't think getting closer to them is in our best interests."

"No, no, listen," Tim explained. "Look. They're not attacking us right now, right?"

Everyone turned around, gazing at the crater and seeing that there weren't any more attacks coming from it, nor were the Pokémon inside trying to slink out. Turning back, Kane responded, "Yeah, so what?"

" _So…_ that means that they'll only attack when they see us," Tim explained. "If all of us stand in different positions and get their attention, that can give Jessica enough time to go down there, get the Magma Stone, and get back out."

A wave of unsurety washed over the others. The plan was doable, but the display of power from the Lava Pokémon was a bit nerve-racking. Eventually, after a few glances at each other, they agreed.

"Fine," Sasha responded. "Let's hope that it actually works…"

"And if it doesn't, I'll take the blame," Tim said, stepping toward the crater.

As everyone took a position near the edge of the crater, Jessica could only sigh and shake her head. Suddenly, a much simpler not-potentially-deadly idea formed in Jessica's head and she gasped. "Wait guys!" she exclaimed, getting everyone's attention. "Come back!"

Everyone that could hear her did as she said, walking back towards her. Those who probably couldn't hear her that well could see the others going back and followed suit. Upon returning, Tonya inquired, "What's wrong?"

"I have a better idea that'll work just as well, if not better, and will put no one in danger," she explained.

"Okay, I like it already," Sasha responded immediately. "What is it?"

"Well, all I have to do is grind my teeth, and it should distract them long enough for me to get to the stone. And, while they're distracted, you guys can hit them with long range moves, if you're capable of it anyway," the Bruxish explained. "Though, I don't think it'll be necessary unless you actually _want_ to…"

"I… have no objections to that," Kane said, shrugging his shoulders.

"So…. do we just have to cover our ears, then?" Max queried.

"Yeah, I think that it's in your best interest, hon," Jessica giggled as she started floating back toward the crater.

"Just let us know when you're about to do it!" Kane shouted to her.

Jessica nodded just as she reached the edge. She gazed down and saw the multiple snails and slugs moving around in the molten liquid.

"Alright…" she whispered to herself. "NOW!" she exclaimed as she began grinding her teeth together.

The bone-chilling sound echoed throughout the location. Everyone on the Red Team quickly covered their ears. Well, except for Tim, who had no way of doing so.

"I… hate my life…" he said through his own grit teeth, resting his head against the ground.

The Slugma and Magcargo inside of the volcano were yelling in irritation, diving down into the magma in an attempt to escape the sound. Jessica made her way into the crater, approaching the smoky stone. She ceased grinding her teeth, using them to grab hold of the hot stone. She expeditiously started floating back up just as the Slugma and Magcargo resurfaced. Seeing her retreating form, they all blasted various moves in her direction including, but not limited to, Flamethrowers, Rock Throws, Flame Bursts, and Overheats. She narrowly avoided a full-powered Fire Blast to the tail fin as she finally made it out.

She immediately spit out the Magma Stone before gargling and licking her lips repeatedly. "Never… again…"

"You okay, Jess?" Max queried as he and the rest of their team came over.

Jessica shuddered. "That thing is not only bitter as fuck, it's _extremely_ hot. I could almost feel my teeth melting!"

"Well, it's a good thing that you're safe," Kane said. "Now we just have to figure out a way to get it back to the glade without someone getting third degree burns from it…"

"Zahku has stone. Team ready to go now?"

They turned in the Makuhita's direction, eyes wide as they saw the Makuhita holding the stone, virtually feeling nothing.

 **000**

" **Okay… WHAT THE HELL IS HE!?" Tim exclaimed. "Seriously!?"**

 **000**

" **I'll be honest, I always thought that Zahku was a bit weird, but respectable because of his strength and willingness," Kane explained. "But now he just terrifies me…"**

 **000**

"Zahku… you are holding a stone filled with magma… that was just surrounded by magma! How the hell are not in any pain!?" Sasha exclaimed.

Zahku looked down at the stone in his hands and tossed it up and down before shrugging. "Not really hot for Zahku."

Everyone exchanged looks of confusion before Tonya offered a possible explanation.

The Accelgor reasoned, "Well, it's probably not that hot anymore since it's not near a lot of magma anymore and probably because it's been in Jessica's mouth and she's a Water-type."

"Look," Jessica stated sternly, not wanting to get into it . "I don't think that it matters. We have the Magma Stone, let's just take it back to the glade so that we can move on."

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan," Max nodded in agreement. "Let's get going."

 **000**

The Blue Team was still heading down the stream, with Art leading the way. Portia was growing more and more annoyed, while Dade and Belladonna followed her. They had been walking in silence, which was irritating the Thorn Pod Pokémon. He decided to speak up so that they wouldn't stay completely quiet and actually did something besides just follow him.

He cleared his throat, "We're still around water, so keep an eye out for any of the items if you see them on the sidelines or under our feet or whatever."

"What do you think we've been doing for the past seven minutes?" Portia responded with a huff. "It's not like we've been focusing on your little tendrils this whole time. Plus, we would've spoken up if we had seen something, but we haven't…"

Growing annoyed at her attitude, Art groaned before turning back around to face her. "Look, woman. I don't know why you have such a pole up your ass today, but I suggest that you knock it off. I want to win this challenge _just_ as bad as you do. We just have _four_ players left. Ya hear me? FOUR!" he exclaimed, causing her to flinch. "And you acting pissy because I didn't think your plan was efficient isn't helping us in the slightest. So you can either take the pole out of your ass and actually make yourself useful, or you can continue your passive-aggressive crap and cost us the challenge. Which is it gonna be?"

Portia glared down at the Ferrothorn, hating that he actually had a point. She _was_ being passive-aggressive. The fact that their numbers were dwindling, coupled with the fact that Art was constantly grousing over everything, pissed her off. But, as much as she wanted the Ferrothorn out of the game, she was very sick of losing.

Letting out a sigh of defeat, she folded her arms, "Fine, I'll stop. But only if _you_ stop complaining and being an asshole. Seriously, do you _always_ have to comment negatively about something?"

"And you're complaining about my complaining, so what does that say about you?" Art retorted tonelessly. He turned around, muttering, "But, whatever. I guess I can stop. Now, let's get to the lake and see if one of the items is there."

The two of them continued forward, with Belladonna and Dade simply continuing to tag along in silence. Belladonna felt a bit awkward and didn't want to get involved, while Dade was just finding the situation amusing.

 **000**

" **Watching the two of them bicker is like watching one of those cliché scenes in a movie," Dade opined. "Guy with certain views and crummy methods has to get a sensible girl to get off his back and then they either come to a mutual agreement or get over it and move on."**

" **Now we just have to see if those two end up making out by the end of this. I doubt it, but eh. Who knows?" the Burmy shrugged.**

 **000**

The four of them eventually reached the lake, with Portia slipping into the water after misstepping. Art chuckled upon seeing this, walking around to the shore.

As he did so, Portia let out a groan of annoyance as she got back to her feet. Stepping to the shore as well, Belladonna inquired, "You okay?"

The Rhyperior nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, I'm okay. It's just water."

They suddenly heard Art exclaim, "Hey! Are you people coming over or not?!" They turned and saw Art standing on another area of the shore, with a path behind him that would lead them back to either the glade or the campgrounds depending on which side they went down.

The three of them made their way over to where Art was standing. The Ferrothorn was looking at the lake intently, looking for any sign of an object.

"See anything?" Dade inquired, already knowing that there was nothing of interest to be seen.

Art continued looking as he responded to the Bagworm Pokémon. "Other than lily pads and pondweed, no, but I have a feeling that these special hosts of ours planted something here…"

"How can you be so sure?" Portia queried, a brow raised in curiosity. "There _could_ just be nothing here."

"Well, it would make sense for _something_ to be here," Art responded. "Like bug boy said, it wouldn't make sense for the hosts to just put these things _anywhere._ There's gotta be something here."

A possibility made itself known by Belladonna, who asked, "What if it's underwater?"

Everyone went silent as they all gazed at the Golem with semi-wide eyes. It sounded like something that the hosts would do, but it wouldn't really be all that difficult to reach in that case, depending on how deep it was.

"I doubt that it's underwater, but I guess that it couldn't hurt to check," Portia sheepishly said, rubbing the back of her head.

The Rhyperior started walking into the lake before taking a deep breath and submerging herself under the murky water.

With her now searching underwater, Art huffed. "She's a real piece of work. She hates me for my complaining, but she's not making herself look any better by being an immature bitch."

"Hey, she's frustrated!" Belladonna responded with a glare. "I'm pretty sure we _all_ are. And while I think that taking it out on you isn't going to help anything, you're no better."

"I never said that I was," Art retorted. "But… if she wants to call _me_ out, I can call _her_ out, too."

"Why can't we just focus on the challenge and call _nobody_ out?" Dade deadpanned. "Regardless of how we feel about each other, we're still a team and we need to act like one. We've lost three players in a row and, frankly, I don't wanna go for four…"

"Yeah," Belladonna agreed. She looked back to Art, pointing to him accusingly. "So, you and Portia had better start getting along or, at the very least, tolerate each other."

Art groaned in defeat, rolling his eyes. "Fine, whatever. I'm already tired of hearing these speeches today."

Suddenly, Portia surfaced, taking a deep breath. Her shoulders and head were covered in weeds and she panted heavily as she swam back to the shore. Reaching the shore, she was immediately met with questions of worry and curiosity.

"You okay?" Belladonna asked, patting her wet hip.

Dade followed up with another, more pertinent question, "Did you find anything?"

The Rhyperior shook her head as she swiped off the wet grass still clinging to her body. "No, nothing. It was too murky for me to really see anything."

"Oh come _on_ , there _has_ to be something here," Art insisted. He started looking around at the trees, and at the water again, with Dade chuckling.

Finding his attempt to identify an item desperate and futile, the Burmy said, "Maybe it's about time we move on and just try somewhere else…"

Belladonna hummed, "I don't think that just stopping and moving on when the entire area hasn't been searched is a good idea. There _could_ still be something around here. And like they said, it's not gonna be easy to get them."

"Okay… so what do you suggest then?" Dade inquired, already knowing what she was going to say.

"Let's actually check the whole perimeter, first," Belladonna suggested. "We wouldn't want to miss anything."

Suddenly, Art let out a resounding, "A-ha!" Everyone turned around and saw that the Ferrothorn was facing a tree. Curious as to what he had found, they approached him. Closer inspection revealed that there was a button in the hollow of the tree.

"A button? Seriously?" Dade deadpanned. "And how the heck were we supposed to know to look in there?"

"Well, my guess is that they expected us to use the normal path that leads here," Portia speculated, pointing at the path. "The button's more visible if you're walking from that direction."

"Who cares about the how or where?" Art said, rolling his eyes. "I found a button, so let's see if it gives us anything."

Art was ready to hit the button, only for Belladonna to shout in worry. "Wait! What if it's a trap?"

Ignoring her expression of suspicion, Art pressed the button. The button prompted a bubbling sound to come from the lake. Looking toward the body of water, the four of them saw rocky columns of various heights rising from it. There were ten of them in total, and the peaks of them appeared to get smaller and smaller until the ninth one. On the tenth column, there was a glass case covering a blue cassette-like object.

Being unable to fully see the end reward, Art gaped in surprise before inquiring, "What the hell is this supposed to be?"

"Wet columns…" Dade answered. "And by the looks of them, I think that they want us to climb and cross them."

"Climb and cross them? For what?" Art responded.

"Well, considering that a random button being here isn't really 'normal', and this is a challenge… I'm guessing that we're gonna get an item from completing this," Portia flatly expressed.

"So... one of us is gonna have to get up there and cross without falling," Belladonna reasoned.

All eyes immediately went to Art, who, upon seeing this, shook his head in disapproval. "No way am I going up there! Why not make the surfer go up there? She's the one who likes water so much."

"But it was _your_ idea to come here in the first place," Portia argued back. "Plus, you're covered in spikes and you have long, spiky vines. Just use them to stick to the columns."

Art growled in annoyance. "Fine, but you people owe me…" He proceeded toward the columns, with the others giving him looks as he did so.

"We all want to win the challenge, remember?" Dade reminded. "We don't owe you anything."

Art didn't respond to that, not wanting to hear it. Instead, he continued toward the columns, hooking his spiky vines into the first one and carefully climbing up. He eventually reached the top, but soon realized that he wouldn't be able to get all three of his limbs onto it.

Still hanging from the column, the Ferrothorn shouted down to his teammates, "Uh… I don't think I'm gonna be able to do this!"

"Come on Art, at least try!" Dade shouted back.

"How do you expect me to try when I won't even be able to stand on the damn thing!?" he shouted back. "I am _hanging_ here _!_ "

Portia sighed. As much as she disliked him, she couldn't be completely upset at the Ferrothorn if he couldn't physically do the challenge. "Okay, fine then. Just drop down!" she shouted to him. "I'll do it."

"You're damn right, you will!" Art responded as he started climbing back down.

 **000**

" **As a surfer, you need to have really great balance," Portia explained. "So, I think that I'll be able to traverse the columns pretty easily."**

 **000**

Portia started climbing up the first column, which stood at about eleven feet. As she reached the top, she shakily attempted to stand up on it. She slowly rose herself up, shaking every so often, before finally getting to her feet.

She took a deep breath, wiping a few beads of sweat from her head. As she looked around and tried to keep her balance, she could hear Belladonna shout, "Great work, Portia!"

"Do you see anything up there?!" Dade inquired.

The Rhyperior looked ahead and saw the glass case containing the Douse Drive. Without looking back down, she relayed this information to the others. "Yeah! There's a Douse Drive here."

"Then get it!" Art shouted.

Portia looked down at the Thorn Pod Pokémon with an irritated expression. She rolled her eyes before looking forward once again.

She saw that the next column was a bit taller than the one she was already on and sighed. She jumped forward, grabbing hold of it with a grunt.

 **000**

"There," Kane said, as Zahku placed the Magma Stone inside of their team's display case.

"Nice work, Red Team," Mew complimented. "Didn't expect you guys to get this one so fast. Especially without special assistance."

"Yeah, well it happened," Jessica replied flatly, still a bit irked that they had to go through all of that. "We can go look for something else now, right?"

"Yep," Victini responded. "One down, five to go." He gazed back over to their monitors and saw the progress being made by the other team. "And it looks like the other team is close to getting their first item as well, so you guys had better skedaddle."

Immediately, the Red Team rushed back in the direction of the campgrounds, leaving the hosts to watch the monitors once again.

"This challenge is gonna be a while," Mew said once the Red Team was out of sight. "Think we should offer them a break when one of the teams reaches three items?"

Victini shrugged in response. "Eh, I guess. I doubt the viewers would want to watch them be run ragged," he said as he floated back over to the monitors.

Mew nodded, "Okay. I'll order pizza and stuff. With how things are probably gonna go, they're gonna deserve some good snacks."

Victini was about the protest, as it would be a waste, but he decided to let it be. An idea was forming in his head.

 **-000-**

The Red Team reached the campgrounds, with Max taking a seat on the staircase of their cabin.

"Okay, so what are we looking for now?" Sasha queried. "We don't wanna lose our lead."

Max opened his tail, taking out their list. He looked over it with a hum, saying, "We can try to go for the Red Scale. We're near the beach, so something may be along the shore."

"That's true, but who's to say that the scale would be there by itself?" Kane responded, folding his arms. "We may have to find a Red Gyarados for all we know."

"Mother of Arceus, I hope that's not the case…" Tim groaned, his head drooping a bit.

Tonya chimed in, "And even if the scale _is_ along the shore or near water in general, it doesn't tell us what part of the island we have to go to."

"Well, let's just try it out, and if we see something else, we can go try to retrieve _it_ instead," Max suggested, getting back to his feet.

The seven of them proceeded down toward the beach, looking around at the sand for any sign of a scale. They began walking to the left, in the direction of the elimination area, scanning the ground ever so carefully.

As they walked, another possibility freed itself from Sasha's lips. "What if they buried it?" she inquired.

The others froze momentarily, the thought of the Red Scale being buried causing some of them to scream internally. Luckily, Jessica offered a counter to her thought, putting them at ease.

"I think it'd be obvious if they had buried it anywhere," the Bruxish responded. "And unless they put it in a box or something before they did, it'd definitely be near impossible to find. And I don't think they'd let a challenge run for that long."

Sasha shrugged her shoulders, the Gnash Teeth Pokémon's explanation being sensible to her. As they continued walking along the shore, a few horizontal ripples in the water caught Tim's attention.

He rose a brow of suspicion. "Uh… anyone else see that?" he asked, gesturing to the water just as the ripples stopped.

"See what?" Tonya queried, having just missed the water's movement.

"The water started randomly rippling for a bit," he explained, gazing back at the ocean with narrowed eyes.

"Uh… Tim. Water does that," Kane responded, confused as to what his point was.

Getting that response, Tim groaned, rolling his eyes. "Come on. You guys are seriously doing the same thing that people do in horror movies. Someone sees something suspicious, no one believes them, and then something bad happens when they're not looking…"

Suddenly, the water began bubbling, which was caught by Max this time. "Uh…" the Delibird uttered, gazing at the water intently.

The others turned back to the water and saw the action as well, growing confused and perturbed.

"That doesn't look good," Sasha opined, taking a few steps back, unsure of what to make of it.

The Nidoqueen was right in that regard, as a large, red serpent emerged from the depths, screeching loudly. Nearly everyone's eyes went as wide as dinner plates, taken aback by the Atrocious Pokémon's sudden appearance. Its gaping maw, blood red coloration, and piercing purple eyes caused a feeling of fear to wash over the members of the Red Team.

The only one that seemed to be unfazed was Zahku, of course. "Zahku no find overgrown worm scary," the Makuhita said in a huff, folding his arms.

The Gyarados immediately began charging up a Hyper Beam, eliciting a bit of a panic from the members of the Red Team.

"What do we do?!" Tonya exclaimed.

"Dodge it!" Kane instructed.

As the Gyarados fired the dark purple beam, the members of the Red Team leapt out of the way, similar to how they had to avoid the attack at the volcano.

With a pained grunt, Sasha got up on her hands and knees. "Well, it looks like we'll have to fight this thing to get the Red Scale," she groused.

"Great… GREAT!" Tim hollered in annoyance, having hoped that they wouldn't have to find, nor fight, a Gyarados in order to retrieve the scale.

As the Red Team attempted to regroup, the Gyarados attacked again, a large stream of fire being blasted from its maw. The Flamethrower looked ready to hit Max, but Jessica quickly used Hydro Pump to protect him. The collision of the attacks caused a thick cloud of steam to envelop the area and momentarily blind them all.

Growling, the Atrocious Pokémon rose its large tail before bringing it down forcefully in the water. A huge wave was formed as a result, and the Gyarados eagerly hitched a ride on it. The wave crashed onto shore, both clearing the steam and drenching all of the members of the Red Team.

This left a few of the members weakened, with Sasha being the main one to worry about due to her weakness to Water-type attacks. Kane coughed roughly as he sat up, spitting out water that ended up in his mouth from the attack. He looked over and saw that Sasha was lying still.

He quickly went over to her, getting back on his knees to jostle her a bit in order to see if she was okay. "Sasha, are you okay?"

The Nidoqueen let out a soft groan and a few coughs, while the others all started picking themselves back up. Her eyes slowly flickered open, and she saw that Kane was beside her. She blushed a bit and let out another groan, shakily sitting back up. "Yeah, I'm okay," she responded softly, clearing her throat.

"This is gonna be tough…" Tim commented, getting back to his own feet.

As they tried recovering from its last attack, the Gyarados blasted another stream of fire at the fallen team, with Jessica quickly coming to their aid again. She used another Hydro Pump, which collided with the Flamethrower, causing more steam to cover the area.

"Well, here we go again…" Max deadpanned.

Hearing the Delibird's complaint, Kane had to remind him of something useful that he and Tim had in common. "Max! Tim! You guys can _fly_ , remember?!"

"My wings are wet!" Tim argued. "I can't do anything like this!"

Max groaned in disappointment, knowing that he'd have to be the one to have the high ground against the Gyarados until Tim's wings dried. The Delibird flew upwards, freeing himself from the steam.

The Atrocious Pokémon, upon seeing the Delibird, immediately blasted another Flamethrower in his direction. Thinking on his feet, he quickly flew out of the way before firing back with a blue beam. The Ice Beam hit its target, but it didn't freeze it.

The Red Gyarados rose its tail once again, slamming it down in the water. Another huge wave was formed, preparing the wash over Max, as well as his teammates still on the shore. The Delibird flew towards the Water and Flying-type, his beak turning a bright white. His body began spinning rapidly as he flew toward the Gyarados.

Flapping his wet wings in order to both clear the steam and dry them off, Tim looked up and saw another wave heading their way. "Oh, come on!" he exclaimed.

"Wait… where's Max and Zahku?" Tonya queried, looking around for the two guys.

She got one answer just mere seconds later when Max fell back toward the Earth, landing partially in the water. Surprisingly, the Gyarados did the same, crashing down into the water. Despite this, the Surf still hit its mark, soaking them all once again.

Max groaned, rubbing his head, spitting out sand and water that had gotten into his beak. He looked over to his other teammates and saw that a few of them were laid out. Jessica, Tim, and Kane were the only ones still completely, or semi, conscious.

"You guys okay?" the Delibird asked, walking over to them, rubbing his head.

"I hate my life…" Tim drawled, lying on the sandy floor, but still very much conscious.

As Max tended to the others, the Gyarados got back up, its eyes acting like knives as they cut straight through the Delibird. It started charging up another Hyper Beam, a black and purple orb forming in its mouth.

"Okay, we've gotta do something about this!" Kane said, getting back to his feet.

"Yeah, but what?" Max queried, taking a few steps back.

Suddenly, they heard a shout and looked around. Eventually, they turned their attention back to the Atrocious Pokémon. It had stopped charging its attack, as something was on its head.

"Is… is that Zahku!?" Tim exclaimed in shock.

The Makuhita had somehow made his way onto the Gyarados' head, causing it to start thrashing about in order to try to throw him off. They were shocked and confused by what he was doing, until he shouted instructions at one of them.

"FISH LADY! GRIND TEETH AGAIN!" he shouted, clinging to the Gyarados' crest.

"What!?" Jessica replied in confusion.

"Grind your teeth!" Kane repeated, understanding what his thought process was. "It'll distract it and we can attack it!"

Jessica nodded before grinding her teeth together again, the piercing sound causing almost everyone to cover their ears. The Gyarados roared out upon hearing the spine chilling sound.

"Okay…" Max said, still covering his ears. "Attack it!"

He fired an Ice Beam at the Gyarados, hitting it once again. Tim began firing green orbs at the serpent, while Kane formed a blue orb in his palms and launched it. All of the attacks struck the shiny Pokémon, but the final blow didn't come until Zahku's fists became charged with electricity.

The Makuhita brought his fists crashing down onto the Gyarados' head, causing it to let out a screech before finally fainting, landing in the water with a loud splash.

Jessica stopped grinding her teeth, letting out a sigh. "We did it… we finally did it. Now to get that scale."

Before they could get a scale from it, Zahku walked back toward them, water dripping off of his body. "Zahku feels accomplished," he commented.

The others were still completely stupefied by his actions, looking at the Makuhita in astonishment. As Kane helped Sasha up again, he immediately posed a question to the Makuhita. "Okay, when and how did you get on the Gyarados?"

"Zahku has his ways," he responded cryptically. "No need for questioning." Following his response, the Makuhita showed that he had a Red Scale in his possession.

Tonya got back up, rubbing her head. Upon seeing that Zahku had the Red Scale, and that the Gyarados was knocked out, she smiled to herself. "Nice work guys. Now come on, let's go!"

The seven of them started heading back to the glade, leaving the Gyarados fainted in the water.

 **000**

 **Tonya giggled, "Well, I missed the action since I got knocked out, but I can only imagine that Zahku did something major."**

 **000**

The Blue Team made it back to the glade aft **e** r Portia successfully retrieved the Douse Drive for them. It had taken her a while, as the columns grew increasingly unstable and the peaks grew thinner. Currently, the Rhyperior was once again covered in weeds, which she started swiping off as she air dried.

Belladonna placed the Douse Drive into her team's display case. Following the action, Art immediately spoke up, "Alright, that's one down. Let's hurry up and find another one before those other losers get back."

"This time we're going back to the mountain," Portia started sternly, tossing a final wet weed off of her body. "We just went where _you_ wanted to go and I had to get the item, now we're going where _I_ want to go."

The Rhyperior started walking in the same direction they had taken when the challenge first started. Belladonna and Dade exchanged looks before the Golem began walking after her, still carrying the Burmy on her head. Art groaned in annoyance, but he decided to be fair and started trailing them.

 **-000-**

They arrived back at the base of the large landform, approaching the entrance they had used in the second challenge.

"Okay, before we go in, are you sure that there's something in there?" Art queried. "We're likely gonna be taking a long time searching in here and I don't think any of us want to go in for nothing."

Portia groaned, annoyed that the Ferrothorn was once again doubting her. "Art, I get that we don't wanna waste time when we have a limited number of players, but can you stop? For all we know, we'll see the orb as soon as we go in…"

"And for all we know, the orb is deep inside or not in there at all," Art retorted. "I'm just being realistic, here."

Dade, despite being fine with either winning or losing, decided to speak up. "Guys! Instead of wasting our time arguing about the mays and the may nots, why don't we just go inside already?"

The Rhyperior and Ferrothorn looked back at each other before Portia turned back around and started heading into the mountain cave. The others followed her inside, with Art letting out another sigh.

As they entered the mountain, a feeling of uneasiness washed over them, specifically Portia. The usually bright minerals that decorated the walls of the cave, near the entrance, were now dim, providing less light than they originally did. She grew a bit cautious, not knowing what to make of it.

Noticing her hesitance, Belladonna rose a brow. "You okay, Portia?"

"Uh…" she began, looking around. She looked forward and saw something shiny in the distance. Believing it to be one of the items, she took another step.

 _CRACK!_

Peering down at the ground, the Rhyperior saw that cracks were forming underneath her feet. Her eyes widened, with Dade posing a question as Belladonna walked forward. "Uh… what's that sound?"

The floor continued cracking until it eventually caved in, dropping the three of them into a hole. Having seen the three of them drop so suddenly, Art stifled a laugh. After recomposing himself, he cleared his throat, not wanting to hear them complain about him being insensitive. Now seeing that the floor was more than likely completely unstable, he looked toward the ceiling.

He extended his vines upwards, embedding the spikes into the roof of the cave. He started moving across that way, eventually making it over to the hole that his teammates fell into. Looking into the hole, he saw and heard Portia, Belladonna, and Dade groaning and rubbing body parts afflicted by the fall.

"So, how'd that work out for you?" he deadpanned.

"Art… don't start!" Portia shouted up at him, getting to her feet.

"What? I'm not doing anything," the Ferrothorn feigned ignorance.

Portia scoffed, "Sure… Just go see what the item deeper in the cave is; I saw something gleam down there."

"It's probably just one of the stupid minerals in here…" Art responded, rolling his eyes. "Plus, shouldn't you be more worried about getting out of there?"

"Just go!" the Rhyperior shouted.

"Fine, whatever…" Art groaned as he continued forward.

Like they had done with Art, Belladonna and Dade decided to speak to Portia about the bickering that went on between her and the Ferrothorn.

"Uh… Portia, I think that you and Art should stop arguing so much," Belladonna said. "It's kinda uncomfortable and distracting."

"I'd be happy to stop arguing if he'd stop being a pessimistic, sarcastic douche," Portia responded, folding her arms. "I'm not even trying to sound like a bitch or anything, I'm just so fucking sick of his negativity and his sarcasm. Our team is already on a losing streak, and he's not helping with his attitude!"

"Okay... I can understand that," Belladonna responded with a nod.

Dade chimed in, "But, you're supposed to be more mature than he is. Why argue with him? Like Bella and I said to Art earlier at the lake, we're a team, and regardless of how we feel about each other, we need to work together."

Portia let out an exasperated breath. She felt like she was being called out for being annoyed at Art, which really irked her. The guy in question tells her to stop being passive-aggressive after _he_ made them go somewhere else rather than searching where they already were, and now she was practically being told that she shouldn't argue her points or ideas because she was supposed to be 'mature' about it? That just didn't sound right.

"Y'know what… fine," she responded with a sigh, throwing her hands in the air. "I won't say any other ideas. He can choose where we go and I'll just go along with it."

The Golem and Burmy looked at each other, with Belladonna beginning to explain. "Portia, I don't think he meant it-"

The Rhyperior shook her head, prompting her to stop talking. "No, no, it'll be fine. Art and I have been arguing because _I_ propose an idea first and he thinks negatively about it and wants to do something else or he has a snide remark, so I'll 'be mature' and let him have his way. Otherwise, I'm hindering us, right?"

Belladonna sighed to herself, while Dade had to hold in his laughter.

 **000**

" **The fact that I was easily able to get her to shut down just by bringing up how she's not being mature is great," Dade laughed. "It gives me an even better reason to get Belladonna to eliminate her with us."**

 **000**

" **I'm done," Portia said. "Art's always gonna have an issue with** _ **something**_ **, so I'm just gonna cut out the middleman and let him lead us. If we lose again…"**

 **She let out another sigh. "...Hopefully we can eliminate him."**

 **000**

Art reached the fork in the path, looking down the two paths. They were still radiantly illuminated by the cyan and red minerals. He shook his head, unable to know whether or not there was anything special about the paths this time around.

"Hey! Losers!" he called. "There's still two paths and I don't know if there's anything new here!"

" _WHOA!"_

The Ferrothorn turned back round and saw Belladonna get tossed out of the hole with Dade still on her head, now in a Sandy Cloak.

Belladonna groaned as she rubbed her head before getting back to her feet and hearing a cracking sound underneath her again.

She looked down and saw that the ground was about to break again. She quickly curled into her rocky shell, with Dade inside with her, before rolling down the path.

Portia was slowing climbing out of the hole, grunting along the way. She had to prop her legs against the walls of the hole and slowly make her way up that way. Once she was out, she saw the cracks that had appeared after Belladonna rolled to the end and let out a groan.

"Make a run for it, Porsche!" Belladonna called out to her.

The Rhyperior looked back down at the cracks and sighed. She ran across the fractured ground, her weight causing the ground to break faster, the pieces falling into a pit below. Eventually, she reached the end, panting in the aftermath.

"Okay…" Art began. "Now that you're all here… Do we know, for sure, if there's anything down these paths?"

There was a moment of silence as Portia finally caught her breath and Belladonna just remained quiet. Getting no answer, Art groaned.

"Um… considering that they're still glowing with our team colors and this place _was_ a major challenge site, my guess would be… yes," Dade answered. "It makes sense for something to be here."

Art rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Come on, let's check our stupid side."

The four of them went down the left path, which was still illuminated by the cyan minerals. As they continued forward, the stones embedded in the walls bathed them in a beautiful blue light. Eventually, the four of them ran into a large, steel wall that blocked their path. A podium kiosk sat in front of it. Near the top of the wall, there was an LED message sign that explained their situation.

Seeing all of this, Portia gave Art a cocky look. "Still doubt that there's anything of value here?"

"Shut up…" the Ferrothorn shot back.

Portia didn't respond back, taking it as a personal victory as Belladonna read what was being displayed on the sign. "To reach the item that you seek, you must prove that your mind isn't meek," the Golem read. "See the kiosk for more information."

"Prove that your mind isn't meek…" Dade repeated, trying to piece together what it meant. "So like… we have to answer questions?"

Art scoffed, responding, "Oh, you've gotta be fucking-"

 **000**

"-kidding me…" Kane deadpanned as Max returned from their cabin holding the Red Orb.

"Okay, that was way too easy," Jessica opined, raising a brow. "I thought they said it was supposed to be difficult to get these things."

Tim chuckled, "Well, they either over exaggerated or they got lazy. Either way, it's good for us!"

As they turned around to start heading back to the glade, a large shadow suddenly loomed over them, as well as their cabin. A massive, bipedal, dinosaur-like beast covered in red, segmented plates of skin was now standing in their way, glaring down at them.

"G-Groudon…" Tonya stammered, her eyes wide from shock. "W-Wha-"

"Oh, that's right… the Red Orb can both calm _and_ summon Groudon!" Jessica explained, her eyes wide as well.

The Continent Pokémon, without saying a word, leaned down, taking the Red Orb from the Delibird holding it. He took a card out of one of his back segments before clearing his throat. He started reading from the card in a very monotone manner.

"You have summoned me, the mighty Groudon, by taking the Red Orb. Now, if you wish to keep it, you must complete a challenge in my presence," he read. "Create a challenge for the contestants to complete and reward them with the Red Orb."

The contestants exchanged looks of bewilderment. Suddenly, static from a walkie-talkie strapped to the Continent Pokémon's thigh was heard, followed by Victini's voice. " _Groudon…_ _you're supposed to actually create a challenge for them…_ "

The Legendary Pokémon let out a groan of annoyance, rolling his eyes. "Fine. Uh… You guys have to… uh… I don't know. You girls just… kiss the guy that you find the least attractive on the lips for ten seconds."

All of the guys' eyes widened, blushes forming on their faces. The girls all exchanged looks that were a cross between enthusiasm and unsurety.

Sasha cleared her throat. "W-What?"

"Yeah, just kiss or whatever. I can't really be bothered to make up an actual challenge on the spot," Groudon responded with a shrug. "Plus, it'll be entertaining for me."

Finding a flaw in his challenge, Tonya questioned, "Wait, how will you know who we really find attractive?"

"I won't…" Groudon deadpanned, giving them a hint.

Understanding what the behemoth meant, Sasha blushed, while Jessica giggled. Tonya, however, was still a bit confused.

"So how will that work, then?" the Accelgor questioned.

Groudon didn't respond, simply giving the Shell Out Pokémon a look. Given the silence, Jessica cleared her throat, ready to explain what the Continent Pokémon was hinting at.

"Uh, hon… he's saying that he doesn't really care. As long as we kiss one of the guys for ten seconds, we'll get the orb," the Bruxish explained.

"Oh…" Tonya replied, nodding in understanding. She looked back at Zahku with a small smile.

Groudon rolled his eyes at her cluelessness before speaking up again. "Yeah… just get smooching. You guys are trying to be the first ones finished, right?"

"And… you said ten seconds, right?" Jessica asked for assurance, a smile on her face.

Being given an affirmative nod, the girls turned their attention to the guys, who were all feeling awkward about the situation. Kane decided to speak up, clasping his hands together, "Well, uh… since Tim and I are both already taken, I think the best case scenario here would be-"

Groudon interrupted the Ursaring, stating, "It's the girls' choices, not yours."

With a look of disapproval, Kane sighed, scratching his head. Folding his arms, he stated, "Fine."

Jessica decided to be the first one to plant one on one of the guys, and given what had already been discussed earlier in the day, it wasn't hard for her to choose. "Maxie~," Jessica teased, floating toward him.

Max gulped before Jessica planted a kiss on his lips, causing his eyes to widen. Tonya had immediately gone to Zahku, who had no problem receiving a kiss, considering what the two had done the night prior.

Sasha was the only girl unsure about what to do. As much as she wanted to kiss Kane, she knew that she'd probably try to go for more if she did. As for Tim, she didn't really know how she felt about him. He was already dating someone else, and she didn't want to feel like a homewrecker again. Eventually, Tonya and Jessica broke their kisses, with Zahku folding his arms indifferently in the aftermath, while Max covered his face with his tail out of embarrassment.

"Alright, that's two. Nidoqueen, it's just you now. Hurry it up," Groudon stated.

This was a real dilemma for Sasha, as Tonya obviously had a thing for Zahku, though he didn't reciprocate those feelings, Jessica had plans for Max already, and Tim and Kane were off limits. After giving it some thought, she finally settled on Max, as he was curious about relationships anyway.

Surprising everyone, she approached the Delibird before leaning down and planting another kiss on the Delibird's lips. After the ten seconds were up, the Nidoqueen broke the kiss, with Max fainting seconds later, his face still completely red, surprising her. A blush began forming on her face as she cleared her throat.

"Alright, congratulations," Groudon spoke up with an apathetic tone, getting everyone's attention again. "You've earned the Red Orb." He dropped the orb in front of them before taking a few steps back and taking the walkie-talkie strapped to his thigh. "Can I go now?" he asked.

The Continent Pokémon was suddenly teleported off of the island, leaving the Red Team to stir in the awkward juices that were flowing in the vicinity. Kane went toward the Red Orb, picking it up and tapping it with his claws.

He turned back to the others, clearing his throat. "Let's get going, huh?"

Everyone was still surprised by Sasha's choice, but they decided to move on and not think much of it. They all knew what she really wanted, after all. The Red Team started heading back to the glade, with Sasha trailing behind, looking down. Noticing this, Kane paused momentarily, letting out a sigh, as the others continued walking.

 **000**

" **Okay, I'll admit, I was a bit shocked when she went for Max, too," Kane confessed. "I honestly expected her to try to kiss me and then one of the others would have to pry her off."**

" **I know that it took her some restraint, but I appreciate that she's actually going for other people," the Ursaring said. "But, seeing the look on her face is still kinda… saddening."**

 **000**

"You okay, Sasha?" Kane queried as she started walking past him.

The Nidoqueen looked at him before letting out a sigh, resting her head on his shoulder. "Yeah… I guess I'm okay. I was so tempted to kiss you, but… I had to fight the urge and kissed Max, instead. I didn't want to screw anything up again."

The Ursaring chuckled, patting her back. "Well, that's good on you. And I've gotta say, the fact that Max fainted after getting kissed twice was a bit surprising."

"Yeah, I was a bit shocked about that, myself," Sasha explained. "I never had a guy faint on me before…" she continued, "Well, other than my husband, but that was because he was already tired from 'work'."

Kane shook his head. "Oh… That sucks."

Sasha sighed, "Yeah." Suddenly, a question formed in her head, but she was a bit unsure if it was appropriate or not. Taking a chance, she asked, "Kane… have you ever been worried that R.J. would cheat on you? And… sorry if that's too personal or if I sound negative."

The Ursaring could only chuckle in response before taking a breath. "That's… that's a worry that nearly every couple faces," he explained. "The unrelenting feeling that the person you love doesn't love you anymore and starts seeing or sleeping with someone else... It's awful to imagine, and it's heart-wrenching when it's actually true."

Sasha peered down dejectedly before Kane continued, "But, luckily for me, in the words of R.J., 'You've taken care of me for over ten years, you're a hunk, and you fuck me good. Sorry, but you're stuck with me.'"

Sasha giggled at that response, as she could actually imagine the Beartic saying that to Kane. She began fiddling with her claws. "Well, hopefully I can find someone that'll want a relationship like that with me," she said.

"Aw… of course you will," Kane said, wrapping an arm around her side. "Stop doubting yourself. Like I said, you're already beautiful, you just need to get out there and start playing the field. Well, once you're divorced from your husband, anyway. For now, just keep focusing on the game at hand."

Sasha nodded as the two of them finally reached the glade with their team. The members of the Red Team noticed a table covered with a white sheet that had things underneath them. They grew curious as they approached, but didn't say anything.

"Well, Groudon was a poor choice," Victini commented. "I knew we should have gotten the Dark and Light Stones."

Once Kane placed the Red Orb in their display case, the sound of a bullhorn rang out across the island, causing looks of confusion to form on the contestants' faces. Weren't they supposed to be getting six items?

"Uh… hey, what's with the bullhorn?" Tim queried. "We still need three more items."

"And what's on that table over there?" Sasha followed, looking back over to the table.

Mew turned to them, responding, "It's been an hour and a half already, so we decided to give both teams a bit of a break since one of you has half of your items."

"Wait, it's been an hour and a half?" Tonya asked in surprise. "I didn't think time went by that fast."

"Well, it has," Victini responded. "So, now we just have to wait for the Blue Team to get back here with their object."

"Can't we just start our break and get back to work _before_ they get back?" Jessica queried, not too keen on possibly losing their lead.

"You guys are one object ahead of them," Victini responded. "I don't think you really have much to worry about."

Mew added, "Plus, since you guys are already here, you get a bit of an extended break to develop another strategy for your last three items _and_ you can talk about whatever else you want. Then, when the Blue Team comes, you guys get what's under the tablecloth over there."

The Red Team was a bit unsure about the situation, but the members shrugged it off before either lying on the ground or walking a bit away to talk. As they did this, the hosts looked back to the monitors to see what was going on with the Blue Team.

 **000**

"How the hell are we supposed to know what Mew's favorite color is?" Art asked exasperatedly.

They had made it past the four walls that were before this one, answering the questions with relative ease, now they were likely going to be stuck guessing.

"And this is the final wall, too," Dade drawled. He sighed, "Best we just guess pink."

"Wow, it's the color of his skin, so it must be his favorite…" the Ferrothorn sarcastically stated.

Portia decided to go ahead and type in 'P-I-N-K' on the podium keyboard. Upon clicking enter, the wall began rising. Art deadpanned, "I stand corrected."

Once the last wall was raised, the Blue Team saw a case sitting on top of a short, white column. Opening the case, Belladonna pulled out a orb that looked entirely comprised of diamonds.

"Wow… I forgot that thing was completely made of diamonds," Portia commented.

"Yeah, well we can admire it later. Let's just get the hell out of this stupid mountain," Art stated firmly.

"And we may wanna hurry," Dade chimed in. "It looks like the walls are gonna lower back down."

As they turned back around, they saw that the walls were all slowly descending. If they didn't make it back before the walls all dropped, they'd probably have to answer more questions, and they didn't want that.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding…" Art drawled.

"Crap! Let's go!" Portia exclaimed as she started hurrying forward. Belladonna withdrew back into her shell, with the orb and Dade joining her. She started rolling out, with Art following quickly.

The walls continued lowering, getting lower and lower to the point that Portia had to duck in order to get underneath them. Eventually, the four of them made it past the walls, using the time to catch their breaths.

"Well… we made it back out," Dade said as Belladonna came back out with the Adamant Orb in hand. "Now, let's get back to the glade."

"Right," Portia responded as they started heading back out of the mountain.

On the way out, Art let out a sigh, "Well, I'm guessing that we spent a good half hour in here… Great."

"Yeah, but isn't it good to have gotten this one out of the way?" Belladonna replied.

"Sure, but we don't know how long the other objects are gonna ta-"

"Okay, at this point, Art, you're becoming as annoying as Honey," Dade stated. "Both you and Portia have been irritable today, and, while I understand that it's because our numbers are dwindling and you both want us to win, neither of you are really helping by complaining about the locations and each other."

Portia rolled her eyes in annoyance. It was getting old at this point. "We get it, already," she stated in a stern tone. "You don't have to keep bringing up the fact that us arguing is annoying. _He's_ the one who always starts it with his constant sarcasm and complaining, so worry about _him_."

Art decided not to respond, the fact that he had just been compared to Honey frightening him a bit, especially coming from Dade. He only grumbled to himself as they continued walking, eventually making it out of the mountain.

"Now, can we just head back to the glade _without_ -"

"Dade… enough," Belladonna stated firmly, surprising everyone. The Golem continued walking, with Portia and Art following suit.

 **000**

" **Today has probably been the most irritating day ever, so far. Everyone keeps on complaining, arguing, mixing up plans, saying the same thing…" Belladonna stated, her arms folded. She let out a groan, "I just want us to work together so that we** _ **can**_ **win, but they keep thinking that their way is the right way. This is so frustrating…"**

" **They didn't even keep up their ends of the bargain they made earlier…"**

 **000**

Eventually, as the four of them reached the glade, they saw that the other team was already there. Confused, as they hadn't heard the bullhorn, they approached the scene with expressions of bewilderment.

"Uh… why are _they_ still here?" Art queried.

"We've been waiting for you guys to get back here so that we can all take a break," Tim explained.

"A break?" Belladonna responded questioningly, a small smile forming on her face. A break definitely sounded good after everything her team was going through.

"Yep," Victini chimed in, floating over. "We've decided to give you guys a bit of a break since we know that this challenge is gonna take a while for you to complete this time around."

"Okay… but why now?" Portia inquired, finding the timing a bit odd, as their team only had two items found.

"We decided to do it when one of the teams had three of their items found already," Mew explained. "And since the Red Team fits the bill, here we are. So, just put the Adamant Orb in your display case and we can start."

Despite feeling that it was a bit unfair to have a break already due to their low number, the members of the Blue Team decided to just go along with it. Maybe a break would make them feel better. Belladonna placed the orb into the Blue Team's display case, allowing Mew to speak up.

"Alright," the pink feline began, floating toward the table from earlier. Uncovering it, he revealed numerous pizza boxes, soda bottles, chicken wings, and a bowl full of candy, as well as paper plates and plastic cups to go along with them

Expressions of awe and amusement formed on all of the contestants' faces, surprised that they were being given this food. Art, in particular, was a bit skeptical, though.

 **000**

" **Uh huh… sure. Give us good looking food during our 'break' and then send us right back out in the field once it's over," Art said.**

 **000**

"Well, feel free to dig in," Mew said, gesturing to all of the food.

The contestants wasted no time grabbing paper plates and cups before picking what foods and drinks that they were going for. Art decided to hang back, suspecting that the hosts had done something to the food.

He huffed, "Idiots…"

Once everyone got want they were going to eat or drink, they separated into different groups to chat. Some of the conversations involved the challenge, and others involved different subjects.

 **-000-**

As they had done a few days ago, the girls all got together to have a bit of girl talk. After being filled in on what happened between her and Zahku, Tonya received looks of shock from both Portia and Belladonna.

"Wha-? Y-You actually slept with Zahku?!" Belladonna inquired, still unable to believe it.

"I thought you said that you weren't willing to have sex with the guys here," Portia recollected.

Tonya blushed, explaining, "Yeah… but after talking with Zahku and stuff during and after the challenge, I… kinda got a bit curious."

"Okay, I'm gonna need more deets," Belladonna responded with a giggle before taking another bite of her pizza. "How was he? How long did he last? Have you two talked about doing it again?"

Despite all of the Golem's questions, Portia's was the one the Accelgor answered. "Are you two an item now?" Portia added, taking a sip from her cup.

Tonya sweatdropped, looking over to the Makuhita, who was sitting with Dade. She sighed, "He still doesn't want an actual relationship. He said he just wants to focus on getting stronger."

"Aw… sorry, hon," Portia responded.

Tonya shook her head, "No, it's fine. I was the one who was curious about his 'sex training' and suggested that he give me a _sample_."

"Well, at least you got laid," Belladonna responded with a shrug.

The Accelgor giggled in response. "Yeah… and it was pretty good for a guy his size," she replied.

"Well," Jessica chimed in, clearing her throat, "I may also be getting laid tonight if all goes well with Max."

Portia rose a brow, "Max?" Like Tonya and Sasha, the Rhyperior felt that the Delibird wasn't the type to do sexual things. He just seemed to be a pure guy or a guy who wouldn't care about sexual things.

Jessica giggled, "Yeah." She looked over to him, as he sat against Tim's side, eating straight from one of the pizza boxes. "Poor baby doesn't quite get how relationships work and wants to have a female's perspective."

"Yeah, that's why I was a bit surprised," Portia explained. "He seems like the type of guy who doesn't _really_ care or know about relationships or sex. But, with him actually wanting help, I can see it somewhat happening."

Belladonna giggled, "Look at us. Talking about getting laid and the possibilities. I feel like I'm a teenager again."

Sasha, having remained quiet the whole time, only sighed as she took another bite of a chicken wing. "I kinda _wish_ I was a teenager again. Maybe then I could make better choices and have a different life…" she thought out loud.

Looks of concern and surprise formed on the other girls' faces as silence filled the air. After a few seconds, Portia cleared her throat, unsure of what to say. Eventually, the Rhyperior decided to question why she would say that, inquiring, "Why would you want to do that?"

The Nidoqueen flinched before letting out another depressed sigh, not wanting to get into it. "N-Nevermind, just ignore what I said," she replied, shaking her head.

The others exchanged looks of concern, with Jessica saying, "Sasha, you can talk to us. If this is about your marriage, we can change sub-"

"Please…" the Poison-type Drill Pokémon interrupted. "I just… I don't want to talk about it anymore. You know enough about it as is. Please… can we just drop it?"

Deciding to appreciate her wishes, the girls changed the subject, with Tonya being the initiator. "So, uh… how're things for you guys in the challenge so far?"

Both Rock and Ground-type ladies exchanged looks, a look of annoyance on Portia's face, and a downcast expression on Belladonna's.

Seeing their miens, the girls on the Red Team could immediately infer their responses. Portia decided to make her gripes known, explaining, "With Art on our team, it's been insufferable. And I'll admit, I've been a bit bratty, too, but he's just so annoying it burns."

"What's been happening? Him being himself?" Jessica queried, having a feeling that she knew what was going on.

Belladonna decided to explain the situation, as she felt that it wasn't that big of a deal. "We started on a path, looking for a Gracidea. Then, Art said that we were wasting time since it's a single flower on a huge island, and we're low on players. He suggested that we go to for something easier, but since most of our items are Legendary items, we ended up staying on the path and got to the mountain. We reasoned that it'd still take us a while to find something there, so we decided to go somewhere else."

The girls from the Red Team exchanged glances, not seeing a problem. "That… actually sounds kind of reasonable," Sasha commented. "He just made a suggestion that'd help you guys."

"It's not that he made a different suggestion, it's the fact that he was a jackass about it and said that we were wasting time," Portia explained. "Heck, Bella and Dade agreed that he was right about going for easier stuff, and I understood. Then Dade suggested that we follow the stream and go to the lake, and the asshole acts like he was saying that the whole time."

The others continued listening, a bit surprised that she had so much to vent in such a short timespan.

"So, we get to the lake, and he starts looking around, and eventually he figures out how to get the Douse Drive, but _I'm_ the one who has to do the challenge to get it..." Portia explained. "I'm just so fed up with him!"

Jessica cleared her throat, "Um… well, that sucks Portia. But… you guys were still able to retrieve your items."

"Yeah," Tonya agreed. "I mean, Art may be annoying, but all you can really do is either ignore him or just let him talk on. As long as you're getting stuff done."

Portia nodded, "Oh, I already intend on just letting him be the one to lead us around."

"Well, then all you have to do is go along with it and do what you need to do," Sasha reasoned. "Just get through it, and if you guys end up losing again… you have an easy target."

Portia took a deep breath before eating another whole slice of pizza.

 **000**

While the girls had their talk, the guys continued their talk from earlier, with Max, Zahku, and Dade simply listening in.

"So, uh… what do you think would be a suitable first date spot for me and Lynn?" Tim inquired. "I don't want to do a cheesy romantic thing, but I also don't want to look like I don't have class…"

"Dude, it's all up to you," Kane responded. "Personally, if I was in your shoes, I'd take her to places that _I_ enjoy so that I can see if she's into the same kind of stuff as I am. That way, if she is, you have a lot more to talk about."

"But… I don't really do a lot…" Tim explained. "I hardly go out unless it's with friends…"

Dade decided to chime in this time, finding a simple solution. "Okay, so if you don't really do much, why don't you invite her to go with you and your friends?"

"Well, I-"

"Yeah, that sounds like it could work," Max interrupted. "And you mentioned before that two of your friends are dating each other, so you can make it a double date. And then, she'll have a bit of experience with your friends, making it so you guys can go out more often if they get along."

"I guess…" Tim started. "But, I'm a bit worried that they're gonna embarrass me or joke about me in front of her."

"So what?" Dade responded. "I mean, as long as _she_ isn't uncomfortable, it'll be fine."

"Okay, and what if I don't want her to hear what they say about me?" Tim shot back. "I mean, her feelings matter more than mine, of course, but my feelings _do_ still exist."

"We've all seen those movies where a guy gets embarrassed and wary about his friends being themselves around a crush or new girlfriend, he acts awkward the entire time and hurts his friends' feelings or comes off as a jerk, and then he has to explain everything," Dade said. "I'm just saying. Unless you want something like that to happen, you'll play along and be a good sport."

"Dade, this isn't a movie. I doubt that'll happen," Kane chuckled. "Though, I'm sure that things will work out fine if you go with your friends. Lynn may end up hitting it off with them, like Max said."

Tim let out a sigh. "I… I guess."

"Just be yourself and let your friends be themselves, too," Max replied, patting his side. "I don't think it'll be as bad as you may think."

The Tropius took a breath before deciding to change the subject. He knew what he was gonna do. Or at least he somewhat knew. He looked to Zahku, clearing his throat. "So, Zahku. Uh… where are things gonna go between you and Tonya now that you two have done the deed?"

Dade's eyes widened upon hearing that, spitting out a small amount of his drink. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Oh, you didn't know?" Tim queried. "Zahku got lucky last night…"

The Burmy turned to the Makuhita. "And you didn't tell me?!"

Zahku shrugged. "Zahku wasn't planning on talking about it. Partner decided to tell everyone. Not big deal."

"It's not, but still!" Dade responded. He still couldn't entirely wrap his head around the concept or reason why he would just have sex on a whim. "Okay, now I need details."

Zahku let out a soft sigh, not wanting to go into it further. It didn't really matter to him that much. "Partner wanted to experience part of Zahku training. That it. Not in relationship and don't intend on doing again unless asked. Zahku focus at moment is strength."

Kane shrugged. "Understandable. One night stands are a thing, after all."

 **000**

" **Well, now that we know that there's no relationship, voting out Zahku if we lose shouldn't be completely off the table," Max commented.**

 **000**

After about twenty minutes, the sound of another bullhorn echoed throughout the island, startling the contestants.

"You guys' break is now over," Victini said. "It's about time for you guys to get back to the challenge. But, as an added incentive, the winning team gets to have the rest of the food."

"Huh… not a bad deal," Max commented, taking another bite of a piece of pizza.

"Alright, alright. You guys should get going, especially you, Blue Team," Mew instructed.

The contestants exchanged looks before finally deciding to get back up. Groans could be heard as a fair amount of them stood up and stretched. They began separating, though Dade stopped Zahku as his other teammates began regrouping.

In a hushed tone, the Burmy inquired, "Okay, Zahku. Do you have _any_ knowledge about where any of our items could be?"

Zahku rose a brow. "Zahku unsure if this is allowed. Team could get mad at him."

"Who would know if you told me?" Dade responded. "Plus, it'd just be for one item. So, do you have anything?"

In the back of Zahku's mind, he felt that he shouldn't tell Dade anything, as they were now on different teams. However, the fact that it would likely still take them a while to even get it, if his hunch was correct, made him shrug. "Check cabin."

That was the only thing that the Makuhita said before heading back to his teammates. The opposite happened for Dade, as Portia, Belladonna, and Art all approached him, as he was the smallest one on their team.

"Alright, come on, we need to get going," Art stated. "I say that we go to the beach to look for the Blue Orb."

"Check the cabin…" Dade repeated as Belladonna picked him up.

"Huh?" the Golem responded, unsure about what he was talking about. "What's in the cabins?"

"Zahku just told me to check the cabins for an item," Dade explained. "Why don't we go there, first, and _then_ go to the beach?"

"Why would you believe him? He's on the opposite team, now," Art argued. "He could have just said that to buy his team more time."

Dade scoffed, "Hey, he's still my friend, and I doubt that he'd lie. Let's just go check, and if there's nothing there, then we can literally just go to the beach in a few steps."

After a moment of silence, and seeing that the other team was already gone, Art let out an exasperated groan. "Fine…" he answered.

The four of them started heading back to the campgrounds, with Victini chuckling to himself as he watched them leave. Mew gave him a look of suspicion, knowing that chuckle. He looked back at the pizza boxes and half-empty soda bottles before pinching his glabella.

The New Species Pokémon gave the Fire and Psychic-type an accusing look. "What did you do?" he asked, folding his arms.

"Oh… nothing," Victini responded with another chuckle, feigning ignorance. "Don't you worry your pink head about it…" he said, patting Mew's head.

Mew's expression didn't change, as he had his suspicions that Victini had somehow tampered with the food in some way. However, seeing as the contestants were back in the field, there wasn't anything he could do about it.

 **000**

The Blue Team arrived back at the campgrounds. Dade was adamant that Zahku's hint was worth it, while Art felt that it would be a waste of time. Portia was remaining silent, as mentioned before, and Belladonna was on the fence. Though, given that both desired locations were near each other, it wasn't really that big of a deal.

As they approached their team's cabin, Art huffed. "Alright, so if there _is_ something here, that means that there's more than likely gonna be some sort of catch or trick to get it. So, we need to be prepared."

Portia ignored the Ferrothorn, walking up the steps to peek into the windows. She didn't see anything on the guys' side, so she moved over to her and Belladonna's side.

Looking in, the Rhyperior saw that a blue sphere was sitting on the lower bunk of the bed that was against the back wall.

The Drill Pokémon entered the cabin, causing Art to shout at her. "Hey! Didn't you hear me say that we need to be prepared?!"

A few seconds later, Portia returned, the Blue Orb cradled under her left arm. "There's nothing in there to worry about," she drawled.

Suddenly, Belladonna could sense that something behind her. Portia and Art's eyes widened as they looked past the Golem. Seeing their expressions of shock, Belladonna hesitantly turned around, only to jump upon seeing a large, blue orca sitting behind her.

"A K-Kyogre?!" Belladonna exclaimed. "Where did you come from?!"

"Hand over the orb," the Legendary responded sternly, its voice identifying it as a female.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Art interrupted. "Legendary or not, you don't get to tell us-"

Before he could even finish his statement, he was hit by seven beams of blue energy, sending him flying through three trees. Portia, Belladonna, and Dade paled, looking over to an unconscious Art.

"Again… hand over the orb," Kyogre repeated, glaring daggers at them. Immediately, Rhyperior tossed the orb in Kyogre's direction, with it landing and rolling in front of her. "Good," she stated. "Now, I've been instructed to give you all a challenge once you summon me, so… listen up."

"Um… should we get Art?" Dade asked.

Ignoring his question, Kyogre proceeded with her explanation. "Now, I require you all to write a poem about me."

"What?" Belladonna queried.

"You heard me," the Sea Basin Pokémon responded. "I want a poem written about me, and I want it to be a good one. None of those stupid four line ones, either. I want it to be at least ten lines."

"How are we supposed to write a poem without a pen or paper?" Portia asked.

Before Kyogre could give an answer, a journal and a pen was appeared on the steps of the cabin. Seeing this, the orca huffed, "Don't give me that excuse. There's a pen and paper right there…"

The three of them looked to the side and saw the supplies, with Portia picking them up with a sigh.

"Now get writing," Kyogre instructed. "If you finish it, and I don't like it, you're gonna start over again."

"Uh… any specifics that you want highlighted?" Belladonna inquired, unsure about how they were supposed to please her without knowing what she wanted.

Kyogre gave them a look, flatly replying, "Just make me sound good."

The three of them started heading into the guys' side of the cabin to think, while Art remained outside, still unconscious.

 **000**

" **I'm starting to hate these legendaries," the bruised and scraped up Ferrothorn sneered.**

 **000**

"Where should we go now?" Tim inquired as he and the rest of his team stood in the middle of a path.

"Well, Portia mentioned that their team had gone to the mountains, which is where they got their Adamant Orb," Sasha recalled. "If there's still two paths in there, maybe we can find the Lustrous Orb in there, too."

"That sounds reasonable," Max replied. "Plus, it's the only lead we have right now, so let's get going."

The team made its way down the path they were on, heading toward the mountain. Eventually, the team reached their destination, the landform towering over them.

Approaching the cave entrance, Tim hummed to himself. "Alright, I think that this is going to be pretty simple," he opined. "The other team was already in here, right? Maybe some of the 'challenging' parts are already done."

"That's a possibility," Jessica concurred, floating forward a bit. "Though there's also a chance that the challenging parts inside, if any, were reset. Victini and Mew _are_ watching, after all."

"Well, let's just go inside and check it out," Max suggested as he entered the cave.

Following him in, the rest of the members looked around warily, not wanting to unknowingly walk into a trap. As they walked, a faint crumbling sound was heard, but, unlike the Blue Team, it wasn't full recognized. Eventually, similar to what happened to the Blue Team, the ground underneath them caved in, dropping a majority of them into the pit below.

Max and Jessica were the only ones still above ground, as they were flying and floating, respectively. Seeing what had happened, Jessica gaped, expressing her concern. "Are you guys okay?!"

Groans and grunts could be heard from below before Kane responded, "Yeah… we're good."

"Speak for yourself…" a muffled Tim stated, having been the quickest one to drop. As a result the others ended up landing on different parts of him, including his neck, head, and back.

Tonya rubbed her head as she got back onto her feet. Looking upwards, she sighed. "Well, Tim. Looks like you're gonna have to fly us out of here."

As Sasha got off of the Tropius' head, he shook his head and spit out dirt that had entered his mouth. He groaned. "Fine. But only two at a time…"

"Well, Kane and I are the heaviest out of the four of us, so we might as well go first so that Tim has an easier time coming back down…" Sasha insisted.

"I mean… I guess?" Kane responded, scratching the back of his head.

"Climb aboard," Tim instructed with a sigh. He didn't really like carrying heavier people, as it caused him some back pain whenever he did, but the two of them didn't look _that_ heavy, and they needed to get out of the pit, so he obliged.

Getting on his back, Sasha and Kane looked up as Tim started flapping his wings. After a few seconds, the Tropius made it out of the pit, dropping off the Ursaring and Nidoqueen, who stood on the side of the pit nearest to the exit.

"Okay," Tim sighed. "Now for-"

Suddenly, Zahku hopped out of the pit, holding Tonya bridal style. The Makuhita landed on the opposite side of the pit, the sound of crumbling being heard once again. However, the ground didn't cave in again.

"Okay, so the ground collapses based on our weight…" Kane groaned, folding his arms. "Ain't that a bitch…"

"Well, looks like Tim's gonna have to carry you guys until we reach the fork in the cave," Max reasoned.

Tim deadpanned, "Splendid… Also, are we just gonna disregard the fact that Zahku just super jumped out of there?"

"Wall jump," Zahku clarified.

"At this point, questioning Zahku's methods is pointless," Jessica stated. "As long as he does good things, it doesn't matter. Now come on, we need to keep pushing forward."

Kane and Sasha climbed onto the Tropius' back again, much to his dismay. So he wouldn't have to deal with them on his back for long, the others allowed Tim to lead for a while. Eventually, they all reached the fork, with Tim landing in front of the path riddled with red minerals.

"Well, it's pretty obvious which path we're taking," Tonya commented as she and Zahku walked up.

"Of course," Jessica nodded in agreement. "I just hope that there aren't that many hazards standing in our r way."

"Given what we've already had to deal with, I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised," Max admitted.

The seven of them ventured deeper into the mountain, admiring the glimmering, red minerals jutting from the wall as they did so.

"Say, do you think that these minerals are worth anything?" Kane asked, knocking on one of them as they continued walking.

"Hmm… probably, but also probably not," Jessica responded. "If this place had extremely valuable minerals, they'd all be gone and sold by now."

Kane sighed to himself as they continued forward. Eventually, they came upon a steel wall with a wide pool of water in front of it. There were a few words scratched into the steel wall, which Max promptly read.

"To raise each wall, a non-Water-type must dive into the fluid in front of it and flip a switch that is in the depths. They may be close to the surface, or they may be deep under," Max read. "Get past all five walls, and you will find the item for your haul."

"Okay… so we have to possibly drown and hit a switch so that the walls move?" Tonya reiterated. "That's uh… that's pretty insane."

"Okay, are any of us strong swimmers, aside from Jessica?" Sasha inquired.

Everyone exchanged looks, expecting to hear answers. Almost all of them were able to swim, but having to dive and hold their breaths was a different story. Knowing that no one else was going to say anything, Max let out a sigh, raising his flipper.

Tim's brows raised in surprise. "Max? You're a strong swimmer?"

 **000**

" **Back in high school, my swim coach asked me to be the team captain of the team, but… I couldn't lead a Zubat out of a cave," Max explained. "I was still able to swim well enough to make it to the finals, though."**

 **000**

Max had entered the water, letting out a sigh, holding onto the edge.

"Be careful, Max," Jessica insisted.

The Delibird nodded before looking down and taking a breath. He swam downwards, looking around for any sign of a switch. Luckily enough, there were more glowing minerals under the water, illuminating the depths so that Max could locate the switch better.

As he swam down, he continued to scope the area, using the minerals as guides. As he went deeper and deeper into the water, he eventually came upon a silver lever jutting out of the wall. He swam towards it, grabbing it and yanking it downwards. The faint sound of whirring filled his ears as he started swimming back up.

Resurfacing, he saw that the others were waiting anxiously for the wall to ascend into a slot-like crevice in the roof. As he pulled himself out, he panted, needing to catch his breath.

Kane commended the Delibird, "Nice work, Max."

Wringing out his tail, Max softly panted, "Yeah… thanks."

The wall eventually ascended high enough for them to get by. They all jumped over the first pool of water, proceeding as planned. They eventually came upon the second wall, a pool of thick, red fluid filled with assorted organs sitting in front of it.

"Um… i-is that blood?" Tonya queried, a bit hesitant about going further.

Getting close to the pool and taking a whiff, Jessica hummed before shaking her head. "No. It's fake blood, and presumably fake organs, too. There's no metallic or rancid odor here."

Tim chimed in, "Well, even if it _is_ fake, how is anyone supposed to see the lever down there?"

"I guess they expect one of us to just feel for it," Sasha surmised. "So, who's going down this time?"

"Zahku volunteers," the Makuhita said, stepping forward. "Not really worried about false bodily fluid."

"Hey, I have no objections," Kane commented, folding his arms.

The others watched on without demur as Zahku approached the pool. However, just before he jumped in, Tonya spoke up.

"Wait!" the Accelgor exclaimed, not really liking the thought of the Makuhita being covered in blood,fake or not. "Are you sure, Zahku?"

In response, the Guts Pokémon jumped into the pool, sinking immediately. Due to the thickness of the blood, they couldn't keep track of the sumo wrestler.

After a while, they all started sitting around, waiting for the Makuhita to resurface. During their wait, they decided to have a bit of a conversation about the possible effects of the competition on their personal lives, once it was over.

"So, what do you guys think will happen once this is all over?" Tim inquired. "Do you think we'll be celebrities or will people not care?"

"Well, based on how they go about getting a bit more funding while the show's still happening, I feel like these shows go under some sort of test screening first," Jessica surmised. "Then, once it's done, they release it worldwide. So we'll likely have to wait a bit longer."

"That actually sounds right…" Kane responded. "How do you know about some of this stuff?"

The Bruxish shrugged, admitting, "Slept with a television producer and he decided to explain some stuff to me after we had finished."

"Well, when it's released to the public, then," Tim corrected.

"Depends on how popular Mew and Victini's get," Tonya chimed in. "Remember, all of the legendaries had to do a show like this, so who knows who'll get the most attention."

"Yeah, and if this one _does_ end up doing the best, then there's a possibility that we'd be well recognized," Kane opined. "Otherwise, I don't really expect anything major."

"Really?" Max inquired, raising a brow. "We're the lucky few that were chosen to be in one of the first _Legendary_ -hosted reality competitions. I think that we'd get a bit more than just recognition."

Kane shrugged, "Like Tonya said. Who knows?"

"I think that we'd at least get more TV deals and stuff," Tim said. "Isn't that what happens sometimes anyway?""

"Not really," Jessica opined. "I mean, it's not guaranteed. If anything, we may get royalties from when and if the show gets-"

A whirring sound was heard, followed by a loud gasp, was heard, getting everyone's attention. They saw that the wall was rising, and that a bloodied figure was pulling itself out of the pool.

The Makuhita wiped his eyes as the fake blood oozed off of his stocky body. "Zahku successful," he said.

"Uh… good work, Zahku," Tim commended, a bit disgusted by the sight of him covered in blood. "You look like you just went on a killing spree, but you got the wall up."

Jessica sprayed the Guts Pokémon with water, cleaning him off as the others walked past them, jumping over the pool of blood. She finished spraying him clean, leaving him dripping wet with an indifferent expression. "No need for you to still look like a serial killer," she said as she floated past him.

The team continued pressing forward, reaching the third wall. A foul odor suddenly filled the air, causing different members of the team to cover their noses or hold their breaths. The latest pool before them was a too familiar yellow color, causing looks of disgust to form on their faces.

"Is this real pee?" Sasha queried, the smell being all too realistic for it to be another trick.

"It looks like it… and it definitely smells like it," Tim replied, his voice sounding a bit deeper due to him holding his breath.

"Well… if it _is_ real this time… who's gonna take the dive?" Kane queried, pinching his nose.

Without hesitation, Zahku went ahead and jumped into the pool, splashing a bit of the urine out of the pool. The others gasped and jumped back to avoid the splash.

"...Am I the only one getting concerned about Zahku's mental state?" Max commented.

There was a bit of silence before Tonya spoke up. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with his mental state, his level of bravery is just higher than everyone else's."

"Uh… I don't think bravery levels have anything to do with it," Tim responded. "This is more of a case of _not_ wanting to be covered in random piss."

 **000**

 **I'll give Zahku props for his willingness to put up with the crap he does, but no way would I be willing to put myself in his shoes," Tim commented.**

 **000**

Wet, crumpled up pieces of paper were scattered around the Blue Team's cabin as they went back inside of the guys' side. Belladonna sat on the bed underneath Dade's bunk, covering her face in annoyance.

"She is _so_ irritating," the Golem groaned, her voice a bit muffled.

Dade let out a sigh. "Well… attempt number nine at pleasing the overgrown guppy…"

"We don't know what the hell she wants," Portia responded, tossing the journal and pen onto a bunk.

Just then, the door swung open, with Art entering the building with an agitated expression on his face, which wasn't much of a change from his normal face this time around. He slammed the door shut with a vine, stating, "I hate this bitch already."

"I see that you finally woke up from your nap," Dade commented.

"Zip it, pipsqueak," the Ferrothorn retorted, glaring daggers at him. As he moved toward his bunk, Belladonna cleared her throat.

"Well, Art, we're gonna need some assistance if we want to get the Blue Orb from her," she explained as he got situated on the higher bed. "Do you know anything about poetry?"

The Thorn Pod Pokémon rose a brow. "Why? Do you plan on seducing her to get the orb? Because with a mug like hers, it'll take a lot more than just words…"

Portia rolled her eyes before deciding to fill him in, since he was knocked out. "She literally told us that we have to create a poem about her that she likes in order to get the orb."

"Oh, that's horse shit," Art responded. "So, she can literally screw us over by holding the damn orb hostage for some fucking compliments?"

"That's the gist of it," Dade said with a sigh. "So, we have to come up with a cohesive poem that gives her what she wants. But we already tried calling her pretty and better than everyone else eight different times. What else does she want?"

Art let out a groan. "You people are lucky I dated a poet for like… two weeks," he stated. "I think I have an idea of what we can say, but you need to unders-"

Portia cut him off with a scoff. "You dated a poet for two weeks and you think that you're a poetry guru because of it?"

Art gave her a look. "I'm sorry, but didn't you people fail… what was it? _Eight_ _times_?" he shot back. "Now unless you have a better idea, I suggest you just stay quiet."

Portia sighed, folding her arms as the Ferrothorn explained. "With a poem, you want to get a message or specific feeling across, not just say words that rhyme and hope that people find it funny, engaging, or inspiring. If you do that, no one will feel anything and they'll forget it as soon as they leave. What are some things that you said about her? Stanza wise?"

They all exchanged looks of embarrassment. They knew what a stanza was, but they had actually forgotten some of the things they had said about her. Belladonna let a low utterance before admitting, "Uh… We forgot some of the things we said."

"We just came up with them on a whim and tried making them sound as pleasant and intellectual as possible," Portia added. "All I remember is us trying to think of a word that rhymes with 'eloquent'."

Art didn't look that surprised. He shook his head, "Okay, looks like I'm gonna have to handle this. One of you grab the pad and pen and write down everything that I say…"

Belladonna reached over to the supplies before doing as the Ferrothorn began speaking.

"You sea, I'm Basin this poem off of a Legendary feat," he began, watching as Belladonna wrote it down, mouthing it to herself. "Make sure that there's no 'g' at the end of basin, and spell sea as in the ocean. It's a play-on-words."

"Oh… uh, okay," Belladonna responded, scribbling a few things on the page she was on.

"I thought play-on-words were mainly for humor?" Dade said questioningly. "Shouldn't this be more serious, given how she acted before?"

"Just let me handle it," Art reassured. He looked back over to Belladonna. "You ready for the next line?"

Belladonna nodded as Portia took a seat next to her, causing the bed to creak slightly.

"Okay," he cleared his throat. "A gal whose Origins hold a great place in lore-"

 **-000-**

"-Pulse racing as I continue to speak of her...

You have no idea how much I adore...

I azure you that she is a beauty...

A specimen that can't be ignored...

Eyes piercing right through you with pleasure and grace…

Brain power that is completely unmatched…

Drizzling droplets of pure, cold delight…

The ocean's embrace, I just want a taste, because to you I am latched…

Arceus knows that when you were created…

She could not do better at all…

All of the other disgraces...

We all hate their faces…

Without you, civilization will fall…" Belladonna read. Once she finished, the four members of the Blue Team focused their attention to the Legendary.

Kyogre took a deep breath, a smile on her face. "Finally, something that sounds good and realistic," the Sea Basin Pokémon commented. "It took you long enough. Guess the 'big man' actually helped you out."

She batted the Blue Orb in their direction before immediately vanishing into thin air. With her gone, the four of them each let out a sigh of relief.

"Good riddance," Art grunted as Portia picked up the orb. "Now come on, we need to go."

The four of them immediately hurried in the direction of the glade, not wanting to fall behind. Who knew how much Kyogre set them back?

 **-000-**

They reached the glade and saw that, surprisingly, the Red Team still only had three of their items in their case. They were catching up!

"Alright, you guys are tied up," Mew acknowledged. "Kyogre gave you a hard time, but don't you let up. Keep going."

Nodding eagerly in response, the four of them rushed back toward the campgrounds. As they did, Victini snickered to himself, making Mew scoff and roll his eyes.

 **000**

Zahku emerged from a thick, brown pool, licking his lips as the wall behind him began rising. The strong odor of cocoa was in the air, indicating that the substance covering his body was chocolate.

"Zahku amused," the Makuhita said, licking his wrist.

This was the final wall for them, so once it was fully up, they immediately rushed to the other side. They came upon a case similar to the one that the Blue Team found, sitting on another white column.

Looking around warily, Max hummed, "It doesn't look trapped…"

"Well then, let's get it and go," Kane said as he approached it.

The others shrugged, following behind him as he reached the case. Opening it, he was immediately bathed in the light of a glimmering sphere. He picked it up with sigh, turning back around so that they could head back.

"Alright, let's ge-"

A sudden whirring sound was heard, and upon focusing their attention behind them, they saw that the walls were starting to make their descent.

"Wait… are they supposed to be going back down?" Sasha queried, confused as to what was happening.

Realizing what was going on, Jessica's eyes widened. "Oh crap, we've got go, NOW!" she exclaimed as they started rushing forward.

The others didn't even question it, running back in the direction that they had come from. Tonya had made it all the way back first, with the others following suit a few moments after. As they caught their breaths, Tim could feel himself getting sleepy. It was odd, as he felt just fine a couple of moments ago.

As he yawned, Max could feel a yawn creeping out as well. The Tropius inquired, "Does anyone else feel tired all of a sudden?"

The others exchanged looks of confusion before looking back at the Tropius. Jessica replied, "No."

"That's weird… because… I feel…" Tim and Max both collapsed on the ground, asleep, startling the others.

"Uh… what the hell just happened!?" Sasha exclaimed. "They were fine a few minutes ago!"

"Hey, when a sudden wave of exhaustion hits you, there's not much you can do about it besides delay the inevitable," Kane responded, matter-of-factly.

"Well, we don't have time for this," Jessica stated. She turned to the duo and used Hydro Pump, spraying them with a high volume of water.

The two of them didn't budge. Seeing that it didn't work, the others held looks of both surprise and vexation.

"This… is gonna be a problem," Tonya commented. "How the hell did they even fall asleep so fast?!"

"Never mind that," Sasha said. "If they're out cold, then Kane and Zahku are gonna have to carry them. And if we make it back to the beginning where the floor crumbles based on our weight…"

"We're gonna end up falling again," Kane finished, knowing what she was getting at. He let out a groan before handing the Lustrous Orb to Sasha. The Ursaring rubbed his hands together before moving toward Tim and Max.

Zahku went ahead and picked up the lightweight Delibird, leaving Kane to handle Tim. The Hibernator Pokémon picked up the Tropius with a grunt, slinging him over his shoulder.

"Well… that was actually easier for you than I expected," Jessica commented with a giggle.

"Hey, I work with heavy logs and steel beams on a regular basis," Kane explained. "Not that hard for me to pick up a Tropius."

"Well then let's hurry up and go, then," Tonya said. "And if you guys do end up falling in the pit again, we can just help get you back out. We just can't waste any more time!"

"She's right," Sasha concurred as she started walking back, holding the orb against her chest. "Come on."

As they began heading back to the front of the mountain, a gurgling sound was heard as from Sasha's stomach. The Nidoqueen's eyes widened.

"Oh no…" she whispered to herself.

She started slowing down, holding her stomach with a free hand. Noticing that something was wrong, Jessica asked, "What's wrong?"

Groaning in response, Sasha answered, "My stomach is suddenly killing me… It like a bunch of rocks are in there."

"Oh no… don't tell me you have to 'release the beast' right now," Tonya urged.

Her response was another, louder, gurgling sound coming from Sasha's gut. Jessica groaned, "For Arceus' sake! We don't have time for this. When we get out, if you still have to go, we'll have to follow and wait for you."

"Why the hell is this stuff happening all of a sudden?" Tonya queried as they continued making their way to the exit.

They eventually reached the front path again, only it was completely whole again. Sasha crossed her legs, trembling slightly. "Okay, we're here," she acknowledged. "Let's get on with this."

Tonya was prepared to zoom across the path, but before she could, Sasha stopped her. "Wait… Tonya. G-Go ahead and take the orb," she said, handing the shiny orb to the Accelgor. "I mean, it's obvious that Kane and I are gonna be the ones that fall…"

Understanding, Tonya nodded before zooming across the path. Zahku adjusted his grip on Max before following suit, being careful as he walked across the fragile ground. Jessica went ahead and started floating across as well.

Sasha and Kane waited for the path to be clear enough for them to go. And since Kane was carrying more weight, Sasha decided to let him go first.

Kane went onto the path, Tim still slung over his shoulders. He stepped onto the path, causing the floor to crumble a bit, immediately. Kane let out a sigh before walking forward. The floor crumbled underneath him, causing him to fall, as expected.

Kane landed on the ground with Tim over him. He groaned, rubbing his head as he sat up. He pushed the Tropius off of him a bit, allowing him to stand up and dust himself off. He decided to help Sasha down, opening his arms and ushering for her to drop down.

However, the Nidoqueen noticed that the pit didn't really expand all the way like they thought. She surmised that since Zahku was supposedly able to wall jump out of the first pit, and Kane and Tim were currently in a pit that wasn't connected, there were multiple of them.

"Uh… K-Kane, I think that there are multiple pits…" she expressed, still trying to hold herself together.

"What?!" the Ursaring exclaimed before letting out a groan. "So I have to get Tim out of here and fall repeatedly until we get to the end?!"

"Well, unless you jump far enough and keep your balance…" Sasha responded.

Kane, not wanting to go through that tedious process, inspected the wall behind him. An idea arose in his head just as Jessica's voice was heard.

"What's going on over here?" the Bruxish asked, having come back and floated over the hole.

"I think that there are multiple pits instead of just one long one," Sasha explained. "So, we're gonna have to jump or something."

Jessica let out an exasperated sigh. "Kane, just use Focus Blast on the walls down there and get to the other side," she instructed.

"That's already what I was planning," the Ursaring replied, having already been charging up a blue sphere in his palms.

 **000**

The Blue Team approached the elimination area, having been on their way to inspect the cliff area. As they passed the section of the beach, Dade noticed something blue sitting on one of the benches. He rose a brow, "Hey. There's something over there on one of the benches."

They all turned toward the benches and saw what the Burmy was talking about. Approaching it, Portia saw that it was a card, causing her eyes to widen slightly. "It's the Blue Card."

"Well... that was easy," Art commented.

As soon as the Ferrothorn uttered that phrase, the sand around them began shifting. Horseshoe crab-like creatures began emerging from the sand, along with a few ammonites.

Belladonna grew a bit confused as the Pokémon began heading in their direction. "Kabuto and Omanyte? What are they doing here?"

"Who cares?" Art responded. "We have our fourth item already. Let's just head back!"

Suddenly, the sound of splashing water was heard, causing the four of them to turn around as the Kabuto and Omanyte grew closer, expressions of anger on their faces. Behind them, two skeleton-like Pokémon with flat, disc-esque heads stood, large scythes on their arms instead of hands. Besides them were two larger ammonites, only instead of a regular helix shell, there were spikes on them. Their eyes were a pale yellow and their pupils were slit vertically. They had sharp four-fanged beaks, as well as tentacles coming from behind them.

"What the hell!?" Portia exclaimed.

The Kabutops grabbed onto Belladonna, while the Omastar tried to grab Art. Portia had to deal with most of the Kabuto and Omanyte, as she was the one holding the Blue Card.

Belladonna struggled to get the Kabutops to let her go, while Portia just swatted the smaller fossil Pokémon off of herself. "This is ridiculous…"

The Omanyte and Kabuto used Water Gun in an attempt to weaken the Rhyperior, but to no avail. She just continued swatting them off. Art was growing annoyed at the Spiral Pokémon that were currently just grabbing at him awkwardly.

After a few more seconds, the Ferrothorn let out a groan. "Okay, I've had enough of this shit."

One of Art's feelers began glowing a bright purple color as he lifted it off the ground. With a harsh grunt, he whipped it around, striking the two Omastar and sending them flying back into the water. He turned to Belladonna who had curled into her stony shell. The Kabutops were striking her repeatedly with their scythes, making themselves resemble miners.

Art slowly approached before using Power Whip once again, knocking the Kabutops away. No longer feeling the constant picking from the scythes, Belladonna emerged from her shell with a sigh of relief. "Thanks Art."

"Whatever…" the Thorn Pod Pokémon responded.

Portia threw one last Kabuto off of her before one of Art's feelers glowed purple for a third time.

 _WHAP!_

All of the Kabuto and Omanyte were sent flying in different directions. Portia sighed in relief, "Thanks Art."

He rolled his eyes in response, "Let's just get back to the glade." He started walking back toward the campgrounds, with the others following suit.

 **000**

" **Okay, Art may be a douche, but I guess he's actually way more useful that I thought he was…" Portia responded. "Did you see how easily he knocked out those fossils? I mean, he has a major advantage, but still."**

" **Maybe we should get rid of Dade first…" Portia thought to herself.**

 **000**

The team of four made it back to the glade, with Portia placing the Blue Card into the display case. Mew chuckled to himself. "And you guys have taken the lead!"

"Two more objects and we win this thing," Dade commented before a gurgling sound was heard. The sound came from Portia's stomach, making everyone's eyes widen.

"O-Oh no…" the Rhyperior groaned, holding her stomach. "I've gotta go…"

"Now!?" Art exclaimed. "You were just fine. We're so close. We don't need to lose again!"

"Well, I can't control it! I have to go!" Portia shouted back.

Victini started laughing again, floating over to the group. "Well, I guess since both teams are being affected now, I'll tell you. I spiked you guys' food with chamomile and laxatives."

Everyone's eyes widened as they exclaimed, "WHAT!?"

"I _knew_ that there was something wrong with the food," Art stated. "Good thing I didn't eat any of it…"

"Yeah," the Victory Pokémon responded, rolling his eyes.

"Why would you do that!?" Belladonna queried.

"Just for fun," Victini answered. "And so that it's even more of a challenge for you."

Mew facepalmed with a groan. "Okay, let's just move on, huh? You guys only have two more items to find, and you're ahead by one. Get back in the field. Chop, chop."

They all started running back to the campgrounds, with the Rhyperior having to keep herself composed. She didn't want to have to wait until the challenge was over, but since it was Victini's fault that she was feeling this way to begin with, she decided to be strong and hold it in until they managed to finish.

They returned to the campgrounds and began going back down to the beach in order to follow the shore and heading to the shore. As they did this, an idea formed in Dade's head. "Hey, why haven't we searched the mess hall, yet?" he asked.

The others exchanged looks , as none of them had even considered checking the mess hall. Getting no response, Dade continued, "Well, before we try to check the cliff, maybe we should go see if there's anything in there."

"That sounds reasonable," Belladonna responded.

Portia groaned, frustrated about her situation. "Okay, fine. As long as we hurry up and find something."

They began walking back up to the campgrounds, approaching the mess hall. Upon entering, they immediately saw a large poster on one of the tables that read, 'Escape the Kitchen Challenge. Flame Orb Reward.'

Seeing the poster, Portia groaned. "Okay, looks like this place is for the Red Team. Great."

Dade shrugged, "Well, there was a possibility that something was here, so at least we checked. We can go to the cliff now."

"Hang on a second…" Belladonna began, something becoming clear to her. "If we're able to find other people's objects, what's to stop us from moving them from their original positions? Like… say the Red Team came across the Blue Card before us?"

Suddenly, Victini's voice echoed from a loudspeaker. "IF YOU COME ACROSS AN OBJECT THAT IS NOT ON YOUR LIST, YOU MUST LEAVE IT ALONE!"

"Well, that answers that," Art responded as they started exiting the mess hall. "Now we know that we can waste our time by _not_ wasting our time."

"Look," Portia began, still not feeling that well. "Let's just go check the cliff like we said we were going to, and then go from there. If there's nothing there, or if we find something for the Red Team, we can just check somewhere else."

"What all do we have left on our list, again?" Dade queried.

Belladonna took the list out of her shell, looking over it. "We still have the Gracidea and the Silver Wing."

"Okay, the Gracidea can remain as our last object," Art stated. "Now, about that Silver Wing, I feel that the cliff would definitely be a good place to search. It's a high location that overlooks the water, after all."

"Then let's shake a leg, already," Portia said as she started speed-walking back toward the beach.

Seeing that she was struggling, Art chortled to himself. "Well, at least it wasn't the chamomile that got her. Then we'd be screwed."

He started following Portia, but Dade's voice caused him to stop. "Uh, Art. We have a situation."

The Ferrothorn groaned to himself, watching as Portia continued walking. "PORTIA! BRING YOUR ASS BACK HERE! WE CAN'T SPLIT UP!"

The Rhyperior's groan could be heard as Art turned back around and saw what the 'situation' was. Belladonna was curled up inside of her shell, with Dade standing on top of her.

"What the hell is going on?" Portia growled as she stomped back to the campgrounds.

"Bella fell asleep," Dade revealed.

Portia groaned, facepalming, while Art just sighed. "Of course something else has to cause issues just when we're actually doing well," he commented.

"I mean, we can still move her," Dade explained. "Portia can carry her or one of you can just roll her."

"Not it!" Portia responded swiftly as she started walking off again.

A look of irritation formed on his face as he glared at the retreating Rhyperior from the corner of his eye. "Real mature!" he shouted after her.

Art grumbled to himself as he moved over to the snoozing Megaton Pokémon. Dade hopped onto Art's head as he came over. With Portia out of range and Belladonna asleep, Dade decided to talk to Art for a bit. "Well, today's been pretty interesting so far. For me, at least."

"Considering that you haven't had to do anything, I'm not surprised that you think that," Art retorted tonelessly as he started pushing the sleeping Golem forward with his feelers.

"Yep," Dade said with a relaxed sigh. "You and Portia's pettiness, the fact that things have been pretty simple, tied in with the fact that we may actually win this challenge… It's a pretty interesting change from the norm."

"Change from the norm?" Art responded, raising a brow. "Stupid arguments always come up, these challenges are all pretty simple, just tedious, and there's always a 50-50 chance that we can either win or lose these challenges. Nothing at all has changed."

"Eh, that's just how I feel," Dade shrugged. "Say what you want."

 **000**

" **Dade's lucky that he has Belladonna as a lackey," Art stated. "Based on everything that's been going on today, if Belladonna wasn't working with him, I wouldn't hesitate to ask Portia to help me get rid of him."**

 **000**

Kane had used Focus Blast to go through all of the pit walls until he reached the other side. It was then that he lifted Tim up a bit, busting through the ground above him. Zahku helped pull the Tropius back up, his weight being no problem for the Guts Pokémon.

Once Tim was up, the Ursaring and Nidoqueen were faced with a bit of a predicament. He had blasted through each wall, so they wouldn't be able to wall jump like Zahku did. He let out a groan, scratching the back of his head. "Okay, how are we gonna do this…?"

After a few seconds, he decided to go ahead and get Sasha up onto the higher ground. He stood up against the wall, cupping his hands together. "Okay, climb on up."

Sasha, who had been holding herself together a bit better, nodded in agreement before approaching him. She stepped onto his hands and he hoisted her up. Zahku, once again, helped her get up fully. She let out a sigh of relief before looking back down into the pit. "Okay Kane, jump and grab my hand and we'll pull you up," the Drill Pokémon said, reaching her hand downwards.

Kane nodded before taking a few steps back. He ran forward, running up the wall a bit, reaching up, and grabbing Sasha's outstretched hand. Sasha, with help from Zahku, and bit of help from Tonya, pulled the bruin out of the pit.

"Finally…" Kane panted. "We can... get the hell... out of here. Thanks, guys."

"Hey, uh… where's Jessica?" Sasha queried.

Zahku offered an explanation, "Fish lady fell asleep, too. Put with others." He pointed over to where he had put Tim, Jessica, and Max; they were all piled onto each other near the exit.

"Great… now we _each_ have to carry something," Sasha groused.

 **-000-**

They made it back to the glade, with Tonya holding the orb, Zahku toting Max, Kane toting Tim, and Sasha toting Jessica.

Victini could only chuckle at the sight of them, "Well, isn't this a precious sight?"

"No, it's not precious. It's stupid," Tonya said as she placed their Lustrous Orb into their display case.

Kane took notice at the Blue Team's display case, which already had four items. His eyes widened. "Wait, they caught up?!"

"Yep," Victini replied. "While you guys struggled with sleeping players and pits, they've been working quickly to try and get this challenge done."

"Well, that's not our fault. We don't know why these guys suddenly decided to fall asleep!" Sasha argued.

"Victini spiked your food with chamomile and laxatives," Mew explained. "That's why they're asleep and that's why you may have some stomach issues."

"What the hell, Vic?!" Kane expressed with an irked visage.

The Victory Pokémon shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, I had to make it more fun and entertaining."

"You could've just left it alone. We're already struggling!" Sasha responded. "How long are they gonna be asleep?!"

He hummed, "The type of chamomile tea that I infused with your drinks mentioned three hours."

"Three hours!?" Tonya exclaimed.

"Yep," Victini responded with a nod. "And, you guys may wanna get moving, the other team is still ahead."

A collective groan was heard among the Red Team before they started heading back to the campgrounds.

 **-000-**

"Okay, spiking all of our food and drinks is completely douche-y," Sasha commented as they reached their cabin.

Kane concurred, declaring, "Well, I know that I'm never gonna trust food in the middle of a challenge, again."

"Same here," Tonya agreed with a nod. "But, we've gotta keep moving if we're gonna beat the other team again."

"Well, since we've been talking about food and drinks, let's check the mess hall," Sasha reasoned, still holding Jessica.

They all approached the mess hall, entering it in order to check it out. They saw the poster that was lying on the table and grew intrigued. Being the only one with free hands, Tonya picked up the poster and decided to read it aloud.

The Accelgor cleared her throat, "Escape the Kitchen Challenge. Flame Orb Reward."

A look of confusion formed on Kane's face as he carefully placed Tim down. "Escape the kitchen? What does that mean? We just go in, take the orb, and leave?"

"Pretty sure that's not the case," Sasha replied with a slight giggle as she lied Jessica down on one of the tables. "Let's just get in the kitchen and see what we have to do."

Tonya had an idea of what the challenge would entail. She had seen a few videos and heard about a few of her friends doing something called an 'Escape Room' challenge. People would be placed in a room and they would have to find and complete puzzles and riddles in order to complete certain tasks and eventually get out of the room for a prize.

Due to having three sleeping teammates, they decided to leave them outside of the kitchen. They were still in the mess hall, so it wasn't really splitting up. At least they hoped so.

Kane, Tonya, Zahku, and Sasha all entered the kitchen, where they saw that the kitchen was surprisingly much cleaner than it originally was. The stained, wooden walls were covered with smooth, ecru colored plaster, giving the place a very refined look. The initially tiled, grimy floor was replaced by smooth hardwood. All of the appliances were brand new as well, having a sleeker, shiny appearance.

The countertops were made of a colorful marble and housed a knife holder, a blender, the microwave, and a deep fryer. There was an island in the middle with another marble top, and cabinets on the sides of it. Sitting on the island, sat a piece of paper with writing on it.

As they entered, the door shut behind them. Kane immediately tried to open it, but upon realizing that it was locked, he put two and two together. "Okay… now I get why it's an escape room."

"Yeah…" Tonya replied as she picked up the paper. She read, "For the Red Team, a Flame Orb is what you seek. New area that's _reflective_ and sleek. Flip the page over for your very first clue. From there, hopefully you know what to do."

Tonya flipped the page over and saw that there was nothing there. "Uh… I don't see a clue. The page is blank."

"Let me see," Sasha requested. Tonya passed her the note and the Nidoqueen squinted her eyes as she scanned the page. Nothing.

She flipped the page repeatedly, becoming just as confused as Tonya. "Okay… this is weird."

She handed the note to Kane, who read over the words again. He took note of the fact that the word 'reflective' was italicized. That most definitely was a clue. He had always noticed subtle hints like that, whether it be brain teasers in school or when reading contracts.

"Okay… 'reflective' is italicized, so that probably means that we have to reflect this off of something…" the bruin reasoned as he started looking around.

"What?" Sasha asked as she got the note back. She saw that the word _was_ italicized. She just hadn't thought anything of it.

"Yeah, so…" Kane said, taking the note back. He started looking around, eventually walking up to the refrigerator. He was able to see his reflection, so a smile slowly crept on his face. He put the note up against the reflective fridge, and saw that some numbers were showing up in the reflection.

"Okay, we've got numbers," the Ursaring said as he started listing them. "4, 8, 3-"

"Wait!" Tonya interjected, causing him to stop. "We don't know where we have to put the numbers, yet."

"Well, the only place that we can really enter numbers is the microwave from what I can see," Sasha said, her eyes inspecting the room.

"Well, let's try it out, then," Kane said.

Sasha approached the microwave as Tonya took a seat on the island. Zahku was just sitting against the wall, a bit bored of the situation.

Still holding the paper against the shiny fridge, Kane asked, "Ready Sasha?"

"Yeah," she replied with a nod.

"Okay," he proceeded. "4, 8, 3, 9, 5, 4, 7."

Sasha entered the numbers on the keypad before pressing the start button. The microwave door popped open, revealing a key. "Nice, we got a key!" she said, pulling it out.

"Okay, cool," Tonya said with a smile. "Now we have to find out where the key goes…"

"Check the cabinets and drawers," Kane instructed. "Maybe there's something in one of them."

They started checking the cabinets, with Zahku simply sitting around, watching. Seeing his inaction, Tonya rose a brow. "You okay Zahku?"

"Zahku bored," he responded. "Wants actual challenge."

"Uh, Zahku, this _is_ an actual challenge. It just requires more mental strength than physical strength," Sasha retorted. "And if we're gonna win this, we're gonna need all hands on deck."

With a disgruntled sigh, the Makuhita stood back up, ready to help his team the best he could. Kane left all of the cabinets and drawers open in order to get through things quickly. One of the drawers had a telephone with a zip tie around it and another had a picture of a rainbow. The cabinets also had different objects inside of them. One held different colored plates, another had a book of matches, and another had a black box with a lock on it.

Immediately upon seeing the lock, Kane pulled out the box. "Try the key on this." He handed it off to Sasha, who immediately tried to put the key into the lock. Unfortunately, it was too big for the lock.

"No good. Doesn't fit," she replied, placing the box on the island. "Keep looking."

Zahku opened the cabinets on the island and found a jewelry box with another lock on it. Noticing this, Tonya pat his shoulder. "Nice work, Zahku."

She pulled out the jewelry box and handed it to Sasha. The key actually fit in this lock, much to her delight. "We got something!"

Kane came over from checking the fridge, in which he found a single ice cube tray with an ice cube missing. "What's that? Jewelry box?"

"Yep," Sasha replied as she opened it. The jewelry box released a cold fog upon being opened, revealing a single ice cube.

"Ice cube?" Zahku said questioningly.

"Hold on…" Kane said in realization. Putting two and two together, the Ursaring looked back over to the fridge. He went back over and pulled out the blue ice cube tray, bringing it back toward the others. "Put the cube in here."

 **000**

The Blue Team was able to reach the cliff, with Art still pushing Belladonna forward with his feelers. Dade had talked a majority of the time, trying to think of future strategies that could possibly get him and Art further in the game. Art toned him out the entire time, but let out grunts of agreement whenever the Burmy asked him what he thought. Eventually getting the hint that he wasn't really listening, he just decided to silence himself.

As they looked around, the two guys didn't see any sign of their resident surfer chick. Since they all needed to be present, Art decided to loudly call out to her. "Portia! Where the hell are you?!"

Eventually, the Rhyperior came from around the back of the cliff, a look of relief on her face. "Keep your panties on. I had to take care of business. I feel ten times lighter."

Looks of disgust formed on their faces, causing Portia to scoff. "Oh, get over yourselves. At least I'm more up to it, now," she said as she walked over and looked up at the cliff.

"Whatever," Art replied as he looked back up. "Now, do you mind carrying your friend from now on? I'm pretty tired of knocking her around and I don't think it'll be good for her."

Portia gave the Ferrothorn a look of annoyance, but decided to go ahead and pick up Belladonna, whose shell had a few chips. Dade decided to hop off of the Thorn Pod Pokémon's head, getting back on Belladonna's body.

"Okay, good. I'll go up and see if there's anything up there. You people just stay down here," Art said as he approached the cliff.

"Can you stop calling us 'you people', please?" Portia asked, growing vexed at what the Ferrothorn called them.

"I'll call you whatever I wanna call you," Art responded as he scaled the side of the cliff. Using his spiky feelers, he was able to climb up quickly and efficiently. After a while, he made it to the top, only to see a Braviary sitting on a rock, an expression of anger plastered on its face.

"What the hell?" he queried.

The Braviary gave one fierce flap of its wings, sending blue crescents toward him as he fully climbed up. The Ferrothorn was struck by the Air Slash, but he was well grounded thanks to his feelers. In response to this, Art's body became outlined in a yellow light before multiple streaks of electricity went directly to the Braviary.

It was able to dodge it, initially, but Art was persistent, continuing his onslaught of attacks. Not expecting this, the Valiant Pokémon had to keep moving, making sure to dodge every attack that was coming his way.

 **-000-**

Seeing the Braviary fly upwards, eyeing the multiple streaks of electricity flying by it, Dade and Portia were surprised.

"Is that a Braviary?" the Rhyperior queried, seeing the avian fly around.

"Sure looks like it," Dade replied. "I wonder why it's up there."

"I feel like it's a part of the challenge," Portia surmised as more electricity missed it. "Probably guarding something. And considering how it's maneuvering, I think Art's gonna need some help-"

Suddenly, a Thunderbolt extended from the cliff, connecting with the Braviary. Seeing this, Dade chuckled, "I currently doubt that..."

 **-000-**

The Braviary landed back on the cliff, electricity still coursing through it. Art approached it, confused as to why it started attacking in the first place. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the bird had an unusually colored feather sticking out. His eyes widened.

 **-000-**

Waiting for something else to happen, they eventually got some more action when the Braviary's fainted body suddenly landed in front of them, startling them.

"What the hell!?" Dade exclaimed.

From above, they heard Art instruct, "That thing has a Silver Wing in its feathers! Pick it out!"

Immediately, Portia bent down to search the Braviary's feathers. Eventually, she was able to pluck out a silvery, sparkling feather. "Got it!"

Art was climbing back down from the top as Portia picked up Belladonna again. The Ferrothorn made it back down before walking toward them. "Come on," he said as he walked past them. "Let's hope the other team hasn't caught up somehow."

They started heading back, eager to hopefully end their losing streak. As they did so, they didn't notice that the Braviary was slowly regaining consciousness.

Its eyes snapped open, immediately tightening into fierce glare as it got back to its feet. Seeing the retreating team, it huffed before immediately taking flight after them.

Oblivious to this, the Blue Team forged ahead. As they ran, Dade spoke up. "I can't believe that we actually have a chance to win this!"

"Hey, don't get too excited, it's not over, yet," Art reminded. "After this, we still have to find that damn flower, and who knows how long that'll take? We just have to hope that the other team is still behind."

Without warning, the Braviary swooped down, grabbing hold of Dade before flying off. Portia and Art both stopped, watching the Valiant Pokémon fly off. "Oh you've gotta be fucking _kidding_!"

 **000**

" **What the hell is up with this game and fucking us when we actually have a chance?!" Portia exclaimed.**

 **000**

Zahku was simply lying on his back on the island, as the Red Team was still coming upon more and more puzzles in the new kitchen. The ice cube tray puzzle had resulted in a slip of paper trailing out of it like a receipt. The paper only said 'Look beyond the Rainbow', and due to Kane opening all of the drawers, they immediately went to the picture of the rainbow. They had only progressed from there.

At the moment, Kane held an annoyed visage, as no matter what he and the others did, there seemed to be another puzzle right after it. A _floorboard_ came up for crying out loud!

"Okay, I'm done," the Ursaring said as he sat on the island. "There are too many damn puzzles in this single room. And where the heck is the Flame Orb, anyway?"

Tonya shrugged as she approached a keypad that had appeared on the wall. "Sometimes escape rooms have the items we're looking for visible, other times they don't. And these things take a while, it's not gonna be immediate," the Accelgor explained.

"Well, we don't have time to lose," Kane expressed. "And this is gonna take forever at the rate we're going."

"Not if you and Zahku get off your butts," Sasha teased, her arms folded.

Kane rolled his eyes playfully before getting right back on the ground. Zahku, however, simply sat up. "Can't Tonya just use speed to finish room quickly?" he deadpanned.

"Aww…. you used her actual name," Sasha cooed. The Makuhita hardly ever addressed anyone by name, so this was a pretty crowning achievement.

Zahku didn't show any emotion, though he did grumble a bit to himself. Tonya blushed a bit, but decided to stay focused on the challenge. She answered, "I mean… I could, but I'm not sure how effective it'd be. When it comes to running and stuff like that, I'm good at going fast, but when it comes to doing tests or when I'm typing or keying things in, more mistakes are made."

The Accelgor keyed in the numbers 4-2-6-4, which caused the stove to open. Inside of the stove sat a sphere that had a fiery pattern on it.

"The orb!" Sasha announced, as she had been standing next to it. She reached down and pulled it out, causing the kitchen door to open and all of the open drawers, cabinets, and other sections to close.

As they exited the kitchen, they took notice at the fact that Tim, Max, and Jessica were still asleep, much to their chagrin. Sasha handed the Flame Orb to Tonya, as she was the only one who wouldn't have to carry someone else back to the glade.

Kane went over to Tim, slinging him over his shoulders again. "Come on, let's get going."

As Sasha and Zahku grabbed their living luggage, Tonya headed toward the exit.

 **-000-**

They all made it back to the glade, with Kane being the last to arrive, having grown winded from carrying the Fruit Pokémon around. Maybe it was because he wasn't exercising as often as he used to, but he was feeling tired at a pretty faster rate than usual.

When he finally made it back, he dropped to his knees before letting go of Tim, letting him drop behind him. He was panting heavily.

"Oh come on," Victini commented with a chuckle. "You can carry around 300 pound logs for hours, but a 150 pound dino is a problem?"

Kane gave him a look. He knew that there was something wrong.

"Kane, I just think you're being affected by the laced food," Sasha said, patting his back, as Tonya placed the Flame Orb in the display case. "You're probably dehydrated. I kinda feel it, too."

"Well, dehydrated or not, you guys have managed to take the lead," Mew acknowledged. "One more item and you guys win once again. Now, get going."

Kane let out a sigh, picking up Tim once again. The team began walking away, with Kane trailing behind.

 **000**

 **The Ursaring was holding his head, letting out a groan. "Arceus, my head is pounding. Fucking Victini…"**

 **000**

"Put me down!" Dade exclaimed as he struggled in the Braviary's grasp. He could faintly see Art and Portia following him and groaned. "I said… put me down!"

A yellow aura surrounded the Burmy before blue orbs surrounded him. The orbs all struck the Braviary, causing him to let Dade go.

Dade let out a scream as he fell back toward the Earth. As the Bagworm Pokémon fell, he could feel his body beginning to tingle. Suddenly, he was enveloped in a bright blue light.

 **-000-**

After seeing the Braviary go down, Art and Portia skidded to a halt, having seen the avian drop Dade in mid-air.

"Where the hell is he? We don't have time for this!" Art exclaimed.

Suddenly, they heard a voice behind them which startled them. Turning around, they saw a gray and orange moth flying behind them. "Hey guys…" it greeted.

"Wait… Dade? Is that you?" Portia queried.

"Yep!" the Mothim responded, doing a aerial flip. "Cool, right?!"

"Wait, you were close to evolving this whole time?!" Art queried, a bit irritated that the Burmy could have been of more help much earlier.

"Hey," Dade shrugged. "All I know is that I attacked the Braviary, he dropped me, and then I ended up evolving."

Portia and Art exchanged looks, but decided to just ignore it and continue on with the game. The Rhyperior picked Belladonna back up, saying, "Well, good, now _you_ can hold the Silver Wing."

She handed the wing to the Mothim, causing him to respond with lidded eyes. "Really?"

"What did you expect? A cookie?" Art replied. "We don't have time to lose! Now come on!"

 **000**

" **I just evolved… and the first thing that she tells me to do is hold the Silver Wing," Dade deadpanned. "I mean, I guess that there's nothing else in particular that I could've done, but still!"**

 **000**

They made it back to the glade, with Dade dropping the Silver Wing into their display case. He glanced over to the Red Team's side and saw that they had five items as well. His eyes widened.

"They're almost done!?" Dade exclaimed.

"Arceus, damn it!" Art cursed. "That fucking Braviary screwed us over!"

"Hey, hey, hey," Mew chimed in. "Settle down. You guys still have a chance. You just have to get going and not waste time…"

"How the hell are we supposed to know where the Gracidea is when this damn island is 80% forest?!" Art exclaimed.

"That's your problem, now isn't it?" Victini retorted with a smirk. "Also, congrats on the evolution, Dade."

"Thanks," the Mothim deadpanned.

"Get going," Mew instructed, not wanting the Blue Team to lose again.

Just as Art was about to leave again, Portia stopped him. The glade was a grassy area surrounded by trees and bushes, and yet they never thought of checking this place for the Gracidea first.

"Wait…" she started, grabbing hold of one of his feelers. "We never thought about looking around this area."

Art simply scoffed in response, yanking away his feeler. "I'm pretty sure we would've seen a bright pink flower sitting in the middle of this place," he responded. "So, let's just go and try to-"

"Wait… I-I think I see something pink over there!" Dade said, pointing toward one of the many trees. There was a group of red, white, and yellow flowers in front of the tree, with a pink one barely sticking out of the group.

"I swear to Arceus, if you two put the damn Gracidea here…" Art started as he watched Dade fly over to the flowers.

Upon closer inspection, the Mothim's eyes lit up. The pink flower was, indeed, the Gracidea. It was sitting in the glade in plain sight this entire time.

"We got it!" Dade cheered, picking it up.

"No way…" Portia gaped as the Moth Pokémon flew back over to them, placing the Gracidea in the display case. He closed it, concluding the challenge.

"THE BLUE TEAM FINALLY WINS! THE BLUE TEAM FINALLY WINS!" Mew announced.

Portia and Dade actually high-fived, while Art sighed in relief. Belladonna, of course, was still fast asleep, so there was no reaction from her.

"Congratulations guys, you will _not_ be heading to another elimination ceremony," Victini announced. "Now, let's get the Red Team back and break out the smelling salts…"

 **000**

After the challenge, everyone that was asleep, and everyone who had stomach issues due to the laxatives, were back up to snuff. The Red Team was a bit bummed that they were going to have to eliminate someone, but they kept their spirits up, regardless. The Blue Team relished in their victory. Sure, they were still outnumbered, but at least they knew that they did have a chance. And with Dade's evolution, everyone on the team was useful now.

In the mess hall, the contestants were eating their dinner, which consisted of salisbury steak and a baked potato, and talking about what they were going to do next. People were also a bit impressed that Dade managed to evolve during the game, but they decided not to make it that much of a deal.

Belladonna was the most surprised, as she hadn't expected Dade to evolve any time soon. It kind of put her mind at ease, as now he would be a bit more noticeable. "So, how'd you end up evolving again?" the Golem inquired, having been asleep for the latter half of the challenge.

The Blue Team was sitting at a single table for once, so Portia and Art listened in, wanting to hear the entire story, or see if he said something other than what actually happened.

"It's not that big of a deal," the Mothim replied, beginning to explain. "I got snatched up by a Braviary, I attacked it, and I evolved after he dropped me."

Belladonna giggled. "Wish I had been awake to see that. But, you guys brought home a win, so I guess it's okay that I was asleep."

"Yeah. And now that bug boy's evolved, we have a flyer," Art said. "We may have a higher chance to win challenges now."

They all agreed, though Dade couldn't help but feel like Art was saying that he lowered their chances of winning when he was still a Burmy. "Yeah…"

 **000**

" **If I wasn't so sure that I had Belladonna's loyalty and that Portia and Art weren't willing to work together, I'd be nervous about losing another challenge," Dade commented. "But, hopefully the merger comes soon. And with me talking to Max and Tim tonight, I'll hopefully have four people under my belt.**

 **000**

"Ugh, I can't believe Victini spiked the damn food," Jessica groggily said with a yawn. She was still feeling a bit drowsy, and was disappointed that their team had lost.

"Yeah, we probably would have gotten through some of the things quicker with all hands on deck," Sasha responded, taking a bite of her baked potato. "But, Victini decided to 'make things challenging', and we got screwed. Not much we can do about it, now."

"So, are we still thinking about voting for Tim?" asked Tonya.

"Yeah, why?" Jessica inquired.

"Well, I was just thinking about what they said earlier today about the merge being soon and how we should think about who we would and wouldn't want to go up against," Tonya explained. "And… I was actually thinking about voting out Kane."

Suddenly, Sasha's fork snapped in her hand. Expecting a response of that caliber, Tonya decided to explain herself. "Okay, I think I might as well explain where I'm coming from."

"Please do," Sasha requested. "Because I don't see why we should vote off Kane when we don't even know when the merge is gonna come. If we vote him out, and tomorrow we have another physical challenge with restrictions on telekinesis, we'll be at a major disadvantage!"

"Yes, but think about it," the Accelgor began. "Kane is a strong, hunky, intelligent 'daddy bear' or whatever horny single ladies would call him. According to Victini, he can carry 300 pounds or more because of his work. He's married to another strong guy, but is still the 'male' of the relationship. He's loyal and not that easily manipulated... Taking him to the merge would be a huge threat."

Sasha twitched to herself, as Tonya was correct about the Ursaring, especially when she referred to him as a 'daddy bear'. However, she still wasn't willing to vote for him.

"Yes," Jessica replied. "All of that is true, but don't you think that he'd be taken care of in an instant once he made it to the merge? I mean, as we are, we're still in teams and the merge _could_ come tomorrow, or we could still be in teams. And, by your same logic, we could eliminate Zahku for being a threat. The guy is completely weird and he's extremely strong for his stage."

Tonya sighed, rubbing her head. "I guess you're right about that…"

"So, I'll say that we stick with our votes for Tim today, and if we lose another challenge, we… _consider_ one of them," Jessica said.

"What about Max?" Sasha queried, raising a brow, noticing that the Bruxish completely ignored him.

Jessica explained. "Max is completely neutral ground. I doubt that taking him to the merge will do anything."

"Isn't Tim neutral, too, though?" Tonya queried. "What's the difference?"

The Bruxish sighed. "Tim's a good guy, but he's still introverted, his girlfriend's already eliminated, and he honestly hasn't been all _that_ helpful in the challenges lately. At least in a helpful in an outstanding way."

"I guess you're right," Sasha concurred. "Let's just hope that the guys don't team up against one of us…"

"Oh, I'll talk to Zahku about that," Tonya giggled.

"I bet you will…" Jessica teased with a smile.

 **000**

Having finished his own dinner, Max had started leaving the mess hall. Taking note of this, Dade decided that now was a good time to talk with him and Tim. He cleared his throat before nudging Belladonna. "Uh, Bella, can I talk to you in private?"

"Oh, okay," Belladonna replied as she got up.

She and Dade made their way out of the mess hall, following Max. This left Portia and Art alone, which felt a bit awkward given what all they had gone through during the challenge. Portia grumbled, "Even after he's evolved, she still thinks that she has to be loyal to him…"

"At this point, if we lose again, it's gonna come down to either me or you," Art responded.

Portia huffed, "Probably you."

Art gave her a look, "You know, I was gonna offer you something that could help both of us out, but if you really think that he's gonna let _you_ make it to the merge… you're delusional."

The Rhyperior scoffed, "What do you mean delusional? Belladonna's not gonna vote me out. If Dade asks her to vote for me, she's gonna come to me and we're gonna vote for him, instead."

"Uh huh… and what if he's able to persuade her?" Art replied.

"Then… I take a loss," Portia said with a shrug. "There's not much that I can do about that."

"Well, I have a proposition for you," Art said. Portia rose a brow; she was interested, but was also hesitant. She still didn't trust him.

"What type of proposition?" she queried folding her arms.

"I'll help you vote out Dade… if you don't vote me out," Art explained. "Simple as that."

Portia gave him a look. "Yeah, sorry. No deal."

"Well, then I guess I'll be seeing you. If we lose again, anyway," Art responded, walking away.

Portia watched him leave, a thoughtful expression beginning to form on her face.

 **000**

" **Fucking… UGH!" Portia growled. "Why am I actually considering taking the deal?! I don't trust Art in the slightest, but I don't know if Belladonna will be stable enough to not listen to Dade."**

" **This is so frustrating!" the Rhyperior groaned. Just then, realization hit and she facepalmed. "What the hell am I talking about? I can just lie…"**

 **000**

Dade was able to get Tim and Max back to the glade, with Belladonna in tow. The Mothim cleared his throat. "Alright, so you guys already know why you're here, but I haven't quite explained things to _you_ , yet, Bella."

"Yeah, uh… what are we doing here, exactly?" the Golem asked, completely in the dark about the situation.

"Well, I offered these two an alliance in the last challenge," Dade explained. "A sort of… insurance policy for us during the merge, assuming that we all make it. We're all underdogs in our own rights, so having this alliance planned beforehand can establish us a force to be reckoned with at the merge."

"Assuming that we all make it," Max repeated. "Like Tim said yesterday, this is pointless if we get eliminated before it even takes effect."

"But here's the thing," Dade explained. "I'm gonna get Zahku back involved, too. He's probably my closest friend here. _And_ , since he bedded down Tonya, there's a chance that she may tag along as well. That brings our numbers up to six, and depending on who loses and how many days we have until the merge, we could still have the majority."

Tim and Max exchanged looks. It sounded good on paper, but they would have to wait to see how everything unfolded. Belladonna was a bit skeptical about it all. The fact that Dade managed to plan this far ahead made her nervous once again. If he had already made an agreement with _these_ guys without her knowing, who knows what else he's done?

"So, are we all okay with this?" Dade asked. "You won't really have to worry about anything until the merge, so there's no harm."

"Fine by me, I guess," Tim responded.

"Whatever," Max shrugged.

Dade looked to Belladonna. "Bella?"

The Golem sheepishly rubbed her arm, "Uh… I'm not so sure. I mean, it's nothing wrong with you guys, it's me. I mean… maybe?"

"Bella, if I get eliminated before the merge, you'll have more people to work with," Dade explained. "Trust me, this'll be in your best interest."

"But, you made this other alliance without me knowing…" Belladonna responded.

"The alliance is only here to help you, Bella," Dade explained. "I said that I'd help you make it further in the game and I'm gonna try to keep my word, even if I get the boot."

Belladonna let out a soft sigh. "Okay…"

Dade gave her a small smile, "Good." He turned to Max and Tim, curious to know how they were gonna vote. "So, who are you guys gonna vote for?"

"We were actually gonna vote Zahku," Tim said sheepishly. "I mean, he's too powerful for his own good."

Dade let out a sigh. "Okay, since we plan on adding him to the alliance, I'm gonna have to disagree with that idea. Maybe you guys should vote for Kane or Sasha instead. They're both strong and I don't think we want to have them in the merge."

Tim and Max exchanged looks. "I mean…" Tim began. "I guess we can vote for Sasha. She's cool and everything, but… I dunno. We'll think about it."

"That can work," Dade replied. "Let's just try to keep as many alliance members here as possible."

The Delibird and Tropius turned away to leave, leaving Belladonna and Dade alone. Dade was surprised that Belladonna was actually skeptical about his choice. He didn't really see it as a problem, especially since this was giving Belladonna a bit more security.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Dade queried.

Belladonna let out a sigh. "I just… I don't know what to expect anymore. You're evolved, so now you probably won't be able to be unnoticeable. That means that this probably won't work as well as it originally would. And… you making an alliance agreement with Tim and Max without me knowing… it just… it makes me worried that you're just gonna ditch me."

"Bella… seriously?" Dade deadpanned. "If we lose again, I'm 90% certain that if you and I weren't working together, either Art or I would be gone. This is more than likely gonna benefit you more than me."

Belladonna rubbed her arm, as he had a point. He was much more likely to be eliminated than she was, but her hesitance didn't waver. "I guess…"

"Just trust me," Dade replied, patting her back. "You'll be fine."

 **000**

 **Dade smacked his lips. "Okay, so she's getting** _ **very**_ **hesitant, so I'm probably gonna have to cut her loose. I literally gave her an alliance in case I get voted out, and yet that's still not worth her full trust."**

" **At this point, with the merge coming soon, I can just eliminate her and work with Art going forward," he said. "I'll try again in the next challenge, but if she's still worried, then she's gone. Sorry."**

 **000**

Later than night, the Red Team arrived at the elimination ceremony, taking their seats on the benches. Tension was a bit high, as they had no definite idea who was going.

Eventually, Mew and Victini arrived, with Mew holding the bag of chip bags. Victini greeted them, "Red Team, welcome back to the elimination ceremony. Been a while since you guys last paid us a visit."

"Hey, we don't like to lose," Kane chuckled.

"Well, looks like that changed, today," Victini chuckled. "In part due to me having fun, but what are you gonna do?"

"Don't remind us…" Jessica said, giving him a look.

"Anyways, it's about that time, so let's see who you guys are taking out," the Victory Pokémon stated. "When you receive your chips, you're safe."

The Red Team exchanged looks of uncertainty.

"Jessica, Tonya, and Max…" Victini called out, with Mew tossing them their bags of chips.

Max and Tonya caught theirs with their hands, while Jessica caught hers with her teeth.

"Kane… Sasha… you two are safe as well," Victini said as Mew tossed the two of them their bags of chips.

Tim and Zahku were the last ones remaining. Tim was surprised that he was at the bottom, but seeing who he was up against, he wasn't that worried. Zahku, as usual, showed hardly any emotion, simply folding his arms.

"And the player heading home is…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

...Tim," Victini finished, as Mew tossed the final bag to Zahku.

Tim gasped softly, surprised at the voting results. Max's eyes widened in surprise, as did Kane's. "You guys voted me out?" he asked, still stunned.

"Tim…" Tonya began. "It's nothing personal, you just... haven't really been helping majorly in challenges. Plus, you're still sorta isolating yourself, so that doesn't really help. So, sorry…"

Hearing her explanation, Tim let out a sigh. "Okay. I guess that's fair," he replied. "I had a good time here. I got my first girlfriend, made a few more friends than I thought I would, _and_ I outlasted Honey, so… I guess it's not all bad."

"Tim, it's time to go," Victini said as a Lapras swam up to shore.

The Tropius rose a brow at that. "Can't I just fly?"

"Nah, just standard procedure," Victini said. "No flying, just enjoy your ride. Or, at least follow the Lapras."

"O...kay," Tim responded as he approached the Transport Pokémon.

"I'll catch you around, dude," Max said, waving.

"See ya," Sasha responded as she waved as well.

The others waved as well, excluding Zahku, who simply watched him go.

"Well, that was certainly a surprising elimination," Victini commented. "Especially when the merge is so close."

"Head on back to the campgrounds," Mew instructed.

The Red Team did as they were told, starting to walk back to the campgrounds. Max had immediately took off, with the others following. Kane and Zahku had walked ahead, while the girls trailed behind.

Mew and Victini faced the camera. "Well, Tim-Tim's gone, and we're down to the final ten," Victini said. "Now things are most _definitely_ gonna start picking up."

"Will Victini poison the contestants' food again? Are Max and Jessica gonna hook up? Will Zahku evolve, too? And most importantly, who'll be eliminated next? Find out next time on our island challenge!" Mew finished.

 **000**

" **Nothing personal, Tim, but my vote's for you," Jessica declared.**

 **000**

" **The guys and I discussed it again, and since Zahku isn't with Tonya, voting for him isn't that big of an issue anymore," Kane explained. "So, Zahku."**

 **000**

" **I don't care what Dade says. I'm voting for Zahku," Max said, folding his arms.**

 **000**

" **Tim. Sorry," Sasha said sheepishly.**

 **000**

 **Tim let out a sigh. "I know that Dade said not to vote for Zahku, but he's just too big of a threat. And we can always recruit other people we like in the alliance. Heck, we could get Kane to join in!"**

 **000**

" **Bye, Tim. Sorry about this," Tonya said, waving to the camera.**

 **000**

" **Zahku approached and asked to vote for fruit neck man," Zahku explained. "Zahku agrees. He think he weakest link anyway."**

 **000**

 _ **Votes:**_

 _ **Tim - 4 votes (Jessica, Sasha, Tonya, Zahku)**_

 _ **Zahku - 3 votes (Kane, Max, Tim)**_

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 _ **Red Team - (Jessica, Kane, Max, Sasha, Tonya, Zahku)**_

 _ **Blue Team - (Art, Belladonna, Dade, Portia)**_

 **000**

 _ **Elimination Order:**_

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)**_

 _ **19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)**_

 _ **18th - Marley Banner (The Pranking Prodigy)**_

 _ **17th - Lawrence "Lucky" Addams (The Unlucky Charm)**_

 _ **16th - Lynn Jamison (The Calm Leader)**_

 _ **15th - Christopher "Chip" Torwood (The Buff Brain)**_

 _ **14th - Christine Reynolds (The Composed Musician)**_

 _ **13th - Richard "R.J." James Mitchell (The Flustered Hothead)**_

 _ **12th - Honey Winchester (The Royal Pain)**_

 _ **11th - Timothy "Tim" Lester (The Affable Introvert)**_


	12. Rhyme Scale

**000**

Jessica sighed as she, Sasha, and Tonya returned to their cabin. "Well, I guess Max wouldn't wanna talk for a while, now…" the Bruxish expressed with a frown. "I was really looking forward to having some fun with him."

Climbing onto her bunk, Tonya exhaled deeply. "Well, hopefully he doesn't hold it against us," she said as she started draping her sheets over herself. "I mean, it was a reasonable decision. Sure, we didn't eliminate a 'threat', but I think we'll be able to manage without him."

"I agree, but… now I'm a bit worried," Sasha responded, sitting down on her bed. With Tim gone and no definite date for when the teams were gonna merge, the Nidoqueen was growing nervous about the team's next moves if they lost more challenges. "What are we gonna do if we lose more challenges? It's gonna be even harder…"

"Well," Jessica began. "Not necessarily. We can start thinking forward like Mew and Victini suggested. Zahku's made it pretty clear that he doesn't want an actual relationship and he's too strong for his own good. It'd be in our best interest to eliminate him if we lose."

An expression of dejection formed on Tonya's face, as despite her failed advances, she still didn't want Zahku to go. Just then, realization hit her as she thought about the situation. "Wait," she started. "There are ten of us left, so that means that the merge may happen tomorrow. We may not even have to worry about this."

Sasha and Jessica hadn't even thought about the numbers. There were six of them left on the Red Team and still just four of them on the Blue Team. If the merge _did_ come the next day, things would most definitely change. If not, then they stuck with the plan to eliminate Zahku if they lost.

Speaking as if the merge was happening, Sasha relayed an idea to the other girls. "Say..." she began, "...since we outnumber the other team, and none of us really _want_ to vote each other off, why don't we get rid of all of the people left on the Blue Team, first?"

Tonya and Jessica exchanged looks with raised brows. It wasn't that bad of an idea at all. All of the members of the Blue Team were threats in their own way, so taking them out early would make things a _lot_ easier for them. However, choosing who to vote for after all of the Blue Team members were gone would be just as difficult as it was currently.

The Bruxish hummed in response. "That's a maybe, because if we vote out all of their members, then we'll just be stuck again."

Sasha nodded in understanding, having momentarily forgotten about that. "Okay. I guess we can just play the game however we want when we reach that point."

"Yeah," Tonya concurred. "And if we're still in teams tomorrow and we don't wanna vote out anyone else, we're just gonna have to work even harder and make sure that we win."

Jessica and Sasha both nodded in agreement. With Tim gone, each of the girls had a guy that they either liked or cared about, no offense to Tim. They just didn't want to make any more tough calls.

 **000**

" **I was really hoping to get it in with Max tonight…" Jessica explained. "But, having just voted out Tim, I doubt that he'll be in the mood to talk about his problems."**

 **She let out a disappointed sigh. "Well, there's always tomorrow. Hopefully he isn't still upset about it."**

 **000**

Max sighed as he lied on his bunk, staring at the ceiling. "Well, that's just the game, I guess."

"Yeah," Kane said, taking a seat on his own bunk. He still couldn't believe that Tim was eliminated instead of Zahku. He didn't think that the girls would choose to keep the Makuhita, who had just recently joined, over their friend. "But, I guess they were thinking about what'd be best for the team going forward."

"Even though they said that the merge was coming soon," Max grumbled, rolling onto his side. He then realized the Makuhita was in the room and cleared his throat. "And Zahku… no offense about the vote. You're just a very physical threat for the merge."

Zahku only shrugged in response before beginning to climb onto the bunk above Tim's. "Zahku take as compliment," he explained, grunting as he pulled himself up. "Glad he seen as strong threat."

"Yeah, that's cool, but that may also become an issue in the merge," Kane chimed in. "No one really wants to go up against someone who can kick our asses in challenges."

"If they scared of Zahku and Zahku out because of it, he still okay," the Guts Pokémon replied. "Let Zahku know he doing good job."

Kane and Max exchanged looks, a bit surprised that he was fine with being eliminated. But, then again, he said that he took it as a compliment, so they weren't too confused.

"Well, that's a good attitude, I suppose," Kane responded. "But now I'm a bit worried about how the girls are gonna handle another elimination. I mean, there's three of us and three of them, so it could end up being a tie…"

"Unless we're able to convince one of them to vote with us if we lose," Max explained. "I mean, I think we'd have a chance if we can convince Jessica to help us vote out uh… _another one of us_."

Max gestured to Zahku with his eyes, which Kane was able to catch. The bruin nodded in understanding. After receiving this confirmation, the Delibird yawned, smacking his lips. "Well, I guess we just wait to see what happens tomorrow," he said, rolling over to face the wall. "G'night guys."

"Good night, " Kane said, though he wasn't really tired. The Ursaring just lied back, staring at the bottom of the top bunk.

As the lights went out, courtesy of Zahku, Kane started thinking about his chances of winning. At this point in time, he felt secure, as his teammates saw him as a reliable asset. But, when the merge came, he was most definitely going to be in the same position as Zahku. He needed to come up with a way to insure his longevity in the game once the teams were dissolved.

He could easily form an alliance with Sasha, as she would never vote him out. At least, he hoped so. But then, that'd just be one other vote. He looked at the other beds and thought about asking Max and Zahku. Both of them were maybes, but Max seemed to be the more willing of the two. That'd give him an alliance of at least three. Heck, maybe their entire team could have an alliance in the merge. That sure was an idea. Then, once all of the Blue Team members were gone, it'd be a free-for-all. With the thought in his head, he rolled over to meet the wall, a smile on his face.

 **000**

" **If I can talk the others into making an alliance with me at the merge, I may have a higher chance of making it further," Kane reasoned. "I just have to hope that they go for it."**

 **000**

With his evolution, Dade couldn't help but feel a bit more confident about his team's chances. Now that he could fly and he had a few more useful moves, they could very well win more challenges. However, as the merge draws near, the Mothim actually found himself a bit conflicted about what he wanted to do next.

He was losing trust from Belladonna, Portia probably still had her resentment toward him, and he was actually becoming a bit more wary of Art since he really proved his worth in the challenge. Not only that, but apparently Tim got eliminated, so he was already down an alliance member.

He felt vulnerable. All Art had to do was join Portia, and Belladonna if she went against him, and he was gone. He didn't want to risk it, so he was going to have to make sure that his team won these next few challenges until they reached the merge.

The Mothim's thoughts were soon interrupted by a question. "Hey, mothball, you okay over there?"

Breaking free of his mental chains, the Moth Pokémon turned to the source of the inquiry, Art. "Huh… what?"

"You've been staring at nothing for the past ten minutes…" Art acknowledged. "Something's going on in that mind of yours…"

Not wanting him to know about his feeling of vulnerability, Dade decided to blame the merge as the cause of his deep thoughts. "Oh, uh… just thinking about the merge and what may happen if we make it. There's a lot of strong people on the other team, and I'm a bit worried that once we're there, they're just gonna eliminate us back-to-back."

Art shrugged, "Probably so, but that's what these immunity challenges are for, so that we _can't_ be eliminated."

Dade shrugged along in agreement. "I guess."

Noticing that he no longer had his cocky demeanor, the Ferrothorn suspected that something was afoot. "So... are you still dead set on eliminating Portia?" Art asked. "Or are you just going with the flow now and hoping that we don't go back to elimination?"

Taking a deep breath, Dade turned to the Ferrothorn with a serious visage. "At this point in time, I'm all about self-preservation," he answered sternly. "We need to win more of these challenges so that we're not totally outnumbered in the merge. But, with regards to the original plan, yes, we'll still be voting for Portia if we lose."

Art nodded along in agreement, though he had his doubts about Portia getting eliminated. The Moth Pokémon was obviously nervous about something. He was so confident and eager to vote out Portia if they lost another challenge, but now he was claiming to be all about self-preservation? It didn't add up with him.

 **000**

" **Seems to me like the shrimp is worried about getting voting out," Art reasoned. A smile formed on his face as he chuckled to himself. "My guess is that the pet rock has finally gained a mind of her own."**

" **And if that's the case," the Ferrothorn began chuckling, "I guess that he has the right to be worried."**

 **000**

Portia, having been thinking about the proposition that Art made, sighed as she sat on her bunk. She didn't know whether to trust in the Ferrothorn or not. For all she knew, he could've been baiting her. But, then again, there was a chance that Belladonna could rebel, making it so they _did_ get rid of the newly-evolved Mothim. She just didn't want to risk it.

She had planned on lying to him, but further thinking made her realize that it wouldn't really be doing her much good. During the merge, Art was more likely to be eliminated fast, so lying to and voting for him now would do nothing for her. Dade _was_ the bigger threat. She let out a sigh, holding her head.

Seeing her distressed expression, Belladonna called out to her. "Are you okay, Portia?"

The Rhyperior looked at her briefly before letting out another sigh. With how close they were to the merge, she decided to express her frustrations. "If I'm being honest, Bella... I'm worried," she explained. "With you working with Dade, I have no idea what to expect right now. If we lose another challenge, Art and Dade are just gonna vote for me and… I don't know if you're gonna follow suit or not. We have our bond, but I'm still nervous."

Belladonna was surprised that Portia thought that she'd vote for her. They had an agreement that when it came down to it, they'd team up on Dade when things got hairy. "Portia, you know that I'd never vote for you. We agreed to go for Dade and… I'm ready to commit to that. I'm not worried anymore."

Portia's eyes widened, not expecting to hear that from the Golem. "Wait, so you're done working for him? What happened?"

Belladonna let out a sigh of her own before walking over, taking a seat next to her. Now that she was no longer planning on working with Dade, she felt that exposing his plans would prove beneficial for both herself and Portia.

"Okay," she began. "I was okay with going along with his plans for a while, but with your paranoia and Art's accusation, I was starting to get nervous and still trying to figure out if I wanted to go through with it. With him evolving, his spiel about him being too insignificant and small doesn't work anymore, which I feel puts _me_ on the line."

Portia was nodding along in understanding, somewhat proud of herself for partially contributing to Belladonna's decision. The Golem continued her explanation, "And, earlier today, he showed me that he made some sort of backup alliance, or like some sort of extended alliance with people from the other team."

Hearing that caused Portia to pale. "Wait, wait… he made _another_ alliance?"

Belladonna nodded. "He told me that he was more than likely going to be voted out soon, and that this alliance was for when we reached the merge so that we have insurance. It just made me even more worried."

Portia groaned in frustration. "Well, who else is in this 'merge alliance'?"

"Well, besides us, Max and… I think Zahku," Belladonna explained. "Tim was in it, too, but he didn't come back with the others, so I think he's gone."

"Max?" Portia inquired, confused about the choice. "Why would he want to join that alliance when he's pretty stable already?"

"Well, he didn't really look like he wanted to be there at all, so he may not even _really_ be in it," Belladonna explained. "So, in all actuality, it may still just be me and him."

Portia let out a sigh of relief before remembering another name she mentioned. "Wait, what about Zahku? Weren't he and Dade good friends?"

"Dade mentioned him, but he wasn't there, so I don't even know if he'll go along with it," Belladonna explained.

"So, there's really no merge alliance, he just thinks there is…" Portia pieced together based on the information she was being given.

"Pretty much," she explained. "So, we can both go for Dade, they'll vote for you, we can force a tie, and hopefully Dade is the one who goes."

Hearing the mention of a tie, a small smile formed on the Drill Pokémon's face as she recollected Art's proposal. "Actually… there's a chance that Dade will go easily. Art talked to me after you two left the mess hall and said that he'd help me vote out Dade if I didn't vote for him."

"Okay, that's great!" Belladonna cheered.

"Yeah, but… I declined," Portia explained. "I still don't trust him. He could be lying to save his own ass."

Belladonna rose a brow at her hesitance. "Portia, if Art helps us vote for Dade, he's stuck. It'd be the two of us versus him. So, I don't think he's lying. I think he knows just how threatening Dade is and thinks he needs to go, too."

Portia hadn't thought about it as broadly as Belladonna did. A look of realization and embarrassment appeared on her face as she covered her face. "I feel so stupid."

Belladonna pat her back. "You're just worried. You're not stupid." She got closer, whispering to the Rhyperior, "We've got this."

Portia let out a breath before nodding in response.

 **000**

" **Yes!" Portia cheered ecstatically. "Bella's done with Dade, so the means that he's the next one to go!"**

" **After he's gone, hopefully the merge will happen and we can just play the game without worrying about him slipping under the radar or getting in some big alliance."**

 **000**

As the sun rose over the horizon, bathing the island in the warm light of the morning, a few of the contestants began waking up. Though, some seemed to already be awake.

The sound of creaking wood and soft grunts caused Max to stir in his sleep. Eventually, the Delibird realized that trying to get back to sleep was going to be pointless if the noise was going to continue. He sat up with a sigh, rubbing his eyes.

He looked to the side and saw that Kane was doing sit-ups on the floor beside him. Seeing this, Max sighed, "Well, that explains it."

Hearing the grogginess in his voice as he sat up, Kane sheepishly looked at the Delivery Pokémon, realizing that he had woken him up. "Sorry, dude."

Max shook his head in response. "It's whatever…" he responded as he moved his sheets off of him. "I needed to wake up anyway."

He flew out of his bed and went toward the door. Seeing him do this, Kane was tempted to stop him and ask about an alliance. However, since he had just woken him up, he decided against it. The Ursaring got to his feet as the Delibird exited the cabin.

He sat down on his bed, letting out a sigh as he looked around the cabin. Besides probably exercising, there was nothing for him to do and nobody for him to really talk to, guy-wise. Zahku is an odd one, Max didn't seem to have much in common with him and seemed like more of a loner type, he knew nothing about Dade, and Art was a maybe, because he talked to him and R.J. when he was still here. However, that may have only been because of R.J. alone.

He sighed as he got up once again, stretching, "I guess I can see what the girls are up to…"

 **000**

" **Well, I'm up a bit earlier than usual and I was alone in the cabin. I could've kept working out, but… I just didn't feel like it," Kane explained. "With Tim gone, and Zahku and Max out, I got pretty bored. So, I thought, why not go talk with the girls? I plan on talking to them about an alliance anyway..."**

 **000**

Tonya, Jessica, and Sasha were all sound asleep in the room next door. Their soft breaths providing the room with a soothing, tranquil ambiance. However, their peaceful slumber was soon interrupted.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock._

Hearing knocking at their door, Sasha, being the closest one to the door, groaned. "Who the heck is knocking on our door so early?"

"Who is it?!" Jessica grumpily shouted.

"Uh… it's Kane," they heard from the other side of the door.

Immediately, both Jessica's and Sasha's eyes popped open as they immediately sat up. Despite her focusing more on the game, Sasha was still attracted to Kane and enjoyed his company. She scrambled to get out of bed, falling on the floor in the process.

As she did this, Tonya and Jessica narrowed their eyes at her. To them, it wasn't really that crucial. The Nidoqueen quickly got back to her feet and composed herself before opening the door.

Seeing the burly bruin on the other side of the door made her smile, as he hardly ever came over to their side. Maybe this was the start of a new routine for him. "Hey Kane…" she greeted.

"Hey," he responded. "Sorry if I woke you girls, but I'm just a bit bored and wanted to come over to chill."

Overhearing this, Jessica giggled before chiming in, "Well, you guys always welcome in here."

"Thanks," Kane chortled before entering the cabin. He immediately looked around and saw the condition of Sasha's sheets. He had to stifle a laugh and look to the Drill Pokémon closing the door. "Uh… did you fall out of bed?"

Before Sasha could answer, Tonya chimed in. "Yeah, she fell out trying to rush to the door and let you in," she revealed.

The Nidoqueen blushed before giving the Accelgor a brief look of annoyance. Kane chuckled in amusement before taking a seat on an unoccupied bunk. "Didn't think that me paying a visit would be a big deal," he commented.

"It's not; it's just… you hardly do," Sasha explained, taking a seat beside him.

Jessica spoke up again, "So… what brings you here?"

With a shrug, Kane responded, "Well, like I said, I was bored. There's not many guys left for me to talk to and I didn't feel like continuing to work out. So… here I am. We can just… talk about anything."

"Ooh~," Jessica cooed, floating off of her bed. "Okay. So… first thing that _I_ really need to know… how upset is Max about yesterday's vote?"

"Oh," Kane began before shrugging. "Well, he's a bit bummed, but he's not _too_ upset. He knows that this is how the game works."

Jessica let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, good. So, I still have a chance tonight…"

"Jess, if you want to have sex with someone here, why not just go for Zahku? Or, just _ask_ Max if he wants to instead of using another reason?" Kane chuckled.

Tonya's eyes widened a bit upon hearing his suggestion, but luckily, Jessica shook her head in response. "I don't really find Zahku all that attractive, plus I think Tonya would hate me if I did anything with him."

The Accelgor scoffed dramatically. "I wouldn't really _hate_ you..." she responded. "... _that_ much…"

Jessica rolled her eyes playfully before looking back at the Ursaring. "And as for asking Max, I'd rather kill two birds with one stone and help him with his relationship hang-ups by giving him advice _and_ an experience."

"Okay, I guess I can understand that," Kane responded. "Like giving information and then giving a demonstration like in school."

"Uh… weird way to put it, but yeah. Pretty much," Jessica explained with a giggle.

Tonya, deciding to get in on the conversation, started getting out of her bed. Once free of her covers, she hopped off of her bunk and sat on Sasha's messy bunk. "So, Kane," she began. "How'd you find out you were gay? Was it a random experience? Did you have to look at something? Did you just know?"

Kane chuckled and he started thinking, "I think I figured it out in middle school during gym. My gym teacher, Mr. Kizer, was a pretty muscular Blaziken with a bit of a feminine physique. His mannerisms were a combination of a male and a female, and I found that attractive. I learned that some guys could have feminine tendencies, but still be pretty damn masculine and buff, _and_ that some guys are similar to girls anyway, and that was it. I started noticing other guys like him with a clearer lens and… yeah."

"Huh, that's interesting," Sasha opined. "You and R.J. had very different realizations."

"Yep," Kane chuckled. "I had my gym teacher and… he had me. But, that's enough about my revelation. Maybe we should talk strategy for a bit."

"Oh, do you have a plan?" Jessica queried.

Kane hummed, "More like an idea."

"Well, let's hear it," Tonya stated.

The bruin responded with a nod, beginning to explain. "Okay, I was thinking that when we reach the merge, our team can have an alliance and not vote each other off until the remaining members of the Blue Team are gone."

Sasha perked up upon hearing his idea, as it was the same idea that she had the night prior. Knowing this, the girls exchanged looks. Jessica decided to break it to him, saying, "Uh… funny thing. Sasha had that same idea yesterday."

"Oh, okay, that's good," Kane replied, patting the Nidoqueen's back. "Great minds think alike."

Tonya further explained, "Well, we actually said 'maybe' to the idea, because it'll still be pretty tough to vote out each other if we make it to the final six. We're too tight."

Kane was a bit surprised by their explanation. Sure, they were all pretty close, but this was still a game. If it came down to just the six members of the Red Team, it wouldn't really be that big of a deal. They could just play for themselves. "Uh… girls, I understand that we're all good friends, but this is still a competition. When it comes down to it, we're gonna have to vote for each other regardless."

"Hmm… I guess you're right about that," Jessica acquiesced. "No matter how much we all like each other, only one person is gonna win this. So, I suppose that the team alliance idea _could_ actually work."

Sasha beamed, "So, we're going through with it?"

"Sounds like we are," Tonya said, folding her arms. "We're gonna have to let Max and Zahku know."

"Yep," Jessica nodded.

 **000**

" **Okay, we have a chance of making it to the final six," Sasha spoke. "Now that Dade's evolved over there, the entirety of the Blue Team is threatening. Getting rid of them will be a huge weight off of all of our shoulders."**

 **000**

Mew yawned as he floated into the kitchen. He scratched his chest as he opened the fridge. Moving around the butter, eggs, sliced meats, and condiments, he eventually found what he was looking for.

Taking out a jug, the New Species Pokémon saw that the Moo-Moo Milk that normally filled the jug was mostly gone. "Son of a… Who put the jug back in the fridge? There's almost nothing left in here!" he exclaimed.

He began hearing faint laughter from behind him, followed by a snide remark. "Mew, you realize that no one cares, right?" Celebi spoke. "All you have to do is refill it."

"That's not the point," Mew responded. "Someone else could've filled it back up instead of leaving it nearly empty."

The Time Travel Pokémon scoffed as she grabbed a croissant out of the dish on the table. "Get over it. We all have to deal with each other's crap. That _includes_ having empty milk jugs."

As his ex left the kitchen, Mew grumbled to himself as he held the jug steady and closed his eyes. The jug began filling with milk, eventually getting back to the top.

He placed the newly-filled jug on the table before floating over to the cabinets. As he did this, Terrakion entered the kitchen. He glanced around and noticed Mew taking down a bowl. A few of the others were giving him and Victini a tough time due to the success of their show and because of their actions around the hall, prior to the whole 'reality TV game show' thing.

"Hey Mew," the Cavern Pokémon greeted as he approached the fridge.

Mew didn't really have much of a relationship with Terrakion. They were civil, but they never really talked much. He was usually hanging out with Heatran, and sometimes Entei and Latios, while Mew mainly aligned himself with Victini. "Hey Terrakion," he responded as he placed his bowl on the table.

"How's the show going so far?" the ox queried as he used one of his horns to open the fridge. "You guys having fun with it?"

Mew shrugged as he opened a box of cereal called, EnigmO's. "It's a pretty cool experience. Gives Victini a bit of an outlet to do weird or crazy stuff, but also a bit of responsibility since he can't really do any lasting damage to any of them."

"I would hope so," Terrakion chuckled through his teeth, pulling out a bag of bagels.

Since he was one of the only guys that was nice to him, he decided to ask about his show with the other Swords of Justice. "What about you guys' show? How's that going?"

After placing the bag of bagels on the counter, Terrakion let out a sigh. "I quit after about three days. Cobalion and Virizion still have a lot of tension and argue a lot, and Keldeo's a good kid, but… he's a bit annoying at times. And I couldn't handle it."

Mew chuckled. "Yeah, it makes a little more sense why you hardly hang with them around here."

Terrakion nodded in response. "Yeah… I'd rather just be around my boyfriend instead of Keldeo and 'Will they or won't they?'."

"Understandable," Mew replied with a chuckle. "Before I left, I would've have told them to shut up and make out already."

Terrakion chuckled, "Yeah, it's pretty obvious that those two want each other, they're both just too stubborn to admit it."

The two of them shared a laugh just as Victini floated in. "Hey… what's going on in here?" he asked playfully.

"Nothing, really," Mew answered as he started . "Just… talking a bit."

Victini nodded along, suspecting something. "Uh huh…" he responded before glancing at Terrakion. "So… how far along are you guys' with your show?" he asked, putting an arm on his back, trying to gage the competition.

"Uh… I'm not in the show, anymore," Terrakion responded with a chortle. "I quit around when we first started."

"Oh…" Victini responded, a bit surprised. He withdrew his arm and instead folded them. "Cobalion and Virizion still in denial?"

"Pretty much," Mew chimed in, taking a bite of another spoonful of cereal.

Victini stifled a laugh while shaking his head. "Pathetic… Those two really need to just get a room already."

"Yep, that's the general consensus," Terrakion chuckled. As he started putting putting a few bagels on his horns for himself and Heatran, he decided to reciprocate the question that Victini posed to him. "So, you asked me about my ex-show, but how far are _you_ two along?"

Mew and Victini exchanged looks, with Victini chuckling. "We're down to ten players, so we're halfway finished."

"Huh. Good job, guys," he commended with a nod. "Hopefully you guys have some success once your trial is over."

"That's what we're hoping for," Victini nodded with a wink. "Now…" he smacked Mew's back abruptly, causing him to nearly spill his cereal. "We've gotta go and provide food for our contestants."

Mew groaned, "Of course." He picked up his bowl and floated over to the sink, running the water in order to rinse it out.

"You enjoy your bagels," Mew told Terrakion before following Victini to the lobby. The Cavern Pokémon could only chuckle in response.

 **000**

Back on the island, everyone was going about their day, either engaging in a few leisure activities or waiting for Mew and Victini in the mess hall.

Zahku had climbed to the top of the cliff and was doing a series of yoga-esque poses, as well as a bit of a workout.

As the Makuhita laid down and began doing push-ups, he could sense someone approaching him from behind. He swiftly got back up and turned to face the potential assailant with a defensive stance, retracting his left arm, as if he was preparing for a punch, and putting another arm forward to block.

Seeing this, a yelp of fear was emitted from the person behind him, who was none other than Dade. "AH! IT'S ME!" he bellowed, flying backwards a bit.

Zahku lowered his guard, though he was still a bit surprised that Dade was there. "Oh, hello."

"Hi…" Dade responded, a bit more at ease. Sure, he was still a bit panicky because of his situation on his team, but at least he wasn't getting beaten up.

The Guts Pokémon inquired, "What brings mothman to cliff with Zahku?"

Dade explained, "Oh, uh… I was just flying around, getting used to these new wings and seeing the sights. What uh… what are you doing up here?"

"Zahku meditate, do yoga, and work out up here sometimes," the Makuhita explained. "Quiet and peaceful for him."

Dade nodded. "Okay, okay. That's cool," he replied. A few moments later he cleared his throat, asking, "So, uh… how's life on the other team so far? I mean, you ended up getting laid, so I'm sure that's a plus for you, but uh… anything else interesting going on?"

Zahku paused for a moment, thinking about it. When nothing outstanding came to mind, he simply shrugged his shoulders. "Zahku really not pay much attention to other teammates besides in challenge. They nice, though."

Dade was a bit perturbed, but nodded in understanding. Zahku decided to shoot back, asking, "How other team doing? Still have group with rock ladies?"

The Mothim let out a sigh. "No, I don't think so. I'm… actually a bit nervous. Belladonna's losing trust in me, and I think she's gonna flip. Portia already doesn't trust me, so all Art has to do is vote with her and Belladonna and I'll be the one gone. I'm really gonna need help if I'm gonna last in this game."

Hearing his friend's dilemma, Zahku could only shrug. "Not much that Zahku can help with. Feels bad for moth friend."

Dade groaned, "I wish you were still on our team. It'd make things so much easier for me."

Zahku only hummed in response. He didn't really have much to say to Dade. Sure, they were friends, but they were on different teams now, and Zahku had already helped his team in the last challenge. He had nothing to offer.

Given that he had asked about it, Dade decided to segue into a talk about his merge alliance. "So… uh… you're still interested in our alliance, right?"

"Zahku indifferent," he responded as he began doing push-ups again.

"I'll take that as a yes," Dade interpreted. "So, if I'm able to make it to the merge, I say that we start working together again. Maybe you can bring in Tonya and she can help us out, too."

Zahku paused in his position, giving the Mothim a look of annoyance. He thought that he had made it clear that there was nothing going on between him and Tonya; there was no connection. "Why would Zahku do that?"

Dade was a bit bemused by his response. Didn't he understand that more people meant more votes? "I mean... Tonya is another person for our group, and four votes are a lot more effective than just three."

Zahku rose a brow as he got back to his feet. "Four?"

Dade nodded, "Yeah. I talked to Max and Tim to see if they'd join, too, but Tim got eliminated. So, that leaves us with Max."

"Santa bird afraid of Zahku, though," the Fighting-type revealed. "Voted for Zahku because he threatened."

"What!?" Dade exclaimed. He had made it clear that voting for other people in the alliance wasn't going to be helpful! He groaned in annoyance, though he felt that he should have expected it with the way Max was acting during their meeting. "Okay… I guess it _would_ just be me, you, and Tonya, in that case."

Zahku let out a sigh as he started walking toward the edge of the cliff. "Not asking Accelgor lady. Not giving satisfaction. Nothing between us."

"Zahku, we need to work together if we make it to the merge," Dade explained. "We may have a chance! I mean, you can choose someone else if you want, but… I don't think anyone else will agree!"

Zahku jumped off the cliff, making the Moth Pokémon sigh. "I'm doomed."

 **000**

" **I really hoped that Zahku would help me, but I guess being on the other team has changed him," Dade explained. "It's like after he fooled around with Tonya, he's just flustered or something and insistent that nothing's happening between them."**

" **Maybe she needs to go…"**

 **000**

Inside of the mess hall, Max yawned as he rested his head against his arm. As people began pouring in, he saw that most of them were dripping wet. He rose a brow at this, a bit confused as to why they were the way that they were.

"Uh… why are all of you guys wet?" the Delibird inquired as all of his teammates began sitting with him, which was a first.

"We decided to hang out in the water for a while," Kane explained, scratching behind his ears. "Mess around... bathe... just relaxing for the time being. We don't know if we're gonna merge today or not, so..."

"Speaking of that, we need to talk to you," Tonya chimed in. She glanced over to the other tables, where she saw Portia and Belladonna sitting at their usual table. Looking back, she explained, "We plan on sticking together at the merge. That way, we can boot off the people on the other team."

Max was surprised by the idea, but he wasn't opposed to it. Sure, Dade wanted him in _his_ alliance, but he was already on the other team. Plus, he felt much more secure with people that he actually liked and knew than someone who barely spoke to him. With that in mind, Max decided to go ahead and let everyone know the Mothim's plan.

"Okay, well, since you guys are mentioning alliances, I think I should mention this," he began, causing a few expressions of curiosity to form on his teammates' faces. He cleared his throat, "Dade came to me and Tim with an alliance offer if we made it to the merge."

The others were surprised by this revelation, with Jessica questioning, "Wait, what? Why you and Tim?"

"I remember him saying something about how Tim had to deal with Honey for a long time, and I've been pretty neutral in the game," Max explained. "He's kinda going for the whole 'unlikely to win' set up."

Sasha huffed, "Well, if we all reach the merge, he'll definitely be the first one to go."

"Well, he was acting like he was the next one to go over there if they lose again," the Delibird explained. "So, I say that we should probably go for Belladonna first. He mentioned something about making the alliance so that _she_ still had some help if he got eliminated."

"Sounds good to me," Kane concurred, folding his arms. "I'll admit, I didn't expect Belladonna to be part of an alliance, at least without Portia, but I guess she's a lot more strategic than I thought."

The others nodded in agreement, as Max brought up another important detail. "Besides that, Dade also talked about bringing Zahku into the alliance, _and_ mentioned that since he and Tonya did their thing, there's a chance that she'd tag along."

Tonya sighed, shaking her head. "Well, he'd be very wrong. I may like Zahku, but I'm not some obsessive skank that'll do the same things hedoes. Plus, who's to say that Zahku will even go for it again?"

"Well," Sasha began, rubbing the back of her head. "Zahku _was_ with the other team longer than he's been with us…"

"Plus, Dade said that Zahku was his closest friend here," Max added. "And, to emphasize this point even more, neither Dade nor Zahku are here right now. So, for all we know, they could be talking about it right now."

"Okay, so, getting rid of Zahku as soon as possible is probably our best bet," Jessica opined.

Tonya immediately spoke out, "Now hold on guys, let's not be too hasty. Zahku may not go with Dade and Belladonna. Just because he was on their team doesn't mean that he'll flip back over to help them in an instant. Maybe we can just talk to him and see where his loyalties lie."

"And if he decides to align himself back with the others?" Kane inquired, a serious expression on his face.

"Then… we eliminate him," Tonya responded with a shrug. She didn't really want that to happen, but it'd be for the best. "I mean, he'd be a great asset, but if he doesn't help us… we'll have to cut him loose, I guess."

As the others expressed their agreement, Mew and Victini appeared on the scene, the former holding bags of food as per usual. "Hello, contestants!" Victini greeted. "How're we all feeling today?"

"Pretty good, I would say," Jessica opined, looking around.

"I would think so, you guys are in the top ten!" Victini acknowledged as Mew placed all of the food on one of the tables. "And, I bet that you guys would think that being at the halfway point means that you're gonna merge, right?"

In that tone, it sounded like he was about to fool them with false hopes, so they reluctantly nodded and expressed their excitement.

As they expected, Victini dashed their hopes, saying, "Well, you'd be _wrong_. Because there will be no merge… _today_."

Groans of disappointment filled the air as Victini chuckled to himself. "Hey, we told you guys that the merge would be _soon_ , not the next day," he responded while shaking his head.

As everyone settled back down, he continued, "Anyway, today's challenge will be taking place at the mountains once again. So, be prepared for a rather tough and irritating time."

"Woo-hoo…" Portia deadpanned.

"Hold the enthusiasm, Portia," Mew responded in a joking manner. He let out a sigh, folding his arms, "Well, we'll be seeing you guys in the challenge. Go ahead and get filled up. You're gonna need it."

The two Psychic-types began heading out of the mess hall, leaving the contestants inside with the breakfast boxes.

 **000**

Art exited the Blue Team's cabin with a yawn. He wasn't completely sure about how to feel about his current standings. If Portia came to him with the plan to eliminate Dade, he would be safe, _and_ Portia would have to stick to her word and not vote him out. Though, he had a feeling that she would betray him and vote for him afterwards anyway.

On the other side of the coin, if he _did_ go along with her, and by extension, Belladonna, and they were still in teams afterwards, he'd be screwed! Once Dade was out of the picture, if the girls wanted to, they could just throw a challenge just to get rid of him immediately.

That posed a dilemma for the Ferrothorn. He could either vote for Dade with the girls and risk being eliminated next, _or_ he could vote for Portia with Dade and either get rid of her, or force a tie if Belladonna was truly no longer with Dade, as he suspected.

As he walked toward the beach, he saw Zahku walking past him and heading to the mess hall. He honestly hadn't really given the Makuhita much thought when it came to the competition, but he was a miniature powerhouse. If he was able to make it to the merge, maybe there was a chance that he could align himself with him and make it a bit further. Perhaps there was a chance that he could ally himself with Dade, too, if he lasted.

As he reached the beach, he gazed out into the distance with a thoughtful glance, running the possibilities through his head.

 **000**

" **Upon further thought, I've realized that voting for Dade is not an option for me," Art stated. "If these hosts decide to keep us in teams for longer than we thought, once Dade's gone, if we lose again,** _ **I'm**_ **gone. And there's no way in the Distortion World that I'm taking that risk!"**

" **Voting for Portia would be great, because not only would she be a force to be reckoned with in the merge, but she wouldn't be able to continuously flap her gums about who's a threat," he explained. "And that leaves Belladonna no choice but to come crawling back to us for security, because I'm pretty sure that the people on the Red Team won't be interested in keeping us around for long."**

 **000**

As he started heading back toward the mess hall, he saw Dade flying toward the building at a rather lackluster pace. Being that he moved rather slowly and he didn't want anyone else around, he quickly tried to get the Mothim's attention. His body became outlined in a yellow aura before a streak of electricity went toward the Moth Pokemon, striking the ground beside him.

Startled, Dade looked around for the perpetrator. "What the he-?"

He turned back and saw that Art was lifting one of his feelers and swinging it, as if gesturing for him to come over. A bit confused, the Mothim flew back over to the durian's direction, curious as to what he wanted. Art hardly ever seeked out someone to talk to, so this made him a bit wary.

"Uh… what's up, Art?" Dade inquired.

"I'm just letting you know that I'm completely fine with eliminating Portia. And, I need to know if Belladonna is done with you," Art explained. "I have an idea that could help us out if we reach the merge."

Dade's eyes lit up in delight.

 **000**

" **YES! I HAVE A CHANCE!" Dade exclaimed. "Thank you, Art!"**

 **000**

"What's the plan?" Dade eagerly queried as he and Art re-entered the cabin.

"First off, let me just say this," Art began. "I made a deal with Portia that I'll vote for you as long as she doesn't vote for me," the Ferrothorn explained, causing a look of dread to form on Dade's face.

He continued, "But, now that I've thought about it, I've realized that doing that will only screw me over. So, I'm still with you as long as it saves my own ass."

Despite being a bit disgruntled, Dade decided to move on. "Again, what's the plan?" he deadpanned.

"Okay, secondly, I need to know if Belladonna is still with you or not," Art responded. "Because that'll either give us a tie, or it'll get rid of Portia indefinitely."

Dade sighed. "I don't think she really trusts me anymore, and I doubt that she'll vote for Portia, anyway. So… I guess she's against me now."

"Okay, so that poses a problem for us," Art acknowledged. "We don't know what these guys will do for a tiebreaker, and when up against Portia, I'm pretty sure she'd throttle you. So, we have two options: we either risk a tie… or you convince Belladonna to vote with us again."

"There's no way in the Distortion World that Bella is gonna vote for Portia. They have too tight a bond," Dade explained. "That'll be like trying to pry a Komala from its log."

"Well, you'd better think of something," Art stated. "Unless you're willing to take on Portia in a tie, this is your only chance. And then again, there's a possibility that we may win the next challenge and we'll have to deal with those two _and_ whoever is left on the other side when the merge comes."

Dade sighed, "That's why I told Zahku that I wish he was still on our team. That way, it'd be easier to get rid of Portia."

"Yeah, speaking of that guy, what the hell _is_ he?" Art queried. "I mean, how is he the way that he is?"

Dade shrugged, "He says it's just training and, since there's no other explanation, I'm inclined to believe him."

"Okay… and what're your thoughts on possibly bringing him into this?" Art queried.

Dade let out a sigh. "I tried to ask him for help, but when I mentioned Tonya getting involved, he pretty much declined."

"And… why would you mention her?" he asked, a bit bewildered as to why the Accelgor was brought up in the first place.

Dade explained, "Because I thought that she'd be helpful in the merge. And because she and Zahku had already connected intimately. I thought that he wouldn't mind."

Art groaned. "Okay, how about this time you tell him that, if all of us make it to the merge, somehow, the girl won't be involved…"

Dade nodded along. "I guess."

"Good," Art responded. "Now, let's go see what the hell's going on today."

 **000**

Following breakfast, the contestants all made their way to the mountains, as they were told that the challenge of the day would take place there. As they approached the large landform, they all noticed that the outside of the mountain had an abundance of obstacles, including rock climbing steps, what looked like oil, a net, explosives, and many others, causing their eyes to widen and their mouths to go agape.

They eventually met up with Mew and Victini, who were hanging out at the base of the enormous landform. "Hello contestants," Mew greeted as they all approached. "Welcome to your next challenge…"

"Can anyone guess what it is?" Victini added.

Portia looked up, "Well, judging by the amount of obstacles and climbing materials… I'm guessing we're going mountain climbing."

Victini cracked a smile, "And you'd be correct. Today, both teams will be making their way to the top of this mountain. Now, as you can clearly see, that won't be as easy as you think. There are plenty of obstacles that will act as hindrances to you. Ice, oil slicks, adhesives, netting, explosives, and many more surprises await you as you make your climb."

"Now, we notice that you guys are a bit lopsided with regards to the teams, _and_ that each team has at least one or two players that are able to fly to the top easily," Mew explained. "So, we're gonna make things even."

"Yep," Victini followed with a firm nod. "So, since the Blue Team only has four players remaining, and Dade can now fly thanks to his evolution, he will not participate in the climb. That leaves the Blue Team with just three capable members."

"And, because of that, the Red Team will be sitting three of their own players out. That way, it's a three-vs-three race to the top," Mew explained. "The group of three makes it to the top the fastest will win it for their entire team, and the losing team votes someone another one of their own tonight."

Victini turned to the Red Team. "Now, because we're sitting out Dade for the Blue Team, that obviously means that Jessica and Max will be the two players not participating for you guys. We'll give you a few seconds to determine the last player who will be sitting out."

The Red Team got in a small huddle and began weighing their options. Kane and Zahku were obvious participants, so it was between Tonya and Sasha. After a few more seconds of deliberating, they made their decision.

"Alright Red Team, who else will be sitting out the challenge?" the Victory Pokémon inquired.

"I will," Tonya said, raising her hand.

"Alright, Max, Tonya, and Jessica are out for the Red Team. Dade is out for the Blue Team," Mew recapped. "The rest of you, go to whatever starting position you'd like and we'll let you know when to begin."

 **000**

 **Jessica giggled, "Seems like the perfect opportunity for me to have some fun with Maxie…"**

 **000**

At the top of the mountain, Mew and Victini, as well as the four non-participants, were peering down. Seeing the obstacles from above caused them to appear much more menacing. This gave the contestants that were not participating a feeling of relief.

"ALRIGHT!" Victini yelled down. "THE CHALLENGE STARTS NOW! START CLIMBING UP!"

As they saw the contestants on the ground level approach the mountain and begin climbing, Jessica lured Max a bit away from the edge so that they could _talk_.

"Okay, Maxie… how do you wanna do this~?" she asked, licking her lips as she got close to him.

Max let out a sigh, sweatdropping at the closeness of the Bruxish. He had told her that he didn't mind the informality of intercourse, and that he probably wouldn't turn down an offer, but he began feeling a bit awkward about the situation. After thinking about it the night prior, he realized that he _really_ just wanted to get advice. However, with Jessica's clear ulterior motive, he was having second thoughts about going to her.

He took a breath, looking at her thoughtfully. "Actually Jess… I'm not entirely sure if I want to… y'know… have my first experience with you."

Jessica was a bit shocked when he said that. He had said that he didn't mind earlier on; what changed? She cleared her throat, straightening her face. "Um… okay, I guess. Did I do something?"

"Well… no…" he began. "I mean...sorta. I just… It's me, okay? I guess I'm feeling a bit more unnerved about the aspect of random sex than I thought," Max explained, twisting his tail.

Now understanding the situation a bit better, Jessica nodded with a small smile. "It's okay, Max. I won't try anything if you're uncomfortable. I'm still willing to give you the advice you want, if you don't mind, though."

"You sure?" Max queried, a bit surprised that she wasn't upset.

"Yeah. I'm not gonna force someone into doing what they're uncomfortable with," Jessica explained. "Though, while it would have been enjoyable, I would rather you be willing."

A small smile formed on Max's face as he let out a soft chuckle. "Thanks."

"Hey! Max and Jessica, come back over! We have another task for youall," Mew instructed.

Hearing their names called, the two of them went back over to the group. Jessica whispered, "We'll talk more after the challenge, okay?"

Max nodded in response as they finally made it back to the group.

"Alright," Victini began. "You guys will now be able to hinder the opposing team." He gestured to a pile of junk that was placed nearby. "You may either use your moves or you may throw objects from the junk pile. Just as long as you are hindering the opposing team."

The four contestants at the top simply exchanged looks with each other. Dade grew concerned due to the numbers advantage on the opposing team _and_ the fact that Jessica was part Psychic-type. "Wait, they have more people _and_ Jessica's a Psychic-type. How is that gonna be fair for us?"

Understanding where the Mothim was coming from, Mew decided to establish a bit of a restriction on the other team. "Hmm, you're right in that regard. It definitely gives the Red Team more power. So, with that in mind, Jessica… you're not allowed to use any direct psychic influence for this," Mew stated, causing the Bruxish to sigh. "As in, you can't use any Psychic-type moves _directly_ on the contestants. You can only use telekinesis to lift the objects."

Jessica nodded in understanding.

"Okay, and what if we don't wanna throw things down at them?" Tonya inquired.

Victini shrugged, "Then you can sit it out and just let the opposite team possibly get ahead. Up to you. If you have low expectations for the opposing team, just do whatever you want up here until someone wins."

"But, know that the challenge has already started, so you may wanna go ahead and make that decision now," Mew said, still watching the contestants that were climbing up.

 **000**

Grunting as he pulled himself up onto a ledge, Kane sighed as he wiped a few beads of sweat from his head. Gazing upwards, he saw that Zahku was making his way up like it was no problem. He hummed to himself as he got to his feet. "Do you really think that Zahku's gonna stick with us like he said we would?" the Ursaring asked aloud.

A soft grunt was heard as Sasha pulled herself up onto the same ledge that Kane was standing on. "I'm not sure," she answered as Kane helped her up. "But, I sure hope he does. Having the numbers advantage will be great going into the merge."

"Especially if we're able to win this challenge, too," Kane added as he approached the wall once again. "That way, even if Zahku decided to rejoin them, it's four to five," he said as he dug his claws into the landform.

As he hoisted himself up and continued his climb, he grabbed a hold of the net that was above them. Without using his legs, the bruin was able to simply climb up and roll over onto the opposite side of the net before getting back on his feet and climbing onto another, smaller ledge.

Sasha couldn't help but let her tail sway a bit upon seeing the display of upper body strength. _"Why does he have to be so damn hot?!"_ she thought to herself. She shook her head before looking at a wall that had a few rock climbing pegs jutting from it.

There was no way that she was making it up that net, so she immediately went over to the pegs. "You good down there, Sasha?" Kane inquired as he continued his climb.

"Yeah!" the Nidoqueen shouted back as she started climbing up the pegs. "Not about to deal with the net."

Kane chuckled as he continued making his way up. He was glad that his team went along with his alliance idea. Now, he had a better chance at making it further. As he thought more about it, he found himself getting hit in the head with a can.

"Ow! What the hell?" he cursed as he gazed up, looking for the source of the thrown object. He didn't get a definite answer, though, as a trash bin began falling down toward him.

His eyes widened before he braced for impact, gritting his teeth. Luckily, the bin missed him, instead landing in the net under him. He breathed out a sigh of relief before looking back up.

Having seen the falling trash bin, Sasha inquired. "What the hell was that?!" She looked up with an expression of concern.

"I'm guessing that they're making things even harder for us," Kane reasoned as he continued climbing up. "As if the obstacles they already have set up aren't enough…"

Sasha eventually made it to a higher ledge, dusting herself off. She looked up and saw how much higher they all would have to go. "Well, this is gonna take a longer while, then."

"Yep," Kane grunted as he pulled himself onto another ledge. On this ledge, he found a cavern that led _into_ the mountain. Not knowing what was possibly inside, and not wanting to risk it, he decided that he wanted to keep climbing up in a regular fashion. There was a rope ladder against the wall leading up to another set of rock climbing pegs.

However, before he continued his climb, he decided that he might as well wait for Sasha. It was a team effort, after all. He had completely lost sight of Zahku, so it was pretty much just the two of them.

"C'mon Sasha," Kane called as he saw the Nidoqueen looking around on a nearby ledge. He noticed that there was a pole with two ropes placed parallel to each other that were separating the ledges. "Hey! See if you can use the ropes to shimmy across and come over to me."

Sasha, having overlooked the ropes, sighed to herself. However, noticing that Kane was on seemingly a lower ledge than her, she rose a brow. "Wait, why don't you come up here? Won't that be easier?"

"Are there any other ways to continue climbing around you?" Kane asked. "Because I've got a rope ladder over here."

"Um… not that I can see. It's just regular climbing over here," the Nidoqueen explained as she looked around.

"Then come on over," the Ursaring insisted. "We're gonna need to help each other if Zahku's just gonna leave us in the dust.

"Obviously," Sasha playfully scoffed. She gazed at the rope hesitantly, nervous about going across. However, because Kane was watching her and he was willing to help, she sucked it up and started going across.

As she grabbed the top rope, she let out a sigh. She started shimmying across, with Kane coaching her through it.

"Alright Sasha, you got this. You're halfway there already," Kane said, motioning her over with his hands. As he was doing this, a trash bag landed at the back of his legs. He shook his head before sticking out his hand for Sasha to grab.

She grabbed it, allowing him to carefully yank her back over onto the ledge he was on. "Thanks," the Drill Pokémon said. Kane gave her an earnest nod before looking up and seeing a a car tire bouncing down toward them.

They swiftly jumped back, allowing the tire to bounce off the ledge and continue its way down. "Are they trying to kill us?!" Sasha exclaimed.

"I don't know, but let's just keep moving," Kane suggested as they moved toward the ladder. "Just watch out for falling objects as you go up."

Sasha nodded as she started climbing. "I have a feeling that the other team is doing a lot better than us."

 **000**

"This is probably the easiest challenge that these people have given us," Art stated as he climbed up the mountain. With the spiky ends of his feelers digging into the landform, he was able to keep himself stable. "The three people who more than likely lived in mountains or caves before and have experience with them."

"Yep," Portia agreed as they continued climbing up. "And them throwing stuff down at us isn't really doing anything, either."

"Nope. So, they're pretty much handing us a free win," Art commented as he continued going up. He eventually came upon another ledge. The ledge was covered in ice due to a nearby fan that was blowing gelid air onto the rock.

He stabbed through the ice and pulled himself up with ease. Knowing that the girls were more than likely gonna follow him up onto that same ledge, he decided to go ahead and break the ice for them. He had a feeling that if he didn't the girls would slip and fall hard. And, as humorous as that would be, he didn't want to risk it.

He slammed his feelers onto the ice, breaking it apart and sweeping it off to the side. The air, while it could probably serve to cool them off, needed to go. One of his feelers illuminated a bright purple. He lifted it and swung it at the fan, knocking it off of the mountain.

Belladonna saw this and grew confused as she pulled herself up. "What're you doing?"

"Got rid of that stupid fan," Art explained as he thrust another one of his feelers into the side of the mountain. "It was making the ground slippery."

As he began climbing once again, Belladonna watched him, with Portia bringing up the rear. As she got up, the Rhyperior inquired, "What happened? I saw something get flung from up here. Was it them throwing stuff at us?"

"Naw, Artie just decided to knock a fan off of its post because it was making this platform icy," Belladonna said, picking up a piece of ice.

Portia huffed, "As much as I'd like to lose just to get rid of Dade, it's good to see Art kicking it into serious mode again. Winning is a lot more fulfilling."

"Yeah," Belladonna giggled. However, as Art grew more and more distant, a thought formed in her head. The merge was obviously close, and if they got rid of Dade, their team would be in more trouble if they didn't win immunity challenges.

Seeing the Megaton Pokémon's expression, Portia rose a brow. "Something's on your mind..."

"Yeah," Belladonna explained, turning to her. "Since we're gonna be outnumbered going into the merge, why don't we try to align ourselves with the other girls and try to have a girl's alliance? Then, we can take out the guys and go from there."

A small smile crept onto Portia's face. "That… actually sounds crazy enough to work. A girl's alliance would dominate this game."

"Exactly," Belladonna responded. "So, we just need to make sure that, if we lose, we get rid of Dade. After that, hopefully we'll be at the merge, and it'll be five girls against four guys. And since all of them, minus Max, are really strong, we'll have to be careful when it comes to individual challenges."

"Right," Portia concurred. "But, in that case, wouldn't the better option be to eliminate Art? I mean, sure, Dade is pretty manipulative, but he's screwed anyway. Art? He has a chance at winning invincibility if he makes it, and I don't think we wanna risk that."

"Hey, even if we kept him in, Dade would have a chance, too," Belladonna responded. "There's always gonna be a chance for one of them to win immunity. We just have to keep our focus and get there, first."

A sudden exclamation pulled the two of them out of their conversation. "HEY!"

Startled, they both looked up and saw that Art was on a much higher ledge. "Are you two gonna get up here or not?!"

"We'll make it up there when we're ready!" Portia shouted up at him.

With that response, the Ferrothorn groaned in annoyance before turning away. He didn't know if they were intentionally trying to lose, or if they were just being stupid, so he just left them alone.

 **000**

" **Looks like we're gonna be facing a tie tonight," Art deadpanned.**

 **000**

While the girls lagged behind, Art continued making his way up. His trek got him to an obstacle that would actually pose a bit of a challenge for him: a net. With his spiky feelers, he would more than likely get tangled up and stuck.

Not wanting to deal with that, the Thorn Pod Pokémon made his way around the net, finding himself at a ledge that held a cave. The ledge had a black fluid oozing off of it, a familiar scent filling the air. Art chuckled to himself, as he enjoyed the smell of oil. He got onto the ledge, taking a deep inhalation of the odor of the fluid.

He hummed to himself as he gazed at the cave entrance. He didn't know if they had done anything to the caves so that they couldn't use them, but the possibility of there being a Pokémon inside that would wreck him was all too high given the 'obstacles' in previous challenges.

Due to this, he ignored the cave and starting climbing around it, taking a mailbox to the face as it came soaring down toward him. "Ow!" he exclaimed.

He grumbled to himself as he continued jamming his spikes into the mountainside. It seemed that more objects began raining down as he carried on, pummeling his steel body in an attempt to knock him off.

Among the objects raining down, there were wrenches, teddy bears, cardboard boxes, a toy car, and even a truck engine. Art growled in agitation, still finding the addition of falling objects superfluous and idiotic.

"Will these assholes realize that throwing junk down at us won't change anything?" Art inquired with a glare as a bag of chips hit him in the face.

 **000**

Watching them climb up, with the contestants up top throwing things down, Mew let out a thoughtful hum as he saw how far all of the climbing contestants were so far. Sure, they were still making their way up, but with the way they were moving, they all would probably make it up within half an hour or so.

It would be pretty lackluster to just have the contestants climb a mountain and then have the episode be finished, so the New Species Pokémon decided to pull his co-host aside to discuss a possible second challenge.

The pink feline suggested, "Hey, we may need to set up a second challenge and just make this one for a reward or advantage."

"How come?" Victini queried, raising a brow. "This challenge seems good enough."

"They're making their way up pretty quick," Mew explained. "I don't think that having a challenge like this will be good enough for an entire episode."

Victini went over to edge of the mountain top and peered down, only for Zahku to come up and walk past him. The Victory Pokémon sweatdropped at the Makuhita's appearance before looking down once again. He immediately saw that Mew was right, as the remaining members of both teams were making their way up way quicker than he expected them to.

He groaned before floating back over to Mew with a sigh. Rubbing the back of his head, Victini smacked his lips. "Okay, you may be right…"

"I _may_?" Mew deadpanned, raising a brow.

"Okay, you _are_ right," Victini admitted, folding his arms. "But what other challenge can we give them?"

Mew looked down thoughtfully before looking back up quickly, "I think I have an idea."

 **000**

Kane did a few squats on another ledge before popping his back. "Mother of Arceus, this challenge is tedious," he commented. While rubbing his back, he looked up and saw how far they were from the top. He saw even more obstacles in their way, causing him to sigh.

Sasha pulled herself up onto the same ledge, panting heavily as she approached the bruin. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she placed her other hand on her hip as she looked up as well. Her reaction was more or less the same as Kane's, as she let out a breath of annoyance. "How much longer is this going to take?"

A can of beans struck Kane in the head, causing him to growl in pain. As he rubbed his head, Sasha asked, "Are you okay?"

Kane let out a sigh as a banana peel landed on his muzzle. "Yeah," he said, picking it off and tossing it away. "I'm fine," he responded, rubbing his head again. "Let's just try to get this challenge over with."

He approached a set of metal stepping plates that were embedded in the wall, acting as a set of stairs that led to a hudu. Hanging above the hudu was a rope that was attached to what looked like a cement mixer. Part of the mixer was embedded in the rock, so it wouldn't be dangerous to climb up.

Kane placed a foot onto the first plate, only for it to immediately drop, dropping his foot to the ground. He rose a brow as he watched the plate rise back up immediately. "What the heck?"

He tried to step on it quicker, only to get the same result. He tried to run up, only for them to fall again, dropping him to the ground. Sasha watched on with lidded eyes, eventually saying, "Kane… I don't think repeating the same thing is gonna result in any changes."

Kane sighed as he stopped trying. "I guess you're right. These are like those dumb platforms in video games that fall as soon as you touch them."

"Let's just climb the hudu and keep going that way," Sasha suggested. "And… maybe we can talk a bit more about what you were saying about your gym teacher back at the cabin."

Kane blushed upon hearing that. He didn't really want to go any deeper into it, as there wasn't really anything much to say about it. As he moved over to the hudu, he cleared his throat. "I uh… I don't really think there's more to say. He just helped me realize that I was into guys. That's all."

As he started his climb, Sasha inquired, "Yeah, but you said that he was pretty feminine and you gained a crush on him, right? Why not just go for an actual girl in that case?"

Kane let out a sigh as he continued climbing, eventually making it to the top. "I just wasn't sexually attracted to girls. Sure, they were attracted to me, but I just never reciprocated. I just always preferred being around guys and doing guy stuff. When it came to girls, I still found them attractive in other ways, but sexually, it was a no. And I'm just gonna leave it at that."

Sasha nodded, not wanting to pry further as she started climbing up after him. It was just a bit confusing for her. If he crushed on his gym teacher despite him being feminine, why wouldn't he have a crush on a female? She decided to just leave it be, as she had her own information to think about as Kane tossed a question back her way.

"So, how did you meet _your_ husband?" Kane queried, wanting a bit more information about Sasha in return for her asking about his come-up again.

Sasha hummed to herself as she climbed up the hudu, with Kane grabbing hold of the rope above him. Before she could offer a response, Kane started climbing. Due to his weight, the cement mixer tipped over, causing a batter-like substance to pour over himself and Sasha. Covered in the light-brown fluid, he let out a huff, "Of course…"

Sasha spit out the substance that had entered her mouth. She smacked her lips before raising a brow. "Pancake batter?"

Hearing her, Kane licked a section of his arm that was covered in the substance, confirming that it was indeed pancake batter. "Weird, but whatever…" he responded, shaking his arm to flick a bit more of it off. "You were saying, Sasha?"

Sasha let out her own sigh as she made it to the top of the hudu and began climbing the rope after Kane. "It's kinda corny, but we met at a grocery store," she explained. "I was picking up some carrots for my mother, and we just bumped into each other. We started talking, exchanged numbers, and the rest was… it. We got together, we were happy, then things changed and now I want nothing to do with him."

Kane grunted as he pulled himself up with onto the next ledge, climbing over the mixer. "So what is your husband, anyway? Like what's his species?"

"He's a Blastoise," she revealed, rolling her eyes. "His name's Grant…"

Kane gained an idea upon hearing that, a small smile forming on his face. He looked toward the camera. "Okay, well _Grant_ … if you're watching… you might wanna get off your lazy ass and treat this woman better… or else I'll happily pay you a visit and possibly knock some sense into you."

A blush formed on Sasha's face as she reached the cement mixer as well. As he extended a hand to help pull her, she cleared her throat. "Did you really just do that?" she giggled.

"Yep," Kane nodded. "You've been angry about him since this game started, and you're begging for a divorce, so before you do that, I wanna see if I can get him to be a better man. If it doesn't work, I'm sure R.J. and I can help you move some stuff out…"

Sasha's eyes widened in disbelief as they momentarily stopped climbing. "Wait… y-you're serious?"

"Of course," Kane replied. "You've been pining for me for the longest time _and_ expressing your stress, so why not?"

Sasha immediately hugged him, covering herself with more batter from his body. "Thank you…"

Kane pat her back with a chuckle, responding, "It's nothing. Now, let's try to finish this challenge…"

Sasha nodded in agreement as Kane turned around to start climbing the wall using his claws once again.

 **000**

" **The fact that Kane's willing to try to instill some sense into my husband's head before I divorce him just makes me even more jealous of R.J.," Sasha commented. "Kane's amazing… Hopefully Grant can pull his head out of his ass and actually listen."**

" **But, knowing him, he'll probably dismiss everything Kane says because he's gay and to him, that's not a 'real man'. He's dumb like that…"**

 **000**

Portia and Belladonna made it onto a ledge that held a box of lit fireworks. The hissing of the fuses urged Portia to kick the box off of the ledge, with the fireworks going off as soon as they started tumbling down. The rockets started flying and the firecrackers started popping.

"Well, that was easy," Belladonna commented as Portia dusted off her hands. The duo didn't really have that hard of a time climbing the mountain, and were taking their time. They didn't believe that the Red Team had enough strength or experience with mountains, so they felt that they didn't have to rush.

After engaging in a short conversation about previous relationships, or lack thereof, the twosome began talking about their plans for the money if they won.

"So, if you won the game, what would you want to do?" Belladonna queried.

Portia hummed as she took a seat on the ledge. "I… honestly hadn't given it a _ton_ of thought. But… I'd probably do something like open a surfing school or something of the sort. What about you?"

"I'll probably throw a party, maybe save some of the money for bills and groceries and junk," the Megaton Pokémon replied.

The Rhyperior nodded with a smile. "Huh, that sounds like fun _and_ makes sense. Not that bad of an idea."

"Thanks," Belladonna giggled. "Your idea is good, too."

Suddenly, the sound of an explosion startled the two of them. Looking up, they saw smoke coming from an upper section of the mountain, along with a few rocks tumbling down in their direction.

A few rocks landed on their ledge and either rolled off or stopped at their feet. Portia picked one of them up, placing it in the palm of her hand. Facing away from the mountain, she fired the rock from her palm, sending it flying.

Seeing her do this, Belladonna's eyes widened, an idea forming. She looked up toward the peak of the mountain and, as Portia loaded up another one, nudged her.

"Hey, I have an idea of how we can win this challenge quicker," the Golem stated. "You know Drill Run, right?"

"Yeah," Portia nodded in confirmation.

A smirk formed on Belladonna's face, as her plan, if it worked, would not only be beneficial for their team, but it would be fun for her as well.

 **000**

The five contestants that were already on top of the mountain had stopped throwing things down and were instead watching what Mew and Victini were doing. They were putting together a table of food while a box covered in question marks sat on the ground nearby. Foods on the table so far included pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, chocolate cake, cookies, a huge bowl of gummy worms, and pitchers of tea and soda.

They were all pretty skeptical, as they had just dealt with something similar in the previous challenge. The possibility of them falling for it again were slim to none.

"Are you guys seriously trying this again?" Max deadpanned. "I don't think anyone's gonna be eating any of that."

"Well, we can assure you that none of this food is tampered with," Mew replied. "Plus, it's only a reward for the winning team."

"Reward?" Tonya inquired. "You didn't mention any reward. You just said that the first group that makes it up wins the challenge and the losers vote someone out."

"Yeah, well, there's been a change of plans," the Victory Pokémon replied as he placed a roast chicken on the table. "We realized that this challenge would be a bit too quick and viewers would find it a bit boring, so this is being demoted to a reward challenge. Another challenge will happen later today that will determine the overall winner."

The five Pokémon exchanged looks of surprise, but didn't really have any objections. Suddenly, an excited yell was heard and a large boulder flew to the top of the mountain. Belladonna withdrew from her shell with an eager jump. "That was awesome!"

"Whoa, what did you do?!" Dade queried, shocked by her sudden appearance.

Belladonna prepared to answer, but upon seeing the table of food, a look of irritation formed on her face. "Seriously? The food thing again? We're not stupid..."

"It's not tampered with…" Mew repeated. "And this is for a reward, not a break."

"I don't think that makes a difference," the Golem replied. "I still doubt that any of us will want to eat it."

"Hey, if you wanna let good food spoil, if your team wins it, then be our guest," Victini responded with a shrug.

A fierce rumbling was felt by nearly everyone at the top of the mountain. Eventually, a figure emerged from the ground. When the dust cleared, it was revealed to be Portia, who used Drill Run to get to the top.

"Well, that worked," the Rhyperior commented with a smirk. "Great plan, Bella."

"Wait, so she can just drill through the mountain?! That's not fair!" Jessica exclaimed.

"They never said that she couldn't, so technically it still counts," Belladonna chimed in, folding her arms.

"That's true," Mew concurred, with a shrug. They hadn't placed any restrictions on the climbers; they simply told them that it was a race to the top.

Victini nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we never said that you couldn't drill or anything. So, the Blue Team is leading 2 to 1. They're just missing Art. Kane and Sasha need to get a move on if they want their team to win the reward."

Upon hearing the word reward, Portia rose a brow. She looked over to the table and immediately, her expression, like the others, turned into one of displeasure. She gave the hosts a visage of annoyance, saying, "You guys can't be serious..."

"It was a one time thing!" Victini bellowed in vexation. He honestly hoped that the remaining three weren't as paranoid. "Jeez, this food is completely fine."

"Then _you_ eat some, first," Max challenged. "If nothing happens, then we'll believe you."

Victini and Mew exchanged looks before floating over to the table. Mew took a slice of pizza, while Victini cut a piece from the chocolate cake. As they started eating the two foods in order to prove their edibility, a grunt was heard.

Looking toward the edge, everyone saw a green, spiky feeler rise and slam on the mountaintop. A familiar Ferrothorn pulled himself onto the top. His body was noticeably blackened, raising a few questions whose answers were more than likely going to be obvious.

"F-Finally…" the Ferrothorn panted as he collapsed.

"And with Art making it up here, the Blue Team wins the reward!" Mew announced.

"Reward?" Art queried. He looked over at the table of food and groaned in annoyance. "Oh, for the love of-"

 **000**

Everybody was now at the top of the mountain, with Kane and Sasha still covered in batter, as well as a bit of soot from a few of the explosives. The contestants were all lined up, but still separated by their teams.

Upon receiving the same news as the others, Kane expressed his frustration, asking, "What do you mean this isn't the main challenge anymore?"

"It means what it means," Victini retorted snarkily. "This challenge is no longer one for immunity, it is simply for a reward. The immunity challenge will take place later today. For now, the Blue Team won the reward, so they get to chill up here with these snacks and… maybe a movie."

Portia queried, "And you're being completely honest that the food isn't tainted?"

Growing exasperated, Victini and Mew exchanged looks. "Okay, if we have to reassure you one more time, we're just gonna say screw the reward and advantage…"

Upon mentioning an advantage, everyone perked up. They hadn't mentioned anything about an advantage with regards to the food reward, so they were still a bit skeptical. Dade, looking back over to the reward table, noticed that the box covered in question marks was still sitting next to it. He asked, "Does that box have anything to do with it?"

Knowing what he was referring to, Mew went over to grab the box, as the others watched him attentively. When he returned, the pink feline explained, "To answer your question, Dade, yes. This box holds an advantage that will help you guys in the next challenge." He handed the box to Belladonna, who immediately prepared to open it.

"Hold it!" Victini exclaimed before the Golem could open it, causing her to stop. "Don't open the box until you're at the next challenge, which will take place at the beach."

He turned to the Red Team, continuing, "Red Team, head on back to the campgrounds. We'll let everyone know when it's time for the next challenge."

The members of the Red Team didn't say anything as they prepared to make their exit. They looked over to the table of food and, while it all looked good, they still didn't trust it, despite the hosts' reassurance. So, they weren't completely upset.

As the Red Team left, via Jessica's teleportation, the Blue Team started approaching the food. They were choosing to believe the hosts, but in the back of their minds, the four of them were still very wary.

"Okay," Mew began. "Go ahead and dig in. We'll get you guys' movie set up."

As the four members began to reluctantly dig into their reward. As they feasted, a miniature movie screen and projector, as well as a few theater chairs, appeared behind them.

"Alright," Victini began, getting their attention. "Your movie will start playing in five minutes, so go ahead and get comfortable."

"Hey, will we get to keep the rest of the food that we don't finish?" Belladonna queried before taking a bite of the chocolate cake.

"Nope. You guys are free to save a bit of food for later, but you're not keeping all of the rest of it," Mew explained. "You're free to keep eating for as long as the movie is playing."

"What movie is it, anyway?" Dade asked as he picked up a sugar cookie.

"The Butterfree Effect," Victini answered as he set it up. Once he was finished, he dusted his hands off. "Now, once the movie is finished, you guys will take a few more bites of whatever else you want before heading down to the beach for the second challenge."

"We're gonna leave you guys alone, so enjoy your reward and we'll see you guys in about an hour and a half," Mew said before he and Victini left the vicinity.

The four Blue Team members exchanged looks before continuing to eat and taking their seats in their chairs. The fact that they were gonna be jumping right into another challenge after the movie finished worried them a bit as, with full bellies, they would likely be a bit tired.

"Okay," Portia said as she sat down with two pieces of pizza, a cookie, and a slice of cake. "This is an awesome reward, especially if this stuff isn't laced like they said, _but_ we need to be careful due to the fact that we're going right into another challenge after this. We don't wanna get sick or be too tired to move forward. Do we all agree?"

The others exchanged looks before nodding along.

"Good," she responded. The others began taking their seats with their own food. Well, aside from Art, who once again decided to take a pass on the food and just sat in one of the chairs, puncturing it. "Now, let's see what this movie's all about," she said, taking a bite of one of her pizza slices.

 **000**

" **Well, I guess it'll all come down to the second challenge," Dade stated. "Either we win and all four of us possibly make it to the merge, or we lose and risk a tiebreaker."**

" **Honestly, at this point, I'm hoping for the former," he said. "As much as I want, or well,** _ **need**_ **, Portia gone, I'd be more comfortable if the Red Team lost another player."**

 **000**

"Well, that sucked," Kane stated as he took a seat on the stairs of the cabin. "But, I guess that's just the way it is."

"I mean, that challenge was practically made for them," Tonya commented. "It's two Rock-types and a Steel-type climbing a mountain versus a Normal-type, a Fighting-type, and a Poison and Ground-type."

"That's true," Sasha concurred with a nod. "So, I don't think it's that upsetting. Plus, I'm not entirely sure that I believe that the food is fine."

"I'm not even concerned about the food; we lost an advantage," Jessica stated. "Now we're gonna need to work our asses off so that we don't lose this next challenge."

Kane sighed, folding his arms, "Well, luckily, we have Zahku, and he's just a good as an advantage."

"That's true," Max agreed. "Plus, there's only four of them over there. So, unless they decide to make it even again, we still have a chance."

"Yeah, so let's not get too worked up over this next challenge," Tonya opined. "If we win, we win. If we lose, we lose."

Jessica wasn't completely in favor of that lax attitude. She still felt that Zahku, despite him saying that he'd stay loyal, would go back to helping the members of the opposing team. If they lost this challenge, they'd be down to five, and if Zahku switched, they'd be down to four. It was too risky. Their best bet was to definitely win the next challenge.

However, due to her not wanting to sound paranoid, she decided to keep her thoughts to herself. She realized that now that they were out of the first challenge, this was the perfect time for her to talk to Max. Clearing her throat, she floated up toward the girls' room's door. "Max," she called. "Come with me."

The Delibird, speculating that she was calling him over to continue their talk, got up and waddled over. As soon as the two of them were out of sight, the others could infer what was about to transpire in the cabin.

So, to drown out the inevitable sounds, Tonya decided to ask Kane and Sasha about what they talked about while they climbed up, if anything at all.

"So, uh… what conversations were had on you guys' way up?" the Accelgor queried. "Well, aside from cursing because of the falling stuff."

The Ursaring and Nidoqueen exchanged looks before the latter gained a smile. With a giggle, Sasha began, "Well, we just continued the talk a little bit more about his sexual orientation, and he spun it back around toward me and asked about my husband. _Then_ he decided to talk to him directly and tell him to treat me better… _or else_."

"Wow, that's certainly interesting…" the Accelgor responded with a laugh. "And to be honest, I'm surprised that we haven't heard more about your husband, Sasha. You always talk about how much you wanna leave and how he sucks, but you never really _told_ us about him."

"That's what I said on the mountain," Kane chimed in.

Sasha let out a sigh. She didn't want to give her husband any further mention, but she felt that it was fair to give them a little more information about him since she had already did so earlier. "Okay, fine. I'll fill you in on him…"

 **-000-**

Inside of the girls' room, Max was sitting on Jessica's bed, with the Bruxish floating next to him, asking about how some relationships come together.

"Okay, I don't wanna sound like a total idiot, but how do you girls choose who you want to be with?" Max queried. "I mean, I know that you each have your own preferences, but I guess that I'm confused by that because some girls like guys that treat them badly, some girls like weak guys, some girls like nice guys, etc."

Jessica hummed before responding. "Well, like you said, we have our own preferences, just like guys. Our choices in what we want in a man is determined by our experiences and just what we find attractive. There's no ultimate, objective criteria."

"Okay… so kinda like what Kane said. You guys all have your own preferences and there's no definitive answer," Max responded.

"No, there's not," Jessica concurred. "We're all different and we all have different interests and preferences."

The Delibird sighed, "Okay, well… I guess I'm just an idiot now. That pretty much answers everything. Why do people breakup? Your preference changes or they do something wrong. Why do people saying or doing the same thing for others get different results? People aren't attracted to the same things. I'm so clueless..."

Jessica giggled, "No you're not, hon. You were just confused and wanted answers. Sure, the answer may have been right in your face, but it doesn't hurt to get another perspective."

"I guess…" Max sighed, looking down. "I still feel dumb, now, though." He took a breath before flying off of Jessica's bed, landing on the ground. "Well… thanks Jessica. I really appreciate it."

Jessica blushed a bit. Talking to Max just felt fun and interesting, even if was a pretty short conversation. Max's genuine curiosity and his personality were pretty outstanding to her. She never met a guy like him before, but then again, most of the guys she met were only interested in sex and rarely talked after. Wanting to talk a bit more, she quickly called out to him. "Uh… wait, Max. We can talk a bit more about… other stuff, if you want."

Max rose a brow. The idea of fornicating with her was completely gone, but she still wanted to talk? He turned back around, a bit curious as to what she meant by 'other stuff'. "Uh… what other stuff?"

The Bruxish couldn't really think of anything nonsexual to talk about off the top of her head, so she stammered a bit before clearing her throat and saying, "Just… anything you want. I just like talking to you."

Max was surprised by her saying this, as the conversation was pretty cut and dry in his opinion. He wasn't against it, as he had no reason to be, so he shrugged his shoulders. "Um… okay, I guess. Not sure what we'd talk about since I'm a pretty average guy, but… sure."

 **000**

 **Jessica sighed to herself, "Okay, I have no idea what's happening, but… oddly enough, I think I'm finding Max more attractive. He doesn't have experience** _ **and**_ **actually expressed that he doesn't want me all over him, which is something that hasn't happened to me before."**

" **Plus, he's cute and… for some reason, talking to him just feels good. It just feels like you can just talk to him sensibly about anything and not feel frustrated or too excited or angry. It's just… relaxed."**

" **Maybe… we can become more than just friends in a nonsexual way," she thought aloud. "It'd be my first** _ **real**_ **relationship in a long, long time, and his first one ever. So, maybe this is a chance for** _ **me**_ **to start over."**

 **000**

Due to the silence that filled the air after Sasha completed her tale of Grant Geraldson the Blastoise, Tonya decided to turn the attention back to Kane, posing another question to him. "So, Kane… we know that, surprisingly, you're the dominant one in your relationship…"

Kane stifled a laugh as he folded his arms, "What's surprising about it?"

"I dunno," Tonya responded. "I guess I would just expect a guy like R.J., who's pretty aggressive, to be the dominant one. But, that's besides the point. So, even though _you're_ the dominant one, have you ever let R.J. have control? Whether it be in the bedroom, while working, making decisions…"

"Oh, of course," Kane answered. "Our relationship isn't a dictatorship; I don't really believe in that 'I'll do this, you don't get a say, stay in your place' mentality that most 'traditional' households hold near and dear."

"Oh, so in bed, you've been a bottom?" Tonya asked, raising a brow.

"...Okay, the conversation ends here," Kane chuckled, clasping his hands together. "Not getting into my sex life any longer in this game." He rose to his feet with a grunt and stretched. "I'm gonna go take a nap until they call us down for the next challenge."

The Ursaring retreated back to the cabin, his boredom prepared to be replaced by relaxation.

The girls shared a laugh as the bruin left, leaving them with Zahku, who was just drawing in the sand with a stick.

"So, Zahku… what about you?" Sasha queried.

In response, the Makuhita sweatdropped. He was definitely not interested in talking to them about anything relationship wise. He had a feeling that Tonya was more than likely still hung up about their time together, so he didn't want to bring anything up. "Zahku not interested in conversation topic. Rather not talk about it…"

The avoid any further prodding, the Guts Pokémon immediately got up and started walking away. Seeing this, the girls exchanged awkward looks, with Tonya commenting, "Oh well, I guess our talking time is up. Maybe we should stop trying to get personal..."

Sasha giggled, "Yeah, I guess that Kane is starting to be a bit more reserved with regards to his private life with R.J. and revealing a bit too much, which is weird since a lot is already out in the open. But, if that's what he wants to do, he can."

Tonya nodded before tapping her hands on the stairs. "Well, if there's nothing else for us to do, we can just go take a nap like Kane. We may have to wait for Jessica to get finished with Max, though."

In response, Sasha looked at her with lidded eyes before pointing to the boys' door. "Um… or we can just go into the boys' room and sleep in the empty bunks. Jess and I slept in there when you and Zahku had your fun, so this'll be no different. And I'm sure that Kane'll be fine with it."

Tonya shrugged her shoulders before the two of them proceeded up the stairs, entering the guys' room.

 **000**

An hour passed, with the light of the sun slowly being blocked by clouds. A cool breeze replaced the neutral-warm temperature around the island. At the top of the mountain, Portia was asleep in her chair, while Belladonna was yawning, on the brink of falling asleep, herself. Art was completely bored by the movie from beginning to end, while Dade was finding it humorous.

After a few more minutes, the movie ended, with the credits scrolling across the screen. Seeing this, Art let out a groan. "That was the most boring movie I've ever seen…"

"Oh come on, that's a bit much," Dade responded. "I think it's pretty good."

Art scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Whatever…" he stated. Recalling what the hosts had instructed them to do once the movie was over, the Ferrothorn glanced over and saw that both Belladonna and Portia were sleeping.

"Hey!" Art bellowed, startling both girls. Portia looked at him an annoyed glare, while Belladonna simply let out a sigh, as she had only recently fallen asleep. "Get up, we've got another challenge to get to."

Portia groaned, having been having a good rest. "I honestly wish that they'd just call us…" she said as she stood up.

"Don't be lazy," Art commented as he moved toward the edge of the mountaintop. "Bring your asses…"

Portia tightened her glare at the Thorn Pod Pokémon before following him down. Belladonna grabbed the mystery box, as well as a few more cookies, and began eating them before doing the same. Since they were trailing behind, Dade decided to use it as an opportunity to try and convince her to vote for Portia. He knew that there was a low chance of her listening to him, but it couldn't hurt to try.

Once they all made it down, he decided to approach her. As she munched on one of her cookies, Dade flew next to her. "Hey Bella…" he greeted. "Uh… would you ever change your mind and vote out Portia instead of me or Art? I mean, if you think about it, it's more strategic to get rid of a huge threat like her _before_ the merge hits so that we don't have to worry about her beating us in challenges later."

Belladonna was tuning out the Mothim, as she was no longer planning on listening to any of his suggestions, but something he said stood out. She didn't offer him a response, opting to pick up her pace and catch up to Portia. Once she did this, Dade let out a sigh of annoyance.

When she caught up with the Rhyperior, she quickly nudged her, getting her attention. Portia rose a brow, asking, "What's up?"

Belladonna looked behind her and saw that Dade was flying past them with an irritated expression on his face. Now knowing that she was in the clear, she replied, "I don't think Art is really with us in voting for Dade…"

Portia's eyes widened as she looked ahead at the Ferrothorn and then back at Belladonna. "What makes you think that? Did Dade tell you something?"

The Golem nodded affirmatively. "I don't think he intended to, but yeah. He asked me if I'd ever change my mind and vote for you instead of him or Art. So, that got me thinking… maybe he and Art are planning on working together and Art _was_ lying to you like you thought."

Portia growled to herself. Her hopes of eliminating Dade were slipping away. However, she realized that they had other options. "Well, with that in mind, we have three options: We can either convince Dade to turn on Art, and we get rid of _him_ ; we get Art to vote out Dade like he offered, and get rid of Dade; or we just go for a tie and hope for the best."

"Well, Art is Dade's only ally; and I think Art knows by now that neither of us like him," Belladonna explained. "So, I'd say our best bet is to tie."

Portia groaned, "This is such bullshit. Why couldn't Art just go along with us?"

Belladonna shrugged, assuming, "Maybe he thinks that if there wasn't a merge after Dade was gone, and we lost, we'd vote for him. Which we would, so… that's the only reason I can think of."

Portia sighed. "Okay, let's just hope that we win this challenge. We may still have to deal with the two of them in the merge, if we do pull this off, but it'd be worth it if there's not a 50% chance of me going yet."

 **000**

" **I really hope that this next challenge is simple for us," Portia said. "I don't wanna risk going home in some stupid tiebreaker."**

" **Although… I** _ **could**_ **save myself if I… no, no… I can't. I'm not risking** _ **anything**_ **."**

 **000**

The foursome eventually made it to the beach, as they were directed to, and saw that there were two large mud pits situated next to each other. In front of the pits, near the shore, was a wooden table with multiple slots in them.

They saw Mew and Victini floating in front of the Red Team, presumably waiting for them to arrive. Once their presence was noticed by Zahku via head turn, all eyes fell on them as they walked over.

"Ah, here's the Blue Team. Now we can explain you guys' second challenge," Mew said. Upon noticing the cookies in Belladonna's arms, the Victory Pokémon deadpanned. "Uh… Belladonna, I don't think you're gonna be able to hold onto those cookies in the challenge."

"Put the cookies down," Victini referenced in a strange voice.

Belladonna groaned in disappointment before dropping the few cookies she had saved on the ground.

"Alright," Mew began. "Now for the challenge. Two players from each team are gonna dive into the mud pit, searching for four bags of letter tiles. Once your team has all four bags, two more players from your team will have to use the letter tiles to spell out a well-known song lyric."

"The team that can spell the rhyming lyric out first wins, and the losing team sends someone home," Victini concluded. He turned to the Red Team. "Now, like the previous challenge, we're gonna make this fair, so Red Team, choose two players to sit out."

The members of the Red Team exchanged looks, having not been expecting to have to sit more people out.

"We'll give you guys a few moments to decide," Mew said before turning back to the Blue Team. "In the meantime, Blue Team, open up your advantage box."

Belladonna, having been holding the box, along with her cookies, opened it. Inside of the box, there were multiple stone tiles, each with a different white letter painted on.

"Congrats," Victini stated. "Your advantage is that you already have the equivalent of a bagful of cards, so your team only has to collect three bags."

"Nice…" Dade commented.

"Red Team, have you made your decision?" Mew queried, looking back over to them.

"Yeah, uh… Max and Tonya are gonna sit this one out," Jessica explained.

Mew clasped his hands together, "Alright, then. Max and Tonya, you guys stand over to the side. The rest of you, choose the two people to do the spelling and the two people to do the mud diving. We'll get this challenge started."

 **-000-**

For the Red Team, Kane and Zahku were situated in front of the mud and Sasha and Jessica were in front of the table. Meanwhile, the Blue Team had no real choice in the matter. Belladonna and Portia both had to be the ones going into the mud due to their typings and capable limbs, leaving Dade and Art to handle the table.

"Okay, the challenge is about the start," Victini announced. "The Red team needs all four bags, while the Blue Team just needs three thanks to their advantage. In three… two… one… GO!"

All of the designated jumpers did as they were expected, leaping into the mud to begin their search for their bags. Zahku dove down into the mud, completely submerging himself, while Kane methodically moved through the mud, scooping up large globs of it in an attempt to get a bag out of it. The thick combination of earth and water was proving to be a problem, as Kane couldn't move as quick as he wanted to.

Belladonna and Portia, being Ground-types, were completely fine with the mud and knew how to deal with it. The Golem withdrew into her shell and began rolling around in the pit, using her shell to feel around for any possible bumps. Meanwhile, Portia was simply using her eyes to scan the pit, though it wouldn't really help anything because the mud was four feet deep.

Zahku rose from the depths, completely covered in mud, holding a drawstring bag. He threw the bag out of the pit, allowing for Sasha to quickly go over and grab it.

"Red Team has one bag!" Victini announced.

Kane was still using his same tactic as Zahku immediately dove back into the mud; the Ursaring continued scooping up large amounts of mud with his arms. He kept sifting through the softened earth, hoping that his method would prove successful.

"Kane! Don't scoop, just feel around with your feet!" Jessica called. "You're wasting time!"

The bruin let out a sigh as he dropped the mud in his arms. He started using his feet, as Jessica suggested, but it was proving to be more difficult than his original plan due to the mud's thickness.

Belladonna had felt a slight bump as she rolled around in the mud. She immediately came out of her shell and felt around in the area. She felt something thin and stringy, and gained a smile. She pulled up the bag and threw it out of the pit.

"And the Blue Team finds _their_ first bag!" Victini announced. "Just two more and they can start figuring out the lyric."

Belladonna withdrew back into her shell and began rolling around again, attempting to find another bag that way. Portia started shuffling around in the pit in order to feel for more bags in the mud. Due to her large size, this process seemed to be a good idea. However, she gained a better idea. She didn't know how well it'd work, but if it did, they were golden.

The Rhyperior immediately did as her species name entailed and began drilling down. She planned on drilling a hole big enough to drain a fair amount of the mud out and make it easier for them to retrieve the bags. She drilled a deep hole in the pit, watching as the thick mud slowly filled it up and slightly lowered the amount of mud in the pit.

Belladonna, who had heard the sound of drilling, stopped rolling and got out of her shell to inspect the cause. She looked around and saw that the mud level was a tad bit lower than it originally was.

"And with an unorthodox method, Portia drains some mud out of the pit to make things even easier for the Blue Team!" Victini announced as Mew sweatdropped.

"What!?" Sasha exclaimed. "Come on, that's not fair!"

"Well, we never said it wasn't allowed," Mew responded with a shrug. "So technically, it's fine."

With that now in mind, Jessica decided to help out Kane and Zahku, as _that_ wasn't against any rules. Her protuberance opened up and glowed. The mud in the Red Team's pit began separating, giving Kane and Zahku a chance to walk freely without the ooze slowing them down.

"And with aid from Jessica, the Red Team has a chance to walk in the pit _normally_ to find their bags," Victini announced.

Kane looked at the shifting mud, eventually spotting another bag as Zahku tossed another one out of the pit. The bruin rushed toward the muddy bag as Jessica continued shifting the mud. The Bruxish saw him going for a bag and left the area open for him. Kane grabbed their third bag and tossed it up, allowing Sasha to catch it.

"One more bag, guys, we've got this!" Tonya cheered.

Seeing the quick progress on the other team, Art growled and looked into the pit to see what was going on. "What the hell are you two doing down there?"

"We're trying to drain the mud out so we can find the bags easier!" Portia shouted back as she pulled herself out of another newly drilled hole.

Frustrated, as he saw that the mud was now only knee deep rather than waist deep like it was originally, the Ferrothorn groaned, "Just walk around now! The mud is low enough!"

That much was true, as upon walking a few inches to her left, Belladonna picked up another bag and tossed it out of the pit without a word.

"And it's tied up!" Victini announced. "One more bag and either team can begin figuring out the lyric!"

"Got it!" Kane exclaimed as he tossed the Red Team's fourth and final bag up to Jessica and Sasha.

Dade cursed in frustration, "Fuck! Hurry up, guys!"

Just as soon as he said that, he was hit by their last bag, courtesy of Portia, sending him to the ground. When this happened, Art went over to the other bags that were nearby and started lifting them onto the table next to their box. "Alright, get up, you're gonna have to put these tiles in," he said as Dade let out a groan.

"Both teams can begin figuring out the lyric," Mew said. "It looks like the Red Team already has a bit of a lead."

Sasha and Jessica had already placed all of their tiles on the table, attempting to spell out possible words that could be formed with the letters they were given. Among the letters, there were Ns, As, Is, Ts, Ss, Hs, Es, Ps, Ys, Ls, an 'R', an 'O', and an 'M'.

"Okay, so what are we thinking?" Jessica queried. "We have a lot of Is, As, and Ns. That could mean that they're parts of the words that rhyme."

"Right, right, but we have to think of a song lyric, and there's millions of songs that could have words with any combination of those letters," Sasha reminded. "This could literally take hours…"

She continued, "Like… there's a four-letter word, and a couple of two-letter words. We can spell 'main', 'rain', 'pain', 'in', 'an', or 'on' if we decided to use the only 'O' we have."

"Wait…" Jessica realized. "That actually could be a clue. There's only one 'O', one 'R', and one 'M', so they're probably not that important."

"Well, '-ain' is more than likely gonna be the basis of this rhyme, so we just have to figure out what the actual words are," Sasha reasoned.

On the other side of the coin, the Blue Team had already figured out certain aspects of the lyric.

"Okay," Art began. "There's only two Hs and two Es, and since there are three Ts, so I think it's safe to assume that the two three-letter words are 'the'."

Dade placed the letter tiles into the slots that fit. He floated back, saying, "So, 'The blank blank blank blank blank blank the blank."

Hearing the Mothim read it the way that he did, an idea immediately sprung into Art's head. "'The blank blank blank blank blank blank the blank…'", he repeated. He scanned the other letters that they had left and noticed that the letters A, I, and N were the most plentiful. He was able to put two and two together and his eyes widened in realization. "The rain in spain stays mainly on the plain. Try that," he instructed.

"How the hell did you get that?" Dade queried.

"I've had a few intolerant teachers, now just try it," Art urged him.

Dade started filling in the remaining slots with the letter tiles, spelling out the phrase that Art stated. As he continued pacing them, he began noticing that the words fit really well and started picking up the pace.

"Come on, come on…" Art stated, glancing back over to the Red Team's side, where the girls were still trying to figure it out.

Dade placed the final letter, N, in the last slot, completing the lyric. "We got it!" he exclaimed.

Upon hearing that, Mew and Victini came over in order to inspect their answer. The members of the Red Team were surprised that they already had an answer, and were hoping that they were wrong. Looking over it, Mew nodded, announcing, "The Blue Team wins!"

"Yes!" Portia cheered as she high-fived Belladonna.

Both Dade and Art let out a sigh of relief, as they no longer had to worry about the possibility of a tiebreaker.

"How the hell did they get it so fast?" Jessica queried, looking over at them.

Mew and Victini floated toward them, with the latter chuckling. "Well Red Team, looks like you guys are heading to elimination _again_."

They all exchanged uneasy glances, but they all knew what would have to happen tonight.

 **000**

" **Well, looks like we'll be eliminating Zahku tonight regardless of what he said," Jessica said. "It sucks, but it's for the best."**

 **000**

Portia, Belladonna, Kane, and Zahku were all in the water, washing the mud off of themselves. Kane was unsure about what to say to Zahku, as they were more than likely gonna be voting him out tonight. It wasn't gonna be a big deal for the Makuhita, as he was indifferent to the fact that he was voted for in the previous ceremony, but Kane just couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.

Eventually, he cleared his throat. "Well Zahku, looks like we'll be seeing you tonight. You still okay with it?"

The Guts Pokémon shrugged. "Zahku indifferent. But, Zahku now thinks that it may be problem if he leave too early."

Kane rose a brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Even number of males and females right now. If Zahku go and come together happens after, girls outnumber guys," the Makuhita explained. "Girls could come together and go against guys."

"Zahku, our team has an alliance, I don't think that'll be an issue," Kane responded as he scratched at his back.

Zahku shrugged once again, "Other team girls don't like guys on team. Could come to girls for more votes and convince."

Upon hearing that, Kane actually grew a bit wary. Earlier that morning, he made it a point to remind the girls that at the end of the day, they were all gonna have to vote for each other at some point. So, the girls _could_ very well turn against him and Max if they were convinced. Now, he was sure that Sasha and Jessica would stay somewhat loyal, as Sasha still liked him and Jessica and Max had their moment earlier that day. Tonya was the only wildcard, and if they got rid of Zahku, she could do whatever she wanted.

Zahku saw the Ursaring's blank, thinking face and softly chuckled to himself. "Is bear man broken?"

Kane snapped out of it and let out a groan. "Dammit, Zahku. Now you've got me worried."

"Zahku still says that he'll stay loyal to team," he responded. "He will offer assistance in challenges if need to. Zahku just has one request."

"What?" Kane inquired.

 **000**

" **Zahku knows that other team girls still don't like spiky man and moth friend, so Blue Team girls would have more bond with other girls if come together between teams happen," Zahku explained. "May make things more difficult later, so better option is eliminating girl first."**

 **000**

In the mess hall, the girls from the Red Team were talking, with the main topic being the vote. Despite them agreeing that their main target was Zahku, Tonya asked Jessica and Sasha to talk and possibly reconsider it.

"Do we really _need_ to eliminate Zahku now?" the Accelgor queried. "I mean, sure, he's a threat, but all of us are threats in our own ways. And, if the latest challenge is any example, just because he's strong and durable, it doesn't mean that he's guaranteed a victory."

"Tonya…"

"Please, just listen to me for a second," the Shell Out Pokémon responded. "I know that I said I'd vote with you, but I don't think voting for Zahku will _really_ benefit us. I honestly think that we'd be better off voting off Kane."

"What?!" Sasha exclaimed, her eyes widened. "Why would we do that?"

"Remember what he said this morning?" Tonya queried. "He told us that we're all gonna have to vote for each other anyway since this is a competition. Plus, his husband was aligned with the other team, so he could already have some friends over on that side. I don't think that's trustworthy."

"Uh huh… but Zahku's in the same boat," Jessica reminded. "Remember, he was actually _on_ the other team. You're just speculating that Kane will go over because of R.J., which most likely won't be happening. We just need to stick to the plan and vote for Zahku. Whether we like it or not, he's still a threat."

Tonya argued, "Okay, sure, he's a physical threat, but socially? No way. In these types of shows, the winner is determined by the votes of people that make it to the merge. So, Kane is definitely the bigger threat both physically _and_ socially. We need to think long-term."

Jessica actually took that into consideration, humming, "Well, you're right in that regard, but I think that we'll still be better off getting rid of Zahku first. And, since you brought it up, remember that Kane's right and that we're gonna have to vote someone out regardless of how much we like them…"

Tonya sighed. There was no way to get through to them. They were just stuck on Zahku. It was so annoying that they were fine with eliminating Zahku immediately because of his strength and connection to the other team, despite him pledging his loyalty to their team earlier in the day. Meanwhile, Kane, who is a physical _and_ social threat with partial connections to the opposing team _and_ who was eager to remind them that they'll have to get rid of each other at some point, as if he didn't care if one of them was eliminated, was perfectly fine. Though, it wasn't that much of a surprise, as Sasha crushed hard on him and Jessica found him handsome.

"Oh well…" she said as she exited the mess hall.

Jessica and Sasha exchanged looks, with the Nidoqueen asking, "You think she'll be okay?"

The Gnash Teeth Pokémon nodded, "She'll be fine. She knows that he has to go; she just wants to have another chance with him before it happens."

"Speaking of chances…" Sasha responded, turning to the Bruxish. "How did it go with Max?"

Immediately, Jessica blushed. She and Max hadn't done anything, they just talked about life and stuff. She learned a bit more about him and vice versa. "Uh… it went okay. We didn't really do much, we just talked."

Sasha was surprised by that, having expected to hear something different. "Oh… I thought-"

Jessica explained, "Max made it clear that he wasn't really into the whole possible sex thing, so we just talked. It was… kinda nice, to be honest."

Sasha smiled upon hearing that, "Well, that's good to hear."

A few minutes after Tonya left, Kane entered the mess hall, a thoughtful expression on his face. As he took a seat at their table, Sasha rose a brow. "What's up Kane?"

He looked to her and scratched his head before explaining, "Nothing, I uh… I'm just thinking about the next vote."

Having just dealt with Tonya trying to change their mind, Jessica let out an exasperated sigh. "What's there to think about?" she inquired. "We said that we were gonna vote out Zahku. That should be the end of it."

"Yeah, but Zahku raised some reasonable points and I started thinking more, too," he replied.

Sasha grew curious upon hearing this, asking, "What did he say?"

Kane immediately paused. He felt that if he brought up the guys vs. girls thing, the girls would think he was out of his mind and think that he didn't trust them. But, he didn't want to lie, so he just told them the truth.

"Well," he began. "He brought up the point that the girls on the other team could try to get you girls' help and maybe convince you to join forces to take out all of the guys that are left," he explained.

"WHAT!?" Jessica exclaimed. "You seriously agree with that!?"

"No, no, I mean… sorta, but no," Kane explained. "I trust you girls completely, but I also know that we agreed that when the merge happens, we'll stick together, but it'll essentially still be a free-for-all."

"Kane, I think that the game is getting to you…" Jessica stated. "We're gonna stick together. Zahku's just trying to get you to have second thoughts. Wait, that's completely out of character for him. What the hell?"

"Yeah, I was a bit confused as well," Kane explained. "Like… he never showed any interest in planning or anything, but all of what he said made sense."

"Oh, there's no doubt about that. What he said is valid and those are definite possibilities, but we're not going for it," Jessica responded. "I just think it's strange…"

"Did Zahku say anything else?" Sasha asked.

Kane chuckled, "Well, he said that he'd be willing to help us in other challenges during the merge if we keep him. And he asked me to vote Tonya with him."

"What? Why would he want to get rid of Tonya?!" Sasha queried.

"Well, he said that he's starting to feel uncomfortable with her since she tries to get closer to him despite him telling her that he didn't want a relationship," Kane explained.

"Well, he should've thought of that before bedding her down," Jessica explained. "Plus, he's returned the affection multiple times!"

"I'm honestly just thinking about how he said that he'll help us out during the merge," Kane said. "That's my main thing. If he's willing to do that, then I wanna keep him around for a bit longer."

"Kane, seriously? You wanna vote out Tonya instead of Zahku?" Jessica deadpanned.

"I'm not saying that you girls have to. That's just how I'm thinking," Kane explained. "I'd rather have someone help me out later. That's all."

The girls exchanged looks, actually contemplating changing their minds after Kane's final statement. Jessica was still dead set on Zahku, though what she heard made a bit of sense. Sasha, on the other hand, was unsure.

 **000**

" **I don't know what I'm gonna vote tonight," Sasha stated. "Zahku makes the most sense, but if he's offering to help us, then it makes sense to keep him."**

" **I'm just… I'm so confused," she said.**

 **000**

The Red Team arrived at the elimination ceremony later that night, taking their seats on the benches. Looks of genuine unease were cast on everyone's faces, as conflicting voting ideas made things very difficult.

Mew and Victini arrived at the ceremony after a while. This time, Victini was the one with the chips, only this time he was carrying them inside of a box, making things easier. Mew clasped his hands together, greeting them. "Well, welcome to you guys' second elimination ceremony in a row."

Mew continued, "We're not gonna waste any time. Six is about to turn into five, so let's just jump right to the vote. You all know the drill by now, if your name is called, you get chips _and_ you're safe."

Zahku looked to Kane, who didn't return to gaze.

"First up… Jessica," Mew said, with Victini throwing her a bag of chips.

Jessica already knew that she was safe, but she still smiled anyway as she stopped her bag in mid-air with kinesis.

The New Species Pokémon continued. "Max and Sasha, you two are safe as well. No votes," he stated as Victini tossed their bags to them. Max caught his with his tail, while Sasha simply reached out to catch hers. She looked toward the others with a worried expression.

"Kane, Tonya, Zahku, unlike these three… all three of you received votes," Mew revealed, causing both Kane's and Tonya's eyes to widen.

"W-What?!" the Ursaring inquired, stunned by the revelation. "Why did I get votes?!"

"Yeah! Same here!" Tonya exclaimed.

Victini chuckled to himself before commenting, "It seems like some of your teammates are thinking long-term for a change."

Kane gulped. Had they changed their minds because of his idea? They couldn't have, right?

"But, luckily for you, it wasn't enough," Mew stated. "You're safe."

As Kane caught his chip bag, he let out a sigh of relief. Tonya scoffed. "Come on! I got more votes than _Kane_?"

"Well, Tonya, Zahku… one of you is going home tonight," Mew began. "Now, I know that we said that we weren't gonna waste any time, but this is very interesting."

"So," the pink feline began. "From our understanding, you two hooked up during Honey's elimination ceremony, but after that, Zahku wanted no real part of you. What happened there?"

Tonya sighed, not wanting to have to explain again. "Well, Zahku and I were talking and getting to know each other a bit more, and I grew more and more interested in him. He had talked about some kind of training regime that he has in place that sometimes includes hooking up with larger Pokémon to help with his overall stamina and endurance. I suggested that he try it with me and… we did it."

"Okay… that's a bit weird, but I guess it's alright," Mew stated. "Zahku? What's your take? Why do you all of a sudden not like Tonya?"

"Zahku is fine with fast snail lady as _friend_ ," the Makuhita emphasized. "He no ready for relationship; just want strength. Constant advance and closeness make Zahku uncomfortable, so Zahku try to distance himself when not in challenge."

"Oh…" Tonya responded upon hearing that, looking down. She didn't realize that she was partially pushing the Makuhita away or annoying him with her actions toward him."Um… sorry I was making you uncomfortable. And… to be fair, it _is_ my fault that I'm a bit hung up on him. I was the one who suggested that we do it, I fell for him, and… he's not interested. Nothing I can do about that."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm sorry, but I still don't buy that," Jessica spoke up. "Tonya, you don't need to apologize. Zahku has seriously been treating you perfectly fine. He kissed you in front of Groudon, he carried you bridal-style in the mountain, and he literally _said your name_ in the kitchen during the last challenge, from what I heard. I don't really see how you're annoying him at all."

"Zahku distance himself when _not_ in challenge," he repeated. "Kiss was for big red man, carrying was to get out of pit, and it random. Zahku can say name if Zahku want."

"Uh… this is just my two cents," Max chimed in. "Zahku probably likes Tonya, but like he said, he's focusing on his strength. So, while he doesn't _mind_ the affection, he doesn't necessarily _care_ for it. Also, I've barely seen them interact outside of challenges, so Zahku may have a bit of a point in that regard."

"Okay… and with that, let's just get to this final vote," Mew stated. "The one going home is…

…

…

…

…

…

...Tonya."

The Accelgor's eyes widened, as she turned to the others in shock. "Why did you guys vote for me?! What happened to sticking together in the merge?"

Kane sighed, "Sorry Tonya, but… Zahku asked me and he had some good points and… I shared those points with the others. No hard feelings."

Tonya turned to Zahku, shocked to learn that he was the cause of her elimination. "Zahku… you…"

Zahku let out a sigh. "Zahku sorry, but bug lady is gonna be distraction," he mumbled to himself.

Tonya looked down, but felt a peck on her cheek a few moments later, courtesy of Zahku. And, although he didn't reciprocate her feelings completely, she smiled a bit in response.

"Well Tonya, it's time to go," Mew said as the Lapras arrived on the shore.

The Accelgor nodded before heading to the Transport Pokémon. As she did this, the others waved, with Zahku taking a deep breath. The Lapras began to swim away, with Tonya waving back at the others.

"Alright, that's it, head on back to camp," Victini instructed.

The members of the Red Team did as they were told, but a look of genuine disappointment was glued on Jessica's face.

"Well, that was another surprising elimination," Mew commented, turning to the camera. "Tonya is gone and what have we learned here today?"

"Zahku needs a lot more experience with women than just sex," Victini laughed. "You can't tell a girl that you don't want a relationship, and act like a boyfriend at certain times. That just confuses _everybody_."

"Yep," Mew chuckled. "And now we're down to nine players. I wonder when that merge'll happen…"

"Will we have a tiebreaker in the votes? Will Max get his first girlfriend? Will Zahku ever get eliminated already? Find out next time on our island challenge!" Victini concluded.

 **000**

" **Hopefully the rest of the team sticks to the plan," Jessica stated. "I'm voting Zahku."**

 **000**

" **Well, the merge** _ **has**_ **to happen soon, I'd rather have Zahku on my side than Tonya. Sorry," Kane stated.**

 **000**

" **Kane told me to vote for Tonya because she may flip when the merge comes** _ **and**_ **because Zahku said that he'll help us in challenges later on in the game," Max stated. "I don't know why he's believing Zahku's word over Tonya's… but I'm not falling for it. Zahku needs to go."**

 **000**

" **I'll just vote for Tonya with Kane," Sasha stated. "Hope she doesn't get mad."**

 **000**

" **I'm voting for Kane," Tonya stated. "He's a much bigger threat."**

 **000**

" **Zahku like Tonya," the Makuhita admitted. "She nice, she intrigued, she good in bed... but, Zahku only focusing on strength in game, and she make him feel weird. And, there chance that females outnumber males, so Zahku vote for her. Still like her."**

 **000**

 _ **Votes:**_

 _ **Tonya - 3 votes (Kane, Sasha, Zahku)**_

 _ **Zahku - 2 votes (Jessica, Max)**_

 _ **Kane - 1 vote (Tonya)**_

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 _ **Red Team - (Jessica, Kane, Max, Sasha, Zahku)**_

 _ **Blue Team - (Art, Belladonna, Dade, Portia)**_

 **000**

 _ **Elimination Order:**_

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)**_

 _ **19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)  
**_

 _ **18th - Marley Banner (The Pranking Prodigy)  
**_

 _ **17th - Lawrence "Lucky" Addams (The Unlucky Charm)**_

 _ **16th - Lynn Jamison (The Calm Leader)**_

 _ **15th - Christopher "Chip" Torwood (The Buff Brain)**_

 _ **14th - Christine Reynolds (The Composed Musician)**_

 _ **13th - Richard "R.J." James Mitchell (The Flustered Hothead)**_

 _ **12th - Honey Winchester (The Royal Pain)**_

 _ **11th - Timothy "Tim" Lester (The Affable Introvert)**_

 _ **10th - Tonya Newman (The Inquisitive Speedster)**_


	13. Braking Bad

**000**

As the Red Team returned to the campgrounds, tension was at an all-time high, as no one said a word during their walk back.

Jessica was completely and utterly angry by the vote. Tonya did not deserve to go in her eyes. If anything, Zahku being wishy-washy with her, claiming that he was annoyed by her affection, despite being the one who initiated it at times, only made her want him gone more.

Even more frustrating was the fact that Zahku managed to convince Kane, and she was assuming Sasha, to vote with him. She was probably just completely furious, but she was actually debating whether or not she could actually trust them. If Zahku, _Zahku_ , could easily convince them to change their votes, what would that mean when the teams merged?

Eventually, the five of them made it back to the campgrounds and approached their cabin. However, before they could climb the stairs, Jessica halted them. "Okay, we need to talk," she fumed, getting their attention.

When they turned to face her, they were greeted by an expression of anger, which Sasha had already expected. Jessica was adamant about getting rid of Zahku, so her voting for Tonya instead really wasn't going to go over well.

Already knowing that she was about to lay into them about voting out Tonya, Kane attempted to explain his case, but was immediately interrupted.

"What the _hell_ was that vote!?" the Bruxish scolded. "You guys seriously voted for Tonya after we _all_ agreed to get rid of Zahku?! What kind of decision was that?! He filled your head with bullshit that had nearly a zero percent chance of happening and you still went for it? That's a really dumb decision."

"Jessica, calm down," Kane sternly responded. "Seriously, it's not that big of a deal. And you said that what Zahku told me was valid, too, so it's too late to call it bullshit. Tonya got eliminated and that's that. We still have the numbers because Zahku is on _our_ side. Plus, I'm sure that he'll be able to help us a lot better than Tonya could."

Knowing that this argument was gonna continue, Max spoke up before Jessica could respond, "At the end of the day, this is still just a game," Max nonchalantly stated. "Sometimes plans fall through and sometimes they work. Now, while I agree that voting for Zahku would've been a good move for us, it didn't happen, so we just have to take his word and trust that he'll stick with us. No use in dwelling over it. What's done is done. Can we all agree?"

Kane, having already come to terms with it, folded his arms. Sasha hesitated, slowly raising her hand, "I'm okay with letting it go."

Max looked back at Jessica, who still held an expression of disappointment. Knowing that she was still upset about the turnout of the vote, he concluded that he was going to have to talk to her one-on-one. He let out a sigh, looking back at the others. "Uh… guys, can you give us a sec?" he asked.

"Sure," Kane said as he turned back and started entering the cabin, with Sasha and Zahku in tow. He knew that Jessica was probably hurt by their decision, but she needed to understand that Zahku was a greater asset to the team if they were going to stick together in the merge.

Once they were alone, Max approached Jessica, "Come with me…"

The Delibird led the Bruxish down to the beach. He look the lead, taking a seat on the sand, while Jessica just floated into the water. He understood her frustration, but he felt that she got a bit too serious. "Okay, what's the problem? Why are you so upset?"

The Gnash Teeth Pokémon let out an exasperated sigh, "Because, we planned on getting rid of Zahku because he was a threat to us, as a team. There's a chance that he'll flip back over and help his old team and ruin our plan to stick together. But nope, Zahku says one thing to Kane, and he suddenly can't stick to the script? And we all know that whatever Kane does, Sasha does, too, so I shouldn't even be surprised that it happened."

"Jess… this is a game," Max reminded. "And plus, you apparently told Kane that what Zahku said was valid-"

"But I told him that it wasn't gonna happen!" Jessica shot back. "Does he not trust me!?"

"Of course he does," the Delibird replied. "I'm pretty sure Kane trusts everyone on the team. I guess Zahku's points just made too much sense to him, and he trusted Tonya the least."

Jessica looked down, "She was just… she's a good friend. I didn't want to see her go so soon. And then what Zahku just said about her made my blood boil. How was she annoying when _he_ was showing just as much affection to her?"

"Well, like I said, I think Zahku _does_ like her, but doesn't really care for romantic gestures unless it's for a challenge, like he said," Max explained. "Plus, he said that she'd be a distraction to him later on, pretty much confirming my point. So calm down, he's just completely awkward, like me."

Jessica huffed, "No way. You're awkwardness is actually cute. I don't know what's going on in Zahku's head."

Max blushed in response before clearing his throat, "Uh… thanks."

"So… what do you think we do from here?" Jessica queried. "I'm still iffy about Zahku. I mean, everyone's so sure that he won't, but what if he _does_ flip?"

"I sincerely doubt that he will," Max replied. "When Kane was pitching to get me to vote for her, too, he mentioned that Zahku said that Belladonna and Portia don't like Dade or Art. And since he's been on the other team, and we've seen how those guys act toward each other, I'm obligated to believe him. That means that as soon as the merge hits, there's no real _team_ for him to go to."

Hearing that, Jessica actually felt a bit more at ease. The Blue Team _was_ divided and completely dysfunctional, so it made sense that they'd separate immediately. Why Kane voted for Tonya instead suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks, making her groan in annoyance. "Great, now that I know why it made sense to keep Zahku for a while longer, I feel stupid."

"Hey, you're how I feel with women. Congrats," Max responded, patting her back.

This brought a smile to Jessica's face, a faint blush starting to appear on her face. She suddenly cleared her throat, saying, "Well, I guess we should head back and get some sleep." She rose out of the water, commenting, "Hopefully the merge is tomorrow."

As he got up, Max chuckled, "Yeah, that'd make things a bit easier to deal with."

The two of them started heading back to the campgrounds, hopes for the merge at an all-time high.

 **000**

 **Jessica sighed, "Of course it was Max who straightened everything out and helped me understand why everyone voted out Tonya instead. I completely overlooked the team dynamic over there. If I had acknowledged that… it would've been harder to decide. Tonya's a great friend, but all she would have is speed and agility, and Zahku's a huge threat, but** _ **also**_ **a loyal asset for the future. I guess I would've just kept the same vote, but wouldn't have been as upset as I was."**

" **Now, about Max… I don't know how or when I'm gonna make a move, it's been a really long time since I've actually had feelings for someone," she explained. She took a breath, "I guess I'll just try to keep myself focused on the game and just bring it up whenever the time comes. I don't wanna rush anything."**

 **000**

In the Blue Team's cabin, Belladonna and Portia had just looked out of their window and saw that Tonya did not return with the other members of the Red Team.

"Hmm… I guess they decided to keep Zahku in case we don't merge tomorrow," Belladonna speculated as she moved away from the windows.

"Well, if we _do_ merge tomorrow, we're more than likely gonna be in trouble," Portia stated as she lied in her bunk. "They still outnumber us five-to-four, and I honestly have no intentions of working with Fart or Daze. We're gonna just have to hope we win immunity whenever the time comes…"

Suddenly, Belladonna gained an idea, a smile forming on her face. She excitedly took a seat on Portia's bed, proposing, "What if we make an alliance with them?"

Portia rose a brow at her idea. Why would they want to want to work with them if they already had enough people to knock them out? It sounded good on paper for them, but it didn't really make sense for the others to follow suit. "Bella, I don't think that'll get us anywhere. It's already five against four. Or actually, five against two against two. They don't need us."

Belladonna looked down, a dejected expression beginning to form on her face. However, her frown of discouragement immediately turned into one of confidence. "We'll never know unless we try," the Golem replied. "I think we could at least convince the other girls to join forces with us. We can bring in one of the guys, and then we'll immediately have a big alliance."

Portia shrugged her shoulders. "I still think that it's unlikely to work, but… if you insist on trying, I guess we can talk to them tomorrow."

The Megaton Pokémon nodded with a smile.

 **000**

" **We have a chance," Belladonna acknowledged. "If Jessica and Sasha are open to the offer, hopefully they can convince one of their guys to join us and Portia and I will be safe for a while longer."**

 **000**

The sun slowly peaked over the horizon, once again showering the island with the warming light of the morn. Everyone was still asleep, resting rather comfortably in their beds. The only sounds that were heard were the soft breathing of some of the contestants. However, thn near sound of silence was soon decimated by the blaring of a megaphone.

The sudden sound of the megaphone startled a good majority of the contestants, awakening them from their peaceful slumber. The noise caused Sasha to bump her head on the bottom of the bunk above hers, making her growl in annoyance. "What the heck is that!?"

Jessica yawned shortly after, replying, "Who knows?"

" _ALL CONTESTANTS REPORT TO THE MESS HALL IMMEDIATELY!I REPEAT, ALL CONTESTANTS REPORT TO THE MESS HALL IMMEDIATELY!"_

Sasha groaned in annoyance, flopping back onto her mattress. "Great…" she drawled.

 **-000-**

The nine remaining contestants all trudged into the mess hall, still a bit groggy from their abrupt wake-up call. Once they entered the building, they immediately noticed a long table with a white sheet draped over it. Due to there only being one other large table inside of the mess hall, the lethargic contestants all sat down at it immediately.

A few of the contestants were curious as to what was under the sheet and were tempted to investigate, but even Max was too tired to care. Mew and Victini suddenly appeared in front of them with smiles on their faces.

"Congratulations!" Victini exclaimed. "The nine of you have made it to the merge!"

Immediately, a few of the contestants' eyes grew wide and they began to cheer, albeit softly, causing them to sound more like groans of distress than shouts of jubilation. Art, having been expecting it, didn't express any emotion, keeping his same stone-faced expression, while Zahku just kept his arms folded with a neutral expression.

Their lack of elated responses made Victini stifle a laugh, "Wow, you guys are dead."

"It's like six o'clock in the morning," Kane deadpanned, "Not all of us are good with getting up this early."

"Oh, well, if that's the case, you guys can head on back to bed," Mew responded. " _But_ , when you do come back, your celebratory breakfast will be cold and kinda stale."

"Uh… celebratory what now?" Max queried.

Mew took the white sheet off of the large table, revealing a large array of food. Almost everyone perked up upon seeing the food. It was arranged in a buffet-like way. There was a large bowl of eggs, two trays of bacon, a few bowls of oatmeal and grits, a plate of sausage patties and links, boxes of cereal, cereal bars, a plate of pancakes and waffles, a box of bagels, a plate of fruits and vegetables, and pitchers of apple juice, orange juice, water, and milk. There were also large pots of coffee on either end of the table.

Art held an expression of indifference, growing annoyed by the constant food 'rewards'. This was the third time in a row they were being given food in this fashion and frankly, he was getting sick of it. He was never gonna eat any of it, as he still didn't trust them after the first time they did it. As average as it was, he would've preferred it if they just gave them more of Greasy Al's grub.

"Whoa… this is… awesome!" Belladonna chuckled.

"Yep, and it's 1000% not laced with anything," Mew reassured, assuming that some of them still didn't trust the food they gave them.

"You guys will have time to just mingle with each other and relax for most of today, so once you're done with breakfast, you're free to go right back to sleep if you want. And today's challenge will take place in late afternoon, so you have most of the day to relax," Victini followed.

" _But_ , there is a slight change to the game that we think that you all will enjoy," Mew chimed in.

Everyone exchanged looks of curiosity as Mew proceeded to explain the change. "Now," he began. "As you all know, immunity is the thing that keeps you in the game. So, to make things more interesting…"

Victini pulled out two, small wooden statues, one of himself, and the other of Mew. The presentation of the statues caused expressions of confusion to form on the contestants' faces.

Expecting the looks they were receiving, the pink feline expounded upon the statues and their correlation to the game. "These two statues will grant automatic immunity to anyone who has them."

Immediately, everyone's eyes lit up, Dade's and Art's especially. They could save themselves if they got one of those dingy statues? It was a done deal.

"How do we get them?" Dade immediately inquired, earning glares from Belladonna and Portia.

Victini took over the explanation, elucidating, "They will be hidden in different places around the island; you will have to search hard in order to retrieve one of them. You can only use them once, and you can only use them until you reach the final four. Once you make it to the final four, it's just a paperweight."

Competitive glances were exchanged, as some people definitely needed the statues, and others didn't want certain people to have the statues.

 **000**

" **If either of those two get the statues, we're completely screwed!" Portia stated. "We have to make sure that neither of them find them or even has a chance to find them."**

 **000**

" **I have a chance!" Dade cheered. "All I have to do is find one of those statues and I'll be fine!"**

 **000**

"Well, with that now in your minds… dig in!" Mew exclaimed. "We'll be back when it's time for you guys' challenge."

The contestants, excluding Art, all headed to the table immediately, grabbing plates and glasses in order to retrieve food.

Art, not wanting to eat nor deal with the others, quietly exited the mess hall in order to begin his search for one of the immunity statues.

 **000**

" **Those idiots can eat that crummy victory food if they want. None of them need immunity, anyway," Art stated. "I'm actually at risk here!"**

 **000**

Max took a seat back at the table, holding two plates of food. He had procured at least one of everything to ensure that he'd go into a brief food coma once he returned to the cabin.

As Kane returned with his plate of waffles, eggs, bacon, and grapes, he took notice to Max's spread and stifled a laugh.

"Wow Max, that's a lot of food. You plan on storing it all till the game's over?" the bruin joked as he placed his plate down.

"Nope," Max replied. "It'd get moldy by then. This is just to ensure that I'm completely blacked out until challenge time."

"Uh… why would you want to be knocked out for that long?" Belladonna inquired as she walked back over with her own plate. "Don't you wanna look for the statues?

"I honestly don't really care about the immunity statues," Max replied with a shrug. "I'd rather just sleep."

Belladonna replied with her own shrug before sitting down, "Fair enough."

Kane, having walked away when Belladonna started talking to Max, returned with a cup of coffee.

As the remaining contestants returned to the table, Portia immediately noticed a certain someone's absence, growling to herself. "Figures. Instead of taking the time to hang out for even a second, Art decides to immediately run off and look for the statues."

Dade's eyes widened as he finally noticed the Ferrothorn's nonattendance. "Damn it…" he muttered to himself.

"I doubt that he'll even be able to find one in a short time," Jessica opined as she took a place at the table. "The island is huge and they said that we'd have to search hard for it. So, he can run around and look all he wants, but he won't be finding it anytime soon."

"Yeah, so let's just try to enjoy our partial day off," Sasha chimed in. She lifted up her glass. "To the merge."

Everyone else raised their glasses and mugs, "The merge!"

- **000-**

"So, out of everyone here, who would you want to win the prize if you didn't?" Sasha inquired. "And let's not get offended if our names aren't said. This is just for fun."

After giving it some thought, the contestants began to go around the table and give their answers and reasons.

Jessica started it off, humming to herself. She looked around before saying, "Well, if I had to choose, it's be between Kane and Max. Kane because he's a formidable player, and Max because…" She hesitated, having to hide a blush and avoid saying what she originally wanted to say. Eventually, she stuttered, "Uh… well, uh… he's… a cool guy."

Portia followed after with a simple response. "Bella. She's stuck with me for the longest time and I appreciate that," she said, giving her a side hug.

Belladonna giggled in response before giving her own answer. "I'd say Portia because she's been the one looking out for me here."

Max yawned before giving his own answer. "Uh… it honestly doesn't really matter to me. Everyone has a good reason to have the money, even Art… so I'm pretty indifferent."

A small smile formed on Jessica's face.

Dade let out a thoughtful sigh before responding. "Um… I dunno. Maybe Zahku? He's pretty versatile and badass. Seems pretty deserving from a gameplay standpoint."

Portia rolled her eyes, not caring for the Mothim's answer. She felt that it was probably just something he said to suck up to Zahku and get the Makuhita to help him in the game.

Zahku didn't seem to be phased by what Dade had said, as he just munched on a sausage link while staring out the door. Because of this, the others decided to skip over him and looked to Kane instead.

The Ursaring sweatdropped. "Well, if I had to choose… I'd probably have to say… Sasha. So she can try and start a new life in case her husband continues to be a dumbass piece of shit."

Sasha blushed in response, embracing Kane. She let out a sigh of happiness before giving her answer. "Kane… because-"

"We already know why," Jessica giggled, resulting in smiles forming on Belladonna and Portia's faces. The Nidoqueen's face turned a bright crimson as she buried her head in her arms on the table. Kane chuckled, rubbing her back.

Max took a breath before standing up, getting everyone's attention. "Well, I think I'm gonna head on back to the cabin and die until it's time for the next challenge," he stated as he stretched.

"Well, okay," Jessica replied, a bit bummed out by the Delibird's decision. "I'll come and wake you when it's time."

Max nodded to her in thanks before heading over to the buffet table again, raising some eyebrows. They saw the Delibird begin filling his tail with different amounts of foods, eliciting a few soft chuckles and giggles from them.

"Uh… Max, what're you doing?" Sasha queried, looking back to him.

"Getting some more food for later," he answered nonchalantly as he closed his tail. He figured that he might as we save some of the food in case he woke back up before they called them down. "Might as well have something else to eat if I wake up early or if all of the food digests while I'm asleep."

"Oh-ho, I can understand that," Kane chortled. "R.J. once asked if we could get a mini fridge next to our bed so he wouldn't have to go all the way to the kitchen when he has his late night cravings."

"Yep. Well, I'll see you guys later," Max replied before placing the end of his tail in his mouth before flying out of the mess hall.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go, too," Dade announced as he got up.

"Go where?" Belladonna queried, folding her arms. She knew that he was just gonna go look for one of the statues, but she wanted to hear his excuse.

"Uh…" Dade droned. He glanced over to Zahku, who was preparing to leave. "I'm... gonna go hang out with Zahku," he answered, flying to his side.

"Uh huh…" Belladonna replied, giving him a look of suspicion.

"Well, we'll catch you guys later," Dade hurried out as he flew out of the mess hall. Zahku didn't say anything as he simply followed the Mothim out.

The remaining five exchanged looks, with Kane feeling compelled to leave as well since everyone else seemed to be.

"Well, uh… I guess I'll go, too," Kane replied as he prepared to rise to his feet.

Noticing that the remaining five fit the criteria of what she thought was good for the game, Belladonna stopped him.

"Wait!" she quickly exclaimed, getting the others' attention.

"What's up?" the bruin asked in bewilderment

"I…" she began. She glanced at Portia from the corner of her eye before adjusting herself. "Well, _we_ need to talk to you. All three of you, actually."

The three of them grew curious immediately. Kane had a feeling that he knew where this was going, considering that all the girls were here. Though, _his_ inclusion was a bit perplexing, unless they were including him because he was gay and all that.

"Talk about what?" Jessica queried, growing a bit suspicious.

Belladonna prepared to answer, but Portia beat her to it. "She wants to make an alliance," the Rhyperior stated, tapping her fork on her plate. Belladonna gave her a look.

Sasha and Jessica held expressions of surprise, while Kane's eyelids simply drooped, his expectations met. He turned his attention to the two girls beside him, resting his head against one of his arms to gauge their reactions and hear their responses.

Sasha gulped before scratching the side of her face. "Uh… well..."

"Now before you guys say anything, I just want to explain," Belladonna replied, noticing Jessica and Sasha's skeptical looks. "Dade and Art need to be the first ones to go. Not only are they annoyances, to us, they're threats. Dade's trying to fly under the radar, and Art is physically and mentally strong. We can't get rid of them with just two votes, so we need more help."

Jessica blinked in response, before looking back to Sasha and Kane, who were just looking at her, not being much of any help. What the Golem was suggesting most definitely could work, and she was correct about Art being a threat, but Dade? That was a bit much.

"Well, I'm sure that we all agree that _Art_ is a big threat," Jessica replied before looking back to Kane and Sasha, who nodded in agreement. "As for Dade, I don't see anything really threatening about him, so maybe we can just hold off on that."

The two Rock and Ground-types glanced at each other before Belladonna let out a sigh. "I mean, I can understand why you may see it that way, but I can assure you that Dade is more threatening than you think. He's intelligent... manipulative... and… uh…" She put on a thinking face.

Her sudden halt, followed by droning, caused looks of uncertainty to form on the other threes' faces. Noticing the expressions of doubt on their faces, and knowing that she probably wouldn't be able to come up with other adjectives to emphasize her point, Belladonna gave in. "Okay... I guess we can just focus on Art."

"Wait, so are you guys agreeing to the alliance?" Portia chimed in, wanting a bit of clarification.

Kane wasn't interested, as they already had their team alliance going on. However, he _was_ interested to hear Jessica's answer. After all, she made it a major point last night to call them out for voting out Tonya _and_ she told him that an alliance between the girls had a zero percent chance of happening. It should be a simple, quick answer, right?

"Well…" the Bruxish drawled. "Not entirely. We're more so in agreement about eliminating Art."

"Oh…" Belladonna replied, a bit disappointed by their choice. "Well… thanks in advance anyway. Hopefully we're able to take him out without too much issue."

"Yeah, we'll just have to hope that he doesn't get immunity in the next challenge," Kane spoke up as he began scratching at the table with a single claw. He noticed that he was getting a few looks from the girls, causing him to raise a brow. "What? Did… you girls not think about that possibility?"

Portia looked at Belladonna, who folded her arms before clearing her throat. "I actually did," she replied as she got up and began walking back to the buffet table. As she did so, she continued to explain as the others' eyes followed her. "If we aren't able to get a certain one, we get the other one. So, if Art gets immunity, we go for Dade. If Dade gets immunity, we go for Art. And once the first one's gone, we go for the second one."

Noticing a flaw in her thought process, Jessica hummed. "Well, what if the 'second one' gets immunity?" she asked.

"Then… we just go for the next biggest threat to us or just...whoever works," Belladonna responded with a shrug as she grabbed more sausage patties and put them on a new plate, followed by a couple of waffles. "In this case, we'd go for Zahku, or… well… y'know," she turned back around and started walking back to the table, glancing toward Kane.

Noticing the look, Kane gave her a look of his own, folding his arms. "So, we're just doing this for Art, right? And if not him, Dade?" he sternly asked, not wanting the thought of eliminating him to linger.

"Yep," Jessica replied. "And once he's gone, we just go about our business like normal. Alright?"

Kane and Sasha nodded in agreement. Portia shrugged her shoulders, while Belladonna glumly nodded. She really wanted an assured spot, but it wouldn't be happening, sadly.

 **000**

 **The Golem let out a sigh. "Well, I'm a bit annoyed now. I was hoping that they'd agree to be in the alliance, but I guess that's not happening."**

" **And now I have to think about who to vote out if we can't get to Art or Dade because of the challenges…" she groaned. "Ugh… this'll be tough, because the only ones that I think would be worth getting rid of besides Art and Dade are Kane and Zahku and I dunno who's gonna wanna eliminate them."**

 **She thought about it a bit before humming, "Well… actually, Zahku may be a bit easier. Kane's gonna be the difficult one. Maybe we should try to vote him out sooner since it'll be easier to convince people to vote for folks like Dade and Zahku..."**

" **No, no… just… stick to the plan," she told herself.**

 **000**

While the others were hatching a plan, Dade and Zahku were heading along the dirt path leading to the lake. Inferring that the others were already onto what he was doing, he let out a groan. "I'm probably in an even bigger hole now…"

The Makuhita traveling beside him shrugged. He already knew about his friend's dilemma, and while there was nothing that _he_ could do to help him, with the introduction of the immunity statues, Dade had a chance to help himself. "Well, if you find statue, it no matter. Just look hard."

Dade could only sigh in response before the realization of something suddenly sucker punched him. "Say… since Tonya's not here anymore, will you be willing to help me out now? I mean, Art and I are both on the outs and we need all the help we can get at this point."

Zahku sweatdropped. Sure, he had mentioned his indifference to helping him the day before, but he ended up making a promise to stay loyal to the Red Team _and_ help them when it came to challenges later that same day. They had helped him get rid of Tonya, so he felt that he owed them.

"Zahku ended up making promise to keep self on good terms with team," the Guts Pokémon explained. "So, can't."

"What?!" Dade exclaimed, his eyes widening in dread and shock. "What promise?!"

"Zahku promised to stay loyal to team and not flip back over to Blue Team side," the Makuhita expounded as they continued walking. "They fear that he would do that because original team."

"Well, if they're suspicious of you, why would you still agree to stick with them?" Dade inquired. "It doesn't make any sense! They'll just keep trying to vote you out."

Zahku offered a rebuttal. "Well, rock girls don't like you anymore and spiky plant man still the same, so going back no good anyway," the Makuhita responded. "Rather be with high number than split team."

The Mothim couldn't even argue against that point. The Blue Team _was_ separated and didn't offer much in terms of security within the game, but he still felt a bit betrayed by his friend. He just didn't see the practicality of it if he was likely going to be eliminated whether he stuck with them or not.

"Zahku, you realize that you guys sticking together will just make it so that you pick us off one by one, and then once we're gone, they're just gonna vote you out immediately," Dade attempted to reason with him. "You're better off helping us instead."

"Zahku plan to keep promise," he retorted. "Apologies."

Dade sighed, shaking his head. He didn't have anything else to say to the Makuhita. He was adamant about helping the other team rather than his original team and there wasn't anything he could do about it. So, he'd have to rely on his search for a statue.

 **000**

" **Welp… I'm still screwed," Dade sighed. "I really have to find one of those statues…"**

 **000**

Art was currently lurking around the mountain. After receiving the information about the immunity statues, the Ferrothorn decided to forgo the breakfast and immediately set out in search of his saving grace. He was much more interested in something that'd guarantee his safety in the game than a bunch of eggs, waffles, and other food that he could get at any time when he was back at home.

The fact that no one else shared in his urgency just let him know that he needed it the most. He looked inside different cracks and holes that could possibly fit one of the statues, but came up short. He didn't know whether or not they would hide a statue in one of the caves, but he was definitely going to see.

Approaching the opening, Art clung to the ceiling and began moving deeper inside. The Ferrothorn would have no trouble navigating through the cave, but the sheer amount of possible locations would make his trek tedious.

"I wish they would have at least given us a hint instead of just saying… look," Art said to himself.

The Ferrothorn began thinking about his game plan if and when he found one of the statues. Or better yet, if he found _both_ of them.

"If I end up finding both of them, this game is mine for the taking," he stated with a chuckle. "There's only nine of us left and they're only usable until the final four. So, if I can get my feelers on them, I can save them for when I really need them, or keep using and trying to find them again until I make it there. Though then I have to think about who I need to keep in the finals…"

He began going through who he felt should and shouldn't make it further. If this plan ended up working out somehow, he already had a spot in the final four. The other three spots weren't that hard for him to fill in. Kane and Zahku were both physical threats, Jessica was a mental threat, and Portia and Belladonna were annoyances. That left him with Max, Sasha, and Dade, all of whom he was sure he could beat in the physical and mental department.

"I really need to find these statues," he stated. Now that he had an idea, he was even more motivated to search.

Reaching the fork, he went down the path illuminated with cyan minerals out of instinct. If he couldn't find anything there, he'd move onto the red path.

Usually, the path was barren, aside from when challenges revolved around the area. However, this was not the case this time. The sound of footsteps, along with the sound of crunching, began filling the air, alerting him to another presence in the mountain.

As he went deeper, he failed to notice the gleaming eyes shining behind him. He drew his attention to small gem fragments that were dispersed on the ground below. He rose a brow, momentarily pausing. Looking around a bit more, he noticed that some of the minerals were broken and had evidence of saliva on them.

"What the hell?" he asked curiously before being struck from behind. He dropped to the ground with a groan, partially embedding himself in the ground, as cackles filled the air. He didn't know who his assailant was, but the numerous voices let him know that there were multiple of them. Using his feelers, he yanked himself out of the ground and turned to face whoever it was.

Immediately, his eyes widened as he saw multiple Sableye standing behind him, hanging from the ceiling and clinging to the walls. All of them had their signature toothy smiles plastered on their faces, causing Art to feel a bit uneasy.

" _Okay,_ " he thought to himself. " _All of these fuckers came out of nowhere… And if there are suddenly random Pokémon in this damn mountain… then there must be something in he-"_

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a purple and black orb colliding with his face, causing him to grunt in pain. He growled in annoyance, while the Darkness Pokémon all cackled like a pack of Mightyena.

Art grumbled to himself as he turned around and began to walk away. He didn't have the time, nor did he want, to deal with the group of Sableye. There were too many and he had more urgent matters to tend to.

However, as he continued down the path, it seemed that a few of the Sableye were following him. He initially ignored the goblins, but as he began feeling and seeing attacks pass by him, he began growing more annoyed. He wasn't even really checking for any signs of a statue due to the mischievous Dark and Ghost-types.

He eventually decided to stop treading the cyan path and turn around. However, this meant that he would have to deal with the Sableye, which was something that he most definitely wasn't looking forward to.

He turned back around, letting out a disgruntled sigh as he faced a Sableye that was right behind him. The Sableye blew a raspberry at him, making Art close his eyes so that saliva didn't enter. With a dour visage, the Thorn Pod Pokémon rose one of feelers, which turned a purple color.

The Sableye's grin immediately turned into a frown of fear as a few beads of sweat trickled down the side of its face.

 **-000-**

A few unconscious Sableye flew from the cyan path as Art made his way back to the fork. He let out a sigh before turning toward the red path, tempted to check it. However, after just having to deal with the Sableye, he was hesitant to see what possible Pokémon were down the opposite path.

His venture down the cyan path was meaningless both due to him being distracted by the Sableye _and_ due to him not identifying any holes or tunnels like he remembered the red path having when they first entered the mountain in the second challenge. There _was_ a chance that the tunnel that Zahku had taken had a statue inside, but he wouldn't be able to get through it anyway.

"Screw it. I'll check somewhere else and come back later," Art stated as he went toward the wall, slamming his feeler into it in order to climb onto the ceiling.

He proceeded to exit the mountain, going off in order to search somewhere else.

 **000**

" **I need to make sure that I'm the one who finds one or both of the statues," Art stated. "The mountain is still a possibility, but I'm gonna go search somewhere else, first."**

 **000**

Due to them giving their contestants the day to hang out, Mew and Victini had more time to rest at the hall, much to the dismay of the other residents. Mew had been napping for a few hours on the large couch in the living room of the hall, as he honestly felt that he had nothing better to do.

While he slept, Thundurus and Zapdos entered the living room, having been eager to watch a marathon of a game show called 'Shocking Revelations'. Seeing Mew on the couch caused them to exchange looks of agitation, as they had made it known that they would be hanging out there for a while.

"Of course one of them is fast asleep here when the show's about to start…" Zapdos drawled. "Fan-fucking-tastic…"

In his Therian Forme, Thundurus began rubbing two of his claws together, emitting a few sparks that eventually turned into electricity. He slowly separated his claws, giving his hand the look of a taser. He floated over to the snoozing New Species Pokémon before prodding him with his electrified claws, shocking him awake.

"OW!" Mew roared in pain as he shot up, panting heavily. Seeing the serpentine Bolt Strike Pokémon looming over him, with Zapdos holding an annoyed expression in a background, he gained an annoyed expression of his own. "What the heck was that for?!"

The Electric and Flying-type dragon explained his position. "We let everyone know that we were gonna be chilling out for a few hours while we watch our show. So, you being here pretty much ruins that…"

"And instead of just waking me up like a normal Pokémon, you decide to shock me?" Mew retorted with a glare. "Yeah, that makes total sense."

"Hey, we let everyone know beforehand, so you brought that on yourself," Zapdos argued.

With a huff, he folded his arms. "Whatever…" He proceeded to leave the living room, allowing the two electric airheads to have their TV time. He headed through the kitchen to get back to his room, only to be hit in the face by a flying tortilla.

Pulling the bread away from his face and tossing it aside, he noticed that the kitchen was in disarray. Dishes were piled up in the sink, there were scorch marks on the counters and cracks on the microwave. The table was filthy, with plates and bowls with half-eaten food in them sitting there idle. And to top it off, Keldeo was the reason that the tortilla hit him in the face.

The Colt Pokémon was attempting to make breakfast tacos, but was doing a pretty awful job at it. The smell of burnt eggs and old Mexican food filled the room like a gas chamber, only there were two openings, being the doorways. There was a bag of shredded cheese burning on the stove, burnt pieces of bacon sat on a paper plate, and seasoning covered the floor and part of the cabinet.

"Keldeo, what the hell are you doing?" Mew asked sternly, floating toward the Water and Fighting-type. "You know that you're not allowed to cook anything on your own! Look at this place!"

The pony defended himself, responding, "Hey, the kitchen was already dirty. Plus, I tried asking Reshiram to do this since she usually does it for me, but she's sleeping in with Zekrom. So, I tried to do what I usually see her doing and… well..."

The oven door suddenly opened, releasing a cloud of black smoke.

Just a few moments later, a large, white, fluffy dragoness flew toward the doorway, rubbing one of her eyes. Upon seeing the state of the kitchen and who was inside, she could only sigh. She entered the room in order to get a better view of the kitchen's problems.

Due to her height, her presence didn't go unnoticed, as Mew watched her approach them as he waved smoke away from his face. Once the Vast White Pokémon closed the oven, Mew let out a few soft coughs as he removed his hands from his face. "Well… that helped."

"What happened in here?" Reshiram inquired, astounding by how disgusting the kitchen was. "Did Victini let another Garbodor and Snorlax in here?"

"No…" Mew answered, folding his arms as he looked to Keldeo, who let out a sigh.

"I… tried to make breakfast tacos like you do," the colt explained. "I tried to get you, but you didn't answer, so I figured you were still asleep."

Reshiram let out a soft sigh as she looked around. "Well, next time, please just be patient. Okay?"

The unicorn nodded before starting to walk out of the kitchen. Now, while he didn't appreciate how Keldeo had just gotten off scot-free, Mew admired Reshiram's maturity. If was nearly anyone else, they would have yelled at the kid and made him feel like a moron. Granted, he was a bit slow-witted, but he was still pretty young and inexperienced with some things.

Reshiram let out another sigh as put her hands on her hips and inspected the kitchen. The dragoness grabbed the trash can from against the wall and walked toward the table, dumping paper plates and the half-eaten food from ceramic dishes inside. Seeing her begin cleaning the kitchen, Mew rose a brow.

"Uh… Reshi, why are _you_ cleaning the kitchen? You and Zekrom rarely come in here since you guys have your own fridge and kitchen set up," Mew inquired.

As she continued walking around with the bin, tossing wrappers, leftover food, and crumbs inside, Reshiram explained, "Well, knowing how stubborn most of you are, I'd rather not hear you guys argue about whose fault it is or whose turn it was or whatever it is. So, I'll just handle it."

Mew's eyes softened. It was a really thoughtful gesture, but he didn't think that she needed to be the one to do it. "I mean, I can just-"

"No, no, it's okay," she interrupted as she pulled out a bottle of cleaning spray and a towel. "Plus, shouldn't you and Victini be doing your show?" she asked as she sprayed the table. "How come you're still here?"

The pink feline explained, "Well, today's our merge day, so we're letting the contestants have a bit of a break for the day, and we're doing the challenge in the afternoon."

Reshiram nodded. "Well, congratulations on you guys' merge," she commended. "Just keep having fun and try not to upset people."

Mew nodded back in response, "Thanks." There was a bit of awkward silence following his reply, and with the smell of Mexican food assaulting his nostrils, he felt that he really needed to get out of there. "Well, I'll see you later. And thanks for cleaning up, even though you shouldn't have to."

Upon leaving the kitchen, the pink feline started floating around the hall. He knew that he wanted to go back to bed, but he was a bit curious as to what the others were up to. Looking back, he was actually surprised that no one else happened to walk by to yell at Keldeo or blame him; heck, Zapdos and Thundurus didn't even say anything, but then again, they were more concerned about watching their show.

Usually there were more people just roaming the halls, most of them going to each others' rooms, the living room, or the recreation room that they had, in order to either hang out or hook up. This particular day, though, he barely saw anyone. He hadn't even seen Victini since they got back.

Eventually, he passed by Shaymin's room. He had always had a bit of an affinity for the Gratitude Pokémon, but he never really acted on it or anything since she seemed to have an attraction to Victini, though she would never admit it to anyone, besides maybe him.

Peering inside, he saw lying on her bed, watching her television while in her Land Forme. She was so cute when she was in that form, to him. Eventually, he cleared his throat before knocking on her door, getting her attention.

"Oh, hey Mew," the chipper hedgehog greeted. She sniffed a potted plant that sat on her nightstand, causing the hedgehog to change into a canine-like form, before flying over to him. "What's up?"

He had to suppress a blush upon seeing her shift into this form, as the Gratitude Pokémon was even cuter to him, now. Internally calming himself, he proceeded to explain his presence. "Oh nothing… just wondering if you knew where the others were. It's a lot more dead here than usual."

"Oh, the others went to the beach," she answered instantly.

Mew's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, what?! They went to the beach without telling me?"

"Arceus and Giratina actually had some announcement about going to the beach earlier this morning while you and Victini were gone," she explained. "They said that if you wanted to go, you could, and if not, you could stay behind. I think nearly everyone decided to go except for Reshiram, Zekrom, Thundurus, Zapdos, Landorus, Keldeo, Genesect, Kyurem, Darkrai, and myself."

Mew groaned, "Of course… and I bet Victini caught wind of it and ended up going, too. Meanwhile, I vegged out on the living room couch as soon as we got back."

"Yeah, speaking of that, why _are_ you back here?" the Gratitude Pokémon queried as she moseyed back over to her bed.

"We gave our contestants half the day off," he answered as he floated behind her, approaching her bed. "They've made it to the final nine, so we thought that they deserved a bit of a break before we throw them into another challenge," he said as he took a seat on the Grass-type's soft, flowery bed. Mew's eyes widened at the feeling of it, and purred softly before flopping back against it.

Feeling the plop against her bed, Shaymin looked back with a raised brow. Seeing the expression on his face, she couldn't help but giggle, "You alright there?"

"...Has your bed always been this soft?" Mew queried, rolling onto his stomach.

"Yeah," she warmly replied. "Why?"

Mew chuckled, "Welp, looks like you're gonna be stuck with me in here, because this is much more comfortable than my own bed."

Shaymin playfully scoffed, "Really?"

"Yep," Mew replied, rolling on his back again. "You're free to stay, of course. This _is_ _your_ room…"

Shaymin couldn't help but laugh to herself, as Mew was a pretty genuine and cool person, to her. The others all seemed to gloss over that fact due to him being aligned with Victini, who _she_ mostly saw as a playful troll who sometimes took things too far. The others simply see him as a nuisance, and group both him and Mew together despite them having different personalities when separated. Heck, the only Legendaries in the hall who treated him civil, aside from Arceus and Giratina, were herself, Reshiram, Zekrom, Landorus, Heatran, Terrakion, Rayquaza, Keldeo, Genesect, and Mewtwo and Victini to an extent.

She huffed teasingly, "You're lucky you're cute." She turned her attention back to her television.

Mew couldn't help but blush at the compliment, having to roll over so that she didn't see his face. Now facing away from her, he let out a soft sigh before drifting back to sleep.

 **000**

Speaking of sleep, a couple more hours had gone by, with Max still lying in his bed, sound asleep. Whenever he didn't have to do anything, he felt that staying, either in bed, or in a single comfortable location, was the most satisfying thing to do.

He had put his food on the bunk below his, as to not feel uncomfortable while he slept. Unbeknownst to the Delibird, he had a visitor in the cabin. A dark shadow loomed over the snoozing Delibird, growing larger as the figure approached.

Max was suddenly enveloped in a blue aura. After a bit of jostling, the Delibird's eyes flickered open. Once he realized that he was being moved, his eyes widened and he fearfully honked, "What the h-"

He was then dropped back on the bed. Turning to the side, he saw the culprit. It was none other than-

"Jessica?" the Delivery Pokémon yawned, rubbing his eyes. He saw the Gnash Teeth Pokémon floating beside his bed with a warm smile. Due to the conditions of the day, and what he had asked them to do before he came back to the cabin, Max sat up, believing that it was time for their next challenge. "Where do we have to go?"

Jessica rose a brow at his inquiry, confused by what he meant. A few seconds later, she recalled what he had asked one of them to do and sheepishly giggled. "Actually, the challenge isn't happening yet."

"It's not?" he replied in surprise. "Then why'd you wake me up already?" he interrogated, scratching his head feathers.

The Bruxish cleared her throat sheepishly. She had been thinking about Max all day and was fixated on finding a way to express her desire to have an actual relationship with him. To her, getting laid was much easier and a lot less nerve-wracking than trying to form a serious relationship. Eventually, she let out a sigh, offering an explanation. Though, it wasn't really one that helped ease her anxiety. She stuttered, "W-Well, I-I-I was wondering…"

Looking at Max's curious expression and staring at his warm, brown eyes, the Bruxish blushed before floating forward and planting a kiss on his beak. Max was taken by surprise, his face turning as red as his body. Jessica pulled away, a blush on her own face. There was silence between the two, with Jessica sniffing to break the silence. "Uh… sorry," she apologized, knowing that the kiss was out of nowhere.

Max didn't really know what to say. He wasn't really expecting the affectionate act, but he didn't really hate it. "Uh… it's okay. Just… give me a bit of warning next time."

Jessica was a bit surprised by his response, and absentmindedly replied, "Okay, I will…"

After a few more seconds of awkward silence, Jessica began making her exit, unsure of what to do next. "I'll uh… I'll talk to you later," she said as she floated toward the door, hiding a look of embarrassment.

 **000**

 **Jessica let out an irritated groan. "What the hell is wrong with me?! Why is it so hard for me to express actual feelings?! I told myself that this was going to be a turning point for me and that I wouldn't sexualize our relationship, and now I just randomly kissed him and made him feel weird."**

 **A sigh of disappointment trailed from her lips, "Now I** **think that** _ **I**_ **need advice…"**

 **000**

 **Max sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I'm… not entirely sure what to make of what just happened. I mean, according to my newfound 'knowledge' on this stuff, that was either just a random spur of the moment thing, or she actually has some attraction to me. But, it's a bit conflicting since she apologized… and she was blushing. So, I think she** _ **likes**_ **me likes me, but then…"**

 **He let out a stressed sigh. "I guess I'll have to talk to her later… again."**

 **000**

After exiting the cabin, Jessica sighed, her eyes glued to the soil with regret. It probably wasn't that big of a deal, but she couldn't help but feel like she screwed up with regards to Max.

She wanted Max to know how she felt, but of course, she defaulted back to just being sexual. She was really hoping that her relationship with him wouldn't rush to that level until they were actually together, if it happened. Now she felt like she needed to talk to someone about it and get some advice about where to go from there, though she wanted to forget that the kiss happened.

Approaching the beach, she saw a few of her fellow competitors relaxing on the sand and in the water. She knew that Sasha was having relationship issues, and she didn't really know if Belladonna had any relationship experiences, so she wouldn't be asking either of them. The only ones that she was sure about were Portia and Kane, though mainly the latter, as Portia's relationship hadn't really gone anywhere yet because Chip was eliminated.

She floated toward the group, inserting herself into the scene by getting in the water without saying a word. Noticing the crestfallen expression on her face, Sasha gained a look of concern.

"You okay, Jess?" she inquired, knowing that something was wrong because of the fish's body language and visage.

Jessica sighed in response, answering, "Not entirely."

"Well, what's the matter?" Belladonna asked curiously. "Maybe we can help."

Jessica gazed around her, her fellow competitors all sharing the same look of concern. She let out a sigh before simply posing a question, mainly to Kane. "Kane, how did you tell R.J. how you felt about him before you got together? Or, how did _he_ tell _you_? We it hard?"

All eyes went to the Ursaring, who was a bit annoyed, but also confused about the situation. Before giving an answer, he asked for a reasoning. "That's pretty specific, uh… can I ask why?"

"It's just…" she began before letting out a sigh of embarrassment, her face beginning to turn a bright red color. "I… I like Max, and I'm kinda having trouble telling him."

"Wait, do you just like him, or do you like _like_ him, like him?" Portia interrogated.

The Gnash Teeth Pokémon groaned to herself before admitting, "The second one…"

The girls all cooed, while Kane chuckled, folding his arms with a smirk. Jessica blushed an even darker crimson before being asked another question.

"Wait… I thought that you had experience with stuff like that before," Sasha replied in slight confusion.

Jessica had talked about how she had had fun times with multiple males that involved sex and, thinking that it coincided with expressing one's feelings, Sasha was a bit dumbfounded that Jessica was just drawing a blank, or rather having trouble expressing herself.

Understanding what she meant, Jessica explained with a sigh. "That's not the same. All of those times were just sex and nothing more. I actually really like Max and… I kinda wanna leave that sex-only part of my life behind and try to have an actual relationship this time."

Kane nodded in understanding, as did the other girls. "That's quite a shift you wanna make. Is this something you were planning beforehand, or is this mainly because of Max?" Kane queried.

Jessica sighed, "I think it's mainly because of the game itself. I came into the game mainly to seduce you guys, play strategically, and win, but... as time went on and I got to know you all better, I started changing and focusing on strategy and fun, with only occasional sexual teasing sprinkled here and there. But… recently talking with Max and understanding his point of view on things… and the fact that he's so cute, caring, and awkward just makes me…"

"Want him?" Portia finished with a playful smirk.

"Yeah…" Jessica replied, still blushing. "I haven't really felt this way about a guy in a long time, which is why it's so hard for me now. Hell, I just _kissed_ him because I got flustered even though I was trying not to make our relationship awkward and not do anything majorly sexual unless he was comfortable!"

"Well… how did he respond to the kiss?" Belladonna queried, wanting to gauge Max's possibility of accepting her.

"That's not the point," Jessica replied. "I just need some advice on what to do. I'd try again, but I'm afraid that I'll just default back to doing affectionate stuff like I did when I kissed him. That's why I need some advice, Kane. You have the longest relationship here, so what was it like for you and R.J."

Kane scratched his head. "Well, like I've detailed before, after we came home from a pool party, he got into the shower with me, we… y'know, and then we got in bed and talked about it. He told me that he was slowly falling for me as we lived together and hung out. He even started having erotic dreams about me, but he was denying it all because he didn't believe that he was gay, nor did he know what he was, sexuality-wise. But, apparently the pool party was his breaking point and he just had to have me, so…"

Finishing with a shrug, Kane looked back to Jessica, who had on a thinking face. "Well, that probably won't work for me since I'm trying _not_ to do that."

"Why don't you just slide it into a regular conversation?" Portia suggested. "I mean, you guys can just talk about the stuff that you usually do, and maybe you can segue into telling him how you feel naturally instead of feeling hopeless."

"It's not even that I feel hopeless, it's just… it's complicated…" the Bruxish sighed.

Sasha rubbed her back fin to comfort her.

 **000**

" **I think it's pretty admirable that Jessica is trying to tone down her sexuality and actually settle down," Sasha commented. "That's a big shift from how she used to act. I just hope that she's able to go through with it and she can get with Max."**

 **000**

Art grumbled to himself as he continued walking through the forest, still searching for an immunity statue. He had been searching for hours, but still couldn't find anything. Not even a sign.

He groaned in annoyance before striking a nearby tree. That feeler became momentarily embedded in the trunk of the perennial plant. He growled in frustration as he began hearing approaching voices.

He attempted to pull his feeler out, but wasn't able to right that instant. He continued trying to dislodge the spiky vine and got closer with every tug.

Eventually, the owners of the voices made their appearances, being Zahku and Dade, much to Art's disdain. Upon noticing the Ferrothorn's predicament, Dade rose a brow. "Uh… you alright there, Art?"

Giving a final, mighty tug, Art was able to successfully remove his feeler from the tree. He huffed, "Yeah, sure, besides the fact that I've searched this damn island for hours and still can't find that stupid statue, I'm just _peachy_."

Suddenly, an idea formed in Dade's head. He and Art were already working together, so maybe if they searched together, they'd have a higher chance at finding the statues. "Say," he began, just as Art turned to leave. The Ferrothorn turned back around with a frown.

"What?" he asked, not wanting to be bothered by the Mothim and Makuhita.

"You're looking for the statues, too, right? So, why don't we work together?" Dade proposed. "We're both in a tough spot, so it can't hurt."

Art gave him a look and prepared to turn away, but he remembered the red path inside of the mountains. He didn't explore it because he didn't know what was down it; he wasn't expecting Sableye down the cyan path, so who knew what was lurking in the red path? Plus, the red path had the tunnel that he wouldn't be able to fit inside. He said that he'd go back to it later, but maybe Dade and Zahku could just go in his place. Dade was right about them both being in a tough spot, _and_ they were already working together. Plus,the Mothim and Makuhita were were small enough to get into the tunnel.

He let out a groan in response. "Okay… fine. We can work together, _but_ , it's gonna be separate."

Dade rose a brow, a bit confused by what he meant. "Uh… what do you mean?"

Art narrowed his eyes at him. He let out a sigh before slowly explaining, "We're gonna work together… but we're gonna search in different places. There are two statues, right? That's one for each of us…"

Dade gave him a look of annoyance, not appreciating how he was explaining it. "Y'know, I'm not an idiot. Ya coulda just answered."

Art rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Now, you and Zahku should go check the mountains. I went down the blue path, but didn't find anything. I was gonna go down the red path, too, but then I remembered the tunnel that Zahku crawled into during our second challenge, so I said that I'd come back later. Now that you two are here, you two might as well scope it out."

Dade and Zahku exchanged looks. Dade was a bit wary, thinking that Art was just sending him away so that he could look for both statues by himself, but the recollection of the fact that they were pretty much on the outs together put him a bit at ease, allowing him to trust his suggestion.

"Okay, I guess…" Dade replied. He glanced at Zahku. "Come on, dude…"

Zahku shrugged before the two of them began walking in the direction of the mountain. Watching them leave, Art let out a sigh of relief before continuing in the direction that he had planned.

 **-000-**

"Zahku don't think spiky man is going to help," Zahku opined as he and Dade strolled down a beaten path. "Seem more interested in helping self."

Understanding his concern, Dade explained, "Yeah, I felt that way, too. But... I'm his only ally, so if we're gonna last, we're gonna have to trust each other and work hard in these challenges. He doesn't gain anything by betraying me."

Zahku shrugged his shoulders in response, having nothing else to say. In his eyes, Art was more than likely just working for himself, moaning that Dade was going to be on his own, whether he realized it or not.

"So, Zahku, if you had to make a prediction, who would you think would make it to the final five?" the Mothim inquired curiously. He was interested to hear what his friend thought, as his main focus in the game has been to get stronger, even though he was the strongest player on the island already. Hearing an assessment from him would be very telling and let him know who to watch out for. "Or better yet, the final three?"

Zahku hadn't been thinking that far ahead. He was just taking things day by day and mainly focusing on himself. "Zahku don't know," he answered.

"Well, you don't have to be accurate. Just… who do you think is strong enough to make it that far?" Dade reiterated. "Excluding yourself, of course."

Zahku thought about it momentarily before giving an answer. "Maybe… bear man… taller rock lady and… maybe fish lady."

Dade nodded in response to his choices. "Hmm, I can see that. I'd probably go with Jessica, Kane, and… I think Max. And that's just based on who I think won't get voted out anytime soon."

He expounded, "Kane is a bit too likable, Jessica is a pretty forward strategist who could win mental challenges, and Max is pretty inconspicuous."

Zahku simply listened along, continuing toward the mountain with the Mothim alongside him. Eventually, the twosome reached the large landform as Dade let out a disheartened sigh.

"I wish the others thought about that and saw that as a threat instead of just deciding to focus on me and Art," the Moth Pokémon expressed with a crestfallen visage.

"Team thing," Zahku reminded with a shrug. "Me think team knows about threats, but don't care. Just getting other team gone is focus."

"Well that's dumb of them," he opined. "Keeping threats in the game just to be loyal to your team pretty much screws your chances."

"Don't matter," the Guts Pokémon replied as he entered the cave.

Dade followed suit, shaking his head. It seemed that loyalty mattered more than reason to the Red Team. How was he going to convince anyone to go for the real threats when they were linked together?

"I really need to find a statue," Dade said to himself, his volume slowly increasing. "If I do, I can pull Portia aside, convince her and Belladonna to vote with me and Art, then maybe… you can make an exception and help _us_ instead. And then, we're in the majority."

He had turned to the Makuhita for a response, but saw that he had already forged ahead, making him groan in annoyance.

 **-000-**

The two of them reached the fork and began assessing their location. "Okay," Dade began. "Art said something about the red path, but I think that we should split up in case he's just trying to pull the wool over our eyes."

"So, you no really trust spiky man?" Zahku queried.

"I have my doubts that he was telling the _full_ truth, so this is just a precautionary measure to make sure that we don't miss anything," the Mothim explained. "I'll check out the red path, you double check the blue path."

Zahku nodded in agreement before the two of them separated, each of them heading down their respective paths.

Dade flew down the red path, not knowing what to expect. As he was bathed in the red light of the minerals embedded in the walls and ceiling, he made sure to keep his eyes peeled for anything suspicious.

As he ventured down the path, he began hearing faint noises from further down. An expression of worry and formed on his face, as he wasn't expecting to hear any sounds in the cave other than himself and his thoughts.

He continued his search, now on high alert. He didn't want to be ambushed or anything while looking for immunity. He peered closely and swiftly around for any hole, crack, or crevice that he could search into. He even started pressing against a few of the minerals, as he remembered that a few of them could be interacted with.

Eventually, the Mothim came across the tunnel that Zahku had gone through before. However, the sounds grew louder and louder, causing him to become even more nervous. He quickly flew into the tunnel out of fear and peered back out of it to see what happened and what the source of the noise was.

After about three or four minutes, he received his answer, as he saw three Gabite and a Druddigon appear from the opposite direction. His eyes widened as he sank back, not wanting the Cave Pokémon to know he was there. He wasn't even expecting other Pokémon to be in the cave. As he saw them begin punching and clawing at the walls, he knew that they were more than likely going to be there for a while.

He decided to go ahead and head down the tunnel to see if there was a statue at the end. He navigated through the tunnel, his wings grinding and bumping against the jagged rocks as he went further down.

The bright light from the other side beckoned to him, drawing him closer like, well, a Mothim to a flame. He reached the other side, entering the cavern.

The higher temperature immediately smacked him in the face. He looked around, but only saw the clear crystal in the middle of the area. The walls were barren, but still craggy, the temperature didn't show any signs of lowering, and the only other way out was through the ceiling.

With no sign of an immunity statue and the temperature starting to eat at him, Dade started to fly up toward the other exit. He didn't know exactly where the ceiling tunnel led, but he was definitely going to check it out if there was a chance to find immunity.

However, as he thought about it, he realized that it didn't make sense for the statue to be in there. Not everyone was big enough or had the capabilities to reach this place. If they were being fair, then the statues would be in locations where. they could _all_ access them. With that in mind, he didn't expect to find anything useful for him; he even suspected that it'd be a dead end.

He went through the upper exit, humming to himself. As he continued down the tunnel, he began realizing that it was just getting more narrow and his movement was becoming a bit limited. Due to this, he immediately turned back around and started heading back.

 **000**

" **Well that was a bust," Dade stated. "There wasn't anything in the cavern, the overhead tunnel got tighter and tighter, and I wasn't about to go in the direction where those Gabite and that Druddigon came from, so I just left the path completely when their backs were turned."**

" **Guess we'll have to check somewhere else…"**

 **000**

Dade made it out of the red path, panting heavily. Apparently, he had been spotted by one of the Gabite that ended up turning around. They started chasing him, but eventually they stopped and just went about their business, much to his relief.

He looked toward the cyan path and saw that Zahku hadn't come out, yet. Had he found something that Art didn't?

He grew curious and proceeded to fly toward the cyan path, but he stopped dead in his tracks as he watched Zahku walk out backwards with a purple gremlin clinging to his legs.

Seeing the Sableye, Dade's eyes widened. "What the heck?!" he exclaimed. Art didn't warn them about any other Pokémon that were there. He was definitely gonna talk to the Ferrothorn when they got back.

Zahku stared down at the Darkness Pokémon with an expression of annoyance before striking the Sableye multiple times with Thunder Punch. Dade sweatdropped as he watched Zahku pummel the Sableye until it let go of his leg and stopped moving altogether.

Dusting off his hands, Zahku looked to Dade before folding his arms. "Did mothman find statue?"

"Uh… no," Dade said, still a bit taken aback by the Sableye beating he just witnessed. "I think we need to check somewhere else."

Zahku let out a sigh, "Zahku just want to do something else."

"I know that this is taking away your break time, but _please_ dude. I really need some support here," Dade pleaded.

Zahku gave him a look of indifference before proceeding to walk back toward the exit. Dade flew after him, a bit worried that he was just leaving him.

Once they exited the cave, Dade noticed that the sky was slowly turning a peach or pinkish color, signaling that it the afternoon. Zahku began walking away, much to Dade's dismay. He let out a sigh, figuring that the Fighting-type was finished helping him. Despite that, the Mothim still decided to tag along with him, as he didn't want to look alone.

Suddenly, Mew's voice echoed throughout the island thanks to the loudspeakers. "CONTESTANTS! REPORT TO THE BEACH! IT'S TIME FOR YOUR CHALLENGE!"

Dade let out a sigh. "Well, looks like it's gonna be either me or Art tonight…" he said to himself.

 **000**

Everyone that left the campgrounds returned to the beach, where the others were waiting. The last player to return was Art, who had a look of annoyance plastered on his face.

Victini was the one to comment on his lateness, "Well, we know who spent a ton of time looking for the statues."

"We also know who always states the obvious like a moron," Art retorted as he took his place beside Zahku.

"Anywho…" the Victory Pokémon continued. "Today's challenge is somewhat simple... but mostly difficult."

As the contestants exchanged a few looks of confusion and worry, Mew and Victini moved out of the way, having been blocking their view of the ocean. A majority of them had been at that beach for a while; they were even there when the two hosts returned. Yet, they were completely stunned by what they saw.

There was a large structure out in the water. The structure, which essentially acted as a course, appeared to consist of a medium-sized track. A single, nylon rope hung between the track and a cargo net that was positioned directly across from it. The cargo net lead to a higher, black platform that had a large, red buzzer sitting on the floor of it.

There was mostly silence, with everyone's eyes wide with confusion and surprise. Portia was the first one to speak up, inquiring, "Okay, what the hell is that… and where the hell did it come from?"

"This… is a course," Victini answered. "And never you mind where it came from… Just know that this challenge is pretty big, since it's the first one that puts you all as individuals."

Mew explained, "Now, this is how this challenge is going to work. One at a time, each of you will ride a tricycle across the track, which has been covered in a slippery oil. Following that, you'll dismount and jump to the rope. Once you do that, you'll have to swing over to the cargo net, which is made up of metal wires. These wires will burn and/or shock you as you climb up to the finish platform. Once you're there, you just stand on the buzzer to stop the clock."

"The player with the fastest time gets immunity, but not only that, they get a clue as to where one of the hidden invincibility statues is located," Victini added, a smirk forming on his face.

Dade's eyes widened immediately. He most definitely needed to win this challenge if he wanted to have even a sliver of hope. But, the Donphan in the room was ultimately brought up by Jessica.

"And how exactly are those of us without functioning limbs supposed to participate?" the Bruxish inquired with an irritated visage.

"Ah, right…" Victini began. "Uh… I guess… you, Dade, and Art are automatically immune since we're not allowing any flight and you three are pretty useless otherwise."

Art smirked to himself, while Dade let out an elated cheer. Jessica didn't expect that answer, but also didn't fight against it. As long as she was safe, she was perfectly fine.

Those who were still participating immediately gaped in shock and anger. Portia vocalized her anger, exclaiming, "Oh, that's bull! They get a free pass because they can't participate, even though you could just make up a separate challenge for them?!"

"Would you rather have two people have an increased chance at finding the statues?" Victini inquired.

That possibility immediately silenced her, as she didn't need Art or Dade getting a statue that they could use at any time. And, thinking further, Jessica was definitely a threat that didn't need to find it, either. The sensibility of having them sit out didn't stop her from being peeved, as she folded her arms in a huff.

"Any other concerns?" Mew inquired.

Everyone else remained silent, having to accept the fact that one of the six of them was gonna go tonight.

"Good," Victini spoke up. "Now, we're gonna go alphabetically, so… Belladonna, you're up first."

"Wait, wait," Kane interrupted. "What happens if we fall into the water?"

"Oh, right," Mew began. "If you fall in the water, you'll have to swim to the next part of the course and continue on that way. You'll lose a lot of time, unless you consider yourself a strong swimmer."

"Ugh… this is gonna be so tedious…" Max groused.

"Well, luckily, you're not going first," Victini replied with a smile. He turned back to Belladonna, who had an excited smile on her face.

 **000**

The Golem was now on the course, looking at the few obstacles ahead. Next to her was a decently-sized tricycle. The vehicle was pink in color, and had tassels on the ends of the handlebars. The seat looked a bit decrepit, as the black leather surrounding the seat was torn, revealing the yellow cushioning underneath.

"Man, this is really something a daredevil would be doing," Belladonna marveled, smacking the tassels with a smirk.

She looked down at the floor before moving her left leg back and forth, with it smoothly sliding to and fro due to the oil. "Well, it shouldn't be _that_ bad."

There was a small camera and a speaker installed on the course so that the hosts could see what the participants were doing and so they could hear the hosts without them having to shout.

Mew's voice was heard from the speaker, getting the Megaton Pokémon's attention. "Alright Belladonna, we're gonna give you a countdown in a few moments, so go ahead and get on the trike."

Belladonna did as instructed, climbing on the small, pink vehicle. Remarkably, her 704 lb body didn't break it. It didn't even budge.

Refraining from commenting on the fact that the trike was very durable, Mew began a short countdown for the Golem. "Alright, Bella, get ready. In three… two… one… GO!"

Belladonna began pedaling, rolling forward on the tricycle. The Golem had a competitive smirk on her face as she approached the first portion of the track. The oil, thus far, wasn't proving to be much of a hindrance. As she approached the first turn, she prepared to steer to the left. She began turning the front wheel, but the oil caused her to continue sliding.

The Golem struggled to regain control, her back two wheels nearly sliding off of the edge of the track. She continued going rolling, but the slick track was now proving its difficulty. She prepared to turn once again, this time veering to the right a bit early in an attempt to drift efficiently.

Unfortunately, that only caused the tricycle to spin out, nearly causing her to slide off the track once again. She attempted to use her foot to stop it, and succeeded in doing so, mere centimeters away from the edge. She let out a sigh of relief as she looked ahead at the rest of the track. There were still two more turns that she would have to navigate around before she reached the remaining legs of the course.

She let out a breath as she began pedaling once again. She honestly thought that this challenge would be a bit more exciting, but it was more so strenuous and nerve-wracking. You had to be careful or else you'd fall off. And with immunity at stake and both Art _and_ Dade off the table, she couldn't really risk having a fun time and riding off into the water just for the hell of it. She didn't want to go yet, and it was more than likely going to be between herself and Portia.

She straightened herself back up before pedaling toward the next turn, which was another right. She tried to think of another efficient way to make it around the turn without issue, but the only possible solution she could think of was to try and slow down altogether.

The Golem began pedaling slower than usual, hoping that the drop in speed would help her turn easier. As she approached the third turn, she slowed down even more, steadily turning to the right. She successfully made the turn without sliding too far, and continued onward.

She did the same thing for the final turn, steering to the left carefully, so she didn't slide that far. Once that final turn was cleared, the Golem lined herself up and sped forward to the end. She stopped pedaling as she reached the track's end, but the tricycle continued to slide a bit, nearly causing her to slide right off.

Once the tricycle came to a complete stop, Belladonna got off of it, slipping a bit due to the oil. She looked at the rope strung up between the track and the net and let out a sigh. It was a good distance away, so she'd need to have a running start if she wanted to reach it.

She let out a sigh as she started sliding back. Once she felt that she was far enough back, she focused on the rope and started sliding forward at a fast rate before making a grand leap towards it. She briefly grabbed a hold of it, but it slipped out of her grasp, sending her into the water below.

The Golem resurfaced with a deep breath, cursing to herself as she started swimming over to a ladder that led up to the net. Being that she was part Ground-type, Belladonna wasn't that worried about the electricity or the heat that the hosts claimed would come from the wires.

She hastily climbed up the ladder, not wanting to lose any more time than she already had when she was on the track. Despite her belief that her Ground-typing would keep her from feeling much of the wires' effects, her body was soaking wet, so as she began climbing to the top, the wires still delivered minor shocks to her body, causing her to yank back her hand every so often.

She continued her way up, the wires continuing to zap her more and more. The heat from the wires was effectively drying her off to the point where the shocks no longer affected her. As she started to climb faster, she found herself misstepping a few times. Eventually, she reached the finish platform, slamming on the large, red buzzer to stop the clock.

She heard the Victini's voice come over the speaker that was located at the end. "8 minutes, 32 seconds!" he announced.

Belladonna was surprised by the results, as she thought that she had reached the 10-minute mark. She was a bit relieved and proud that she didn't take as long as she expected.

 **-000-**

The Golem was brought back to the group, a small smile on her face. "Nice work, Bella," Portia praised. "How hard was it?"

Belladonna hummed momentarily before giving an answer, "I wouldn't say that it was necessarily _hard;_ it was more so tedious. You have to be really careful on the tra-"

Art immediately interrupted her, opining, "Uh, it's not smart to give the people going _after_ you advice on how to beat the course faster than you. Especially when your longevity in the game is at risk…"

"Oh, be quiet, Art. It's called sportsmanship…" Portia argued. She turned back to Belladonna, wanting a bit more information about the course. "So what was that about the track? We have to be careful on it?"

"Well, considering that it's oiled up and you're riding something across it, I'm sure that caution is a given," Victini commented. "And speaking of giving, Kane, you're up next."

Kane, understanding the joke Victini was trying to make, passed an unamused glower in his direction.

 **000**

Now on the course, Kane inspected the tricycle, an anxiety-ridden expression etched on his face. He gazed ahead at the course, acknowledging how long the course seemed to be. He let out a shaky breath with a false smile before cracking his knuckles. "Alright. You can do this, Kane," he told himself as he began straddling the beaten seat. "I mean… tricycles are the easiest ones, right?"

Truth be told, Kane didn't know how to ride a bicycle. He had tried to learn growing up, but always ended up hurting himself when he fell. Eventually, he just gave up and hadn't touched any other cycle, that wasn't bolted down, since.

The Ursaring heard Mew's voice from the nearby speaker. "Alright, Kane, I'm gonna count you down and you can get going. Remember, you have to beat 8 minutes and 32 seconds."

In the back of his mind, Kane knew that he wasn't going to beat that time unless he just decided to ride right off and swim the rest of the way there. It'd be a pretty long swim, but he felt that he could make it to the net faster by swimming than by riding.

The Ursaring finally gave a response, breathing out, "Okay…"

With that, Mew began the brief countdown once again. "Alright, in three… two… one… GO!"

Kane used his legs to thrust himself forward before using the pedals to continue. He felt a bit awkward on the tricycle, and as a result, held the handlebars shakily as he rode forward. He was debating whether he wanted to just ride off the course and swim all the way to the ladder that led to the net, or if he wanted to just try to complete the track normally despite his uneasiness.

The decision soon made itself, as Kane had inadvertently picked up speed as he approached the first turn. The Ursaring attempted to slow down and turn the tricycle to the left, but he still slid right off the track.

He landed in the water with a decent splash before surfacing a few moments later with a deep breath. He cursed to himself before beginning his long swim toward the ladder.

He grumbled to himself as he pushed himself through the water. It was at that point that he was actually regretting his decision, even though it was an accident. He was completely fine with swimming, but when it was for fun. There was still a fair amount of distance between him and the net, _and_ he had to move quickly to beat Belladonna's time, so the amount of physical exertion he was going to have to present was already irritating him.

After an extensive six minute swim, an exhausted Kane finally reached the ladder and started climbing up, panting all the while. Once he pulled himself onto the net he simply lied there, needing to catch his breath after the lengthy swim he had just completed.

"Okay… we're definitely not getting a pool," the Hibernator Pokémon stated to himself, still panting.

Once he felt a bit better, he started climbing the wire net, reacting every so often to the zaps and burns he got from it. The jolts actually gave him a bit more energy, allowing him to move up the net at a faster rate.

He growled as he continued his way to the top. Eventually, he made it to the finish platform, panting softly as he stood up. He stepped onto the buzzer before collapsing on his back from exhaustion.

"9 minutes and 47 seconds!" Victini's relayed, via speaker, to the fatigued bruin. Chagrined by the fact that he didn't beat Belladonna's time, Kane growled.

 **-000-**

Coming back to the group, Kane folded his arms in disappointment.

"Well, Kane's back, and has no shot at immunity, which is a bit of a shocker…" Victini commented, having expected Kane to be a front-runner in the challenge. "What happened up there, big guy?"

Kane let out a sigh of disappointment before explaining his situation, "I don't know how to ride a bike… and apparently I suck at tricycles, too."

Everyone was surprised by this, having expected the burly bruin to be able to perform a task like that. Art couldn't help but stifle a laugh upon hearing this revelation, as it just sounded too ridiculous.

"So, you're telling me," he began. "A big, buff lumberjack, who carries huge logs, and who's plowing another buff bear… can't ride a puny bike?"

Irritated by his statement, Kane responded, "What does my profession and private life have to do it? I may be a strong guy, but there's a lot of things that I'm still not good at."

"Oh, I'm sure of that. It's still just… wow," the Ferrothorn chuckled.

The Ursaring huffed before Mew cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "Max, you're up next."

The Delibird groaned. He was tempted to simply forfeit his turn, as he knew that he was pretty much safe anyway. He didn't feel like putting forth that much effort into a challenge today, especially one like this. As he thought about it, he decided that it _would_ be in his best interest to just forfeit. "Yeah… no thanks. I'm fine."

"You're giving up a chance at immunity?" Victini queried. "That doesn't sound ideal…"

"Eh," Max shrugged. "Just don't feel up to this, today. Plus, I doubt that I'd be all that interested in moving quick, anyway."

Surprised by his words, Jessica passed the Delibird a look of disappointment. Feeling a set of eyes piercing through him, Max glanced over and saw the expression on Jessica's face. He sweatdropped in response.

Mew, still a bit confused by his choice, decided to move along. "Well, in that case, Portia, you're up."

A competitive smirk formed on the Rhyperior's face before she cracked her knuckles. "This'll be a cinch."

 **000**

Portia looked down at the slippery ground beneath her and laughed to herself. The tricycle, having been fished out of the water, was dripping wet, but the Drill Pokémon didn't seem to mind. She straddled the vehicle and took a breath as a few thoughts entered her head. Since Art and Dade were safe, she didn't really know who to go for.

The biggest targets, and most reasonable people to go for, aside from Dade and Art, were Zahku and Kane. It would likely be easy to get the others to vote out Zahku, but the guy is excellent at some challenges. Meanwhile, Kane failed this challenge, but it'd be a bit harder to get him eliminated because of his alliance.

Just then, an idea struck her. And, as much as she hated to admit it, she was going to need Art and Dade's assistance if she wanted to pull it off. Her ideas were suddenly spooked out of her as Mew's voice was suddenly heard over the speaker.

"Portia!"

The Rhyperior jumped, having not been paying attention. "What?!" she yelled back, not appreciating the shout.

"We're gonna give you the countdown so you can begin," the New Species Pokémon explained.

Portia, despite her slight annoyance, replied, "Fine." She gripped the handlebars and pretended to rev them like a motorcycle in anticipation. She really needed to win this immunity, as she felt that she and Belladonna were on the chopping block.

"Alright," Mew began. "In three… two… one… GO!"

The Rhyperior immediately began pedaling. Knowing that going at a high speed would result in an immediate failure due to the slipperiness of the track, she took her time.

As she approached the first turn, she slowed down a bit early so that she could coast to the left. She managed to clear the first turn and proceeded to do the same process for the next one. The oil was proving to be useless against her, as she got her timing down and turned almost perfectly every time.

A smile was forming on her face as she realized that she was doing better than Belladonna had done. She had a chance. Eventually, she reached the end of the track, dismounting from the tricycle as she eyed the rope hanging between the track and the net.

Belladonna hadn't been able to hang on to it, and Kane completely bypassed it because he failed the course so early on. There was a fair amount of distance between her and the rope, and she wasn't exactly the long jump champion or anything, so it was going to be a bit difficult for her to reach the rope and hold on.

She decided to get a running, or well, _sliding_ start, similarly to Belladonna. Once she felt that she was back far enough, she started sliding forward. Unfortunately, she ended up losing her balance and falling on the ground. She continued sliding a few inches, nearly falling off and into the water.

With a groan, she got back to her feet, annoyed by the fact that she fell after all of that. Not wanting to do it again, she simply dove off the course and started swimming toward the net.

Thanks to her experience with the water, she managed to swim post-haste to the net. She reached the ladder and climbed up and onto the wire net. She proceeded to ascend the net, ignoring the shocks and burns it gave off. She was too focused on completing the challenge to care about the conditions. She became tangled a few times, but managed to shake free and continue her scaling of the net. She eventually reached the finish platform, stepping on the buzzer in order to stop the clock. She sighed, placing her hands on her hips, as she waited to hear her time.

"6 minutes and 53 seconds!" she heard Victini announce from the speaker.

"Yes!" she cheered, fist pumping.

 **-000-**

Portia returned to the group with a smile, while the others either held expressions of indifference or envy. Belladonna, despite feeling happy that Portia did well, couldn't help but also feel annoyed that she no longer had a chance at immunity.

"Well, Portia is now in the lead," Victini expressed. "6 minutes and 53 seconds. A bit surprising _and_ unsurprising given your history."

"Yeah, I just had to slow down a bit earlier on the track and try my best to smoothly turn without getting too close to the edges," the Rhyperior explained. "And I just decided to swim to the net after I ended up slipping."

Art chuckled, glancing over to Belladonna, "And this is why you don't give your competition any hints or help…"

The Golem folded her arms in a huff, but congratulated her friend anyway. "Nice work, Porsche."

"Thanks," the Drill Pokémon replied. "Now, I just have to hope that the time sticks…"

"Well, we're about to see right now," Victini chimed in before pointing to the Nidoqueen in the group. "Sasha, you're up next."

The Poison and Ground-type took a deep breath, as the pressure was on. She was also tempted to just forfeit, as she felt that she was going to do poorly anyway. In addition, with their alliance, all they needed to do was vote for the person who didn't have immunity. She pretty much had the same mindset as Max.

However, she didn't want to just give up, feeling compelling to attempt the challenge regardless of her feelings. She felt Kane rub her back, which helped calm her nerves a bit as she went with Victini.

 **000**

" **I really didn't want to participate," Sasha admitted. "After seeing how the others did and thinking about how things would work out, I thought that it'd be pointless. Plus, I'm not a fast swimmer, and navigating along that path was gonna be troubling for me since apparently you have to time it right and slow down, but also go quickly to beat the time, and the track is covered in oil…"**

 **She let out a sigh. "But, I did it anyway since I didn't want to just be a quitter. Even though Max had already forfeited before…"**

 **000**

The Nidoqueen was mounted on the designated vehicle, taking a few deep breaths as she looked ahead at the course. It was so simple, yet tedious.

"Alright Sasha, you can do this. Just try to make it all the way," she spoke to herself. "You can do it."

Suddenly, she heard Mew's voice giving her instruction over the speaker. "Okay Sasha, I'm gonna count you down and you can get going. In 3… 2… 1… GO!"

Sasha started pedaling forward, going at a moderate speed in order to stay on the track. As she approached the first turn, she slowed down before turning to the left.

She continued forward at the same slow speed, not wanting to overdo it. She carefully made it past every turn, making sure to remain consistent. Her time was surely suffering because of this method, but as long as she didn't fall in the water, she was happy.

She made it to the end of the track, letting out a sigh of relief as she dismounted the tricycle. She looked at the rope and groaned to herself. It was a pretty far jump and she wasn't entirely sure if she would be able to reach it.

Nevertheless, she decided to give it a shot. Even if she missed it, she'd be closer to the net. Like Belladonna and Portia had done earlier, she moved back to get a running start. But, unlike them, she actually ran forward. And, despite her stumbling, she kept her balance and made a grand leap toward the rope.

She grabbed hold of it and held on tight. She had momentum, but she didn't let go when she should have. So, she remained on the rope as it continued swinging and eventually stopped, leaving her hanging. She let out a disgruntled sigh, "Well, this is great…"

She looked at the net and reasoned that it was about the same distance from the rope as the end of the track. She felt herself slipping and struggled to keep her grip. She needed to reach the net, so she began trying to swing back and forth in order to gain momentum.

After approximately five-to-seven swings, the Nidoqueen regained enough momentum and released her grip as she swung forward. She landed on the net, causing a bit of discomfort upon impact.

She had landed on her front half, eliciting a soft moan of irritation from her. She stood up, rubbing her cheek as her eyes traveled up the open-meshed wire device.

She let out a soft sigh as she started climbing up the unwonted cargo net. She hadn't been in the water at all, so she didn't feel any shocks thanks to her partial Ground typing. She could feel the wires heat up every so often, though, causing her to hiss in slight pain as she continued her ascension.

Eventually, she reached the finish platform, slamming her fist on the large buzzer to stop the time. She got back on her feet, dusting herself off as she awaited her time.

"9 minutes, 12 seconds!" Victini's voice exclaimed over the speaker.

Sasha was surprised that she got less than 10 minutes, as she was sure that her slowness on the track would screw her over.

 **-000**

Portia let out a sigh of relief upon hearing Sasha's time. She was still in the lead. The Nidoqueen hadn't fallen in the water, so the Rhyperior worried that her time was being beaten.

Sasha returned to the group with Victini, who commented, "The only one so far who has cleared the course without going into the water. Sadly, she still wasn't fast enough, so Portia, you're still in the lead."

The Rhyperior nodded with a smile, while the others still held visages of either apathy or support.

Mew clasped his hands together, looking at the final participant. "Well, Zahku, you're the last one. How well do you think you're gonna do?"

Zahku blinked in response. "Yes."

There was a brief moment of silence, as neither host really knew how to respond. Eventually, Victini cleared his throat, stating, "Alright then... Come on…"

 **-000-**

The Makuhita was sitting on the tricycle with his standard stone-faced visage. His serious expression coincided with his anticipation and focus.

Suddenly, he could hear Mew's voice notifying him about the countdown. He turned toward the speaker as the New Species Pokémon began. "3… 2… 1… GO!"

As soon as he heard, "GO!", Zahku zoomed forward, pedalling as fast as he could. His feet were a blur as he approached the first turn. However, he didn't slow down; he continued with the same speed. Just as he reached the first edge, he thrusted himself upwards, jumping across the gap in the track.

Nearly losing control as he landed, he continued forward until he reached the end of the track. He immediately dismounted from the cycle and stared at the dangling rope. He backed away a bit before running full force toward the edge of the platform. With a grand leap, he grabbed a hold of the rope and swung forward. He released his grip, sending him flying toward the net.

He landed halfway up, and immediately started climbing it with no issue. He didn't register any type of discomfort from the shocks or burns, and just continued up. Eventually, he reached the finish platform, slamming on the buzzer to stop his time.

 **000**

Back on shore, everyone was simply silent and wide-eyed in shock. Belladonna was the one who had to break the silence, questioning, "Did he just…"

"Complete the course in under a minute?" Victini finished. "Yes, yes he did…" He grabbed a walkie-talkie and announced, "39 seconds! You win immunity _and_ the clue, Zahku!"

Portia groaned softly. Now her plan had a bit of a hitch.

"Well, with Zahku winning immunity, that means that only five of you are up for elimination," Mew explained. "For now, head on back to the mess hall for dinner and we'll call you down when it's time."

 **000**

" **FUCK! ME!" Portia exclaimed. "I should've known that** _ **Zahku**_ **would win the challenge. He's essentially Supermon. Ugh… now it's gonna be either me or Bella going…"**

" **Unless…"**

 **000**

"Wait, you wanna do what?" Belladonna inquired as she and Portia sat in their room.

"We need to get rid of Kane," Portia responded. "He may have screwed up in today's challenge, but he's still a big threat. He's hot, he's got Sasha and Jessica on his side, he's strong, and he's likable. If it came down to a vote for the winner, nobody would win against him. We need to get him out of here _now_."

The Golem smiled, as she had thought about this earlier. Dade, Art, and Zahku were all immune, so Kane would have to be the one to go.

"I was actually thinking about that earlier when we were talking to them," Belladonna confessed. "But, it's gonna be hard to convince them to vote for Kane when we're easy pickings…"

"I've got an idea for that, too," the Rhyperior replied, getting to her feet. "I'll be back," she said as she exited the cabin.

 **-000-**

Belladonna was tucked into her shell, resting a bit as she waited for Portia to return. Suddenly, the door to the cabin swung open, startling her out of her shell. "Hey! Put me down, you crazy bitch!" Art shouted in protest as Portia carried him inside of the room.

"Oh pipe down…" Portia snapped as she threw him on the ground, unintentionally embedding him in the floorboards. Dade flew in a few seconds later and momentarily froze upon seeing Art pull himself out of the floorboards.

"Uh… did I miss something already?" the Mothim inquired.

Portia slammed the door, startling him. "Nope. Now, we need to talk."

Art scoffed. Considering that he was practically just kidnapped, along with the fact that these two have been out to get him for the longest time, he wasn't all that interested in hearing what they had to say. It was obvious that they were desperate, as they were the only ones left from the original Blue Team who weren't immune that day.

"Talk…" he chuckled, "... and why would you want to talk to us now...? Oh right, because your asses are on the line. How… warranted."

Portia scoffed. "Look Art, I know that we aren't exactly on the best terms, but the fact of the matter is that the others have the majority and we need to do something," she explained. "That's why we're saying that we need to get rid of Kane. Aside from Zahku, he's the biggest threat, competition wise."

Art gave her a look. "Really? After today's performance, you're trying to convince me that I should vote for the guy who had the _worst_ time instead of you, the person who had the second best time? What's the logic, here?"

"Uh… Kane is the most likable guy on this island," Belladonna chimed in. "If it came down to a vote at the end, do you _really_ think any of us have a chance?"

Art immediately knew the answer to that. Kane was charming, nice, and he practically has a scorned wife wrapped around his finger. If he made it to the end, he'd likely win unanimously. As much as he hated to do it, he had to agree with them. "Okay, you may have a point. But like you said, the others have the majority. Unless we get one of them to vote with us, one of you two is gonna kick rocks. And I have to say… I wouldn't really care."

"Wow… that's a shocker," Portia sarcastically responded, rolling her eyes.

Dade finally decided to speak up, informing them of his earlier attempt to recruit Zahku. "Well, I tried to get Zahku to go against them, but he's dead set on being loyal to them. And I'm pretty sure that Max, Sasha, and Jessica won't vote for Kane, either. So, we need to convince Zahku to vote with us somehow."

Belladonna hummed to herself, an idea coming to mind. "I think I have a solution to that..."

 **000**

Kane, Sasha, Jessica, and Max were all in the mess hall eating dinner, which consisted mainly of rice balls and steak.

Jessica looked over at the other tables, noticing that no one else was there. She grew a bit suspicious, as Portia and Belladonna would've been in by now. "Where are the others? They should be here by now."

"Oh, I don't know if Portia and Belladonna are gonna come to dinner this time," Max spoke up. "I saw them go into their cabin."

"Well, Art and Dade have immunity, so they know that one of them is going home tonight," Kane reasoned. "They're probably trying to discuss who it's gonna be."

"Well, I say it should be Portia," Sasha commented. "She really strong in the water and in general. Better to get rid of her now than later."

Max shrugged, "Eh, fine by me."

"It's not like we have that many options," Jessica agreed. "It's either one of them or one of you. Though, Max… why did you not participate? You know that it's better if we all participate for a chance at immunity."

Max silently chortled, "I was just feeling lazy. Plus, I knew that I was safe, so why would I wanna waste my time and effort?"

Jessica gave him a look once again. "You're lucky you're cute," she said as she took another bite of a rice ball.

With that statement, Max was immediately reminded of what happened earlier. He needed to go ahead and talk to her, just to get it out of the way. He knew that he was going to end up forgetting sooner or later.

"Okay, Jess. Uh… I think we need to talk," Max stated as he flew out of his seat. "Can you come with me?"

The Delibird proceeded to fly out of the mess hall, leaving the remaining three a bit surprised. Kane and Sasha looked to Jessica, who had a confused and nervous expression etched on her face.

"Well, there's your chance," Kane stated, gesturing to the door. "Go talk to him and try to get your feelings out there."

The Gnash Teeth Pokémon clenched her eyes shut and let out a soft breath. "Okay… okay…" she whispered to herself as she floated toward the door.

 **-000-**

Meeting behind the mess hall, Max took a seat on a stump, folding his flippers as Jessica floated after him. The Bruxish was unsure about what he wanted to talk to her about, though she had an idea. She floated in front of him, clearing her throat. "So, uh… what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, about that kiss earlier today," Max answered, rubbing the back of his head. Jessica immediately gulped, feeling very tense.

"I-I apologized for that, remember?" Jessica reminded. "I thought that we'd just leave that behind…"

"Well… no. It actually got me thinking," the Delivery Pokémon began. "Was that _really_ just a spur of the moment thing… _or_ do you actually like me?"

The Bruxish's face turned a crimson color at the mention of that idea. Now that he was questioning it, now was as good a time as ever to lay everything out on the table. Floating beside him, Jessica let out a sigh, "You want the truth?"

Max remained silent, turning to listen to her. He was expecting a simple yes or no, and they would just move on from there. However, judging by her demeanor, he could tell that there would be more to it.

"Yes… I _like you_ like you," she admitted. "You're really cute, charming, and your nonchalance and awkwardness just makes you all the more attractive to me."

Max's cheeks turned a light pink as she continued.

"I want to stop being so sex-focused and actually try to have a normal relationship," she expounded. "I… I don't why… I just… I couldn't tell you this earlier and I just defaulted to kissing you. So… there, now you know."

Max remained silent for a while, taking in all of the information Jessica just laid out for him. Given his reaction, Jessica wasn't entirely sure about what his response would be. She's seen situations like this in movies far too many times. The girl or guy that gets told that they're liked usually stay quiet, and then there's a fake out where the person thinks that their feelings won't be reciprocated. Then they kiss or something and a relationship starts.

That wasn't the case this time around. Max sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Well… Jess, I'm really flattered and happy that you're wanting to change your ways and start fresh, but… I'm not really looking for a relationship at the moment."

And immediately, Jessica shattered, his statement reverberating in her head. He wasn't looking for a relationship. Despite all the time they spent talking, his curiosity with the entire subject, and just his overall attitude toward them, he wasn't looking for an actual relationship.

Noticing the look of hurt in her eyes, Max explained his response. "Don't get me wrong, I want a girlfriend, and you'd honestly be my first choice. It's just the timing. I just feel like I'm still clueless and I'm worried about messing things up. If I'm going to have my first girlfriend, I wanna be able to do right by her, y'know?"

Hearing his explanation, Jessica nodded in understanding. "I guess I understand. But… this'll be my first relationship in a long time, too. We could at least try something and… maybe I could help you understand a bit more like I've done before."

With that in mind, Max hummed to himself. He really felt that he needed to be a bit more mature and know more before he had an actual relationship. However, the only way for him to do that would be to test it out, and Jessica _was_ helpful the last time she helped him. He let out a breath. "I mean… if you're still willing to put up with me, I _guess..._ we can start things off slowly and just see where things go."

With that, Jessica's dejected expression turned into that of excitement. "Of course I'm willing to put up with you! If not, I wouldn't have spoken to you at all," she giggled. Despite him changing his mind, she didn't want him to do so just to appease her, so she decided to double check. "Say… are you really sure that you're okay with this? I don't wanna force you into something you don't feel ready for."

"Well… I guess as long as we're going _slow_ , I should be okay," Max explained. "Though, fair warning, I'm… _not_ that much of an affectionate type. Like, I'll accept it, but I get a bit-"

"-anxious about doing it?" Jessica finished for him. She had dealt with guys with that issue before, so it wasn't that big of a deal. "That's okay. Not everyone expresses their feelings the same way."

There was a bit of an awkward silence, with Jessica speaking up again, "So… are we officially _dating_ now?"

"I guess…" Max sheepishly replied, rubbing the back of his head.

"Okay, good. So I can do this without much consequence," the Bruxish said before planting a small smooch on his cheek, causing the Delibird to blush and sweatdrop.

 **000**

" **Well… I guess I've got a girlfriend now," Max expressed. "She's a really cool chick. We're taking things slow, but she's had at least one relationship before, so I guess I can count on her to help me out with certain cues."**

" **I'm not much of an emotional or romantic guy, so… some things may be difficult."**

 **000**

 **Jessica was visibly holding back her excitement. She had Max! Sure, things were gonna start slow, but she had him. "I'm so happy…" she said with a dreamy sigh. "I know that things will be a bit awkward for him, but I think I'll be able to help him out. I doubt he's** _ **completely**_ **clueless."**

" **This should be really fun. And we can essentially just be closer friends until things start getting serious. It's perfect!"**

 **000**

Zahku was finally heading to the mess hall after doing a bit of training in the woods. Suffice to say, there were a bunch of fallen and broken trees on the island now. He hadn't even looked at he clue he got from the hosts, as he didn't think he needed it yet. He tucked the slip of paper under a rock beside the cabin before continuing to the mess hall. As he approached the building, he heard a door swing open and his name be called.

"Zahku!" He turned to the source of the call and saw that it was Dade. The Mothim was inside of the girls' room of the Blue Team cabin, arousing a bit of suspicion in the Guts Pokémon. "Come here, we need to talk to you. It's important."

Despite his qualms about the setup, as he suspected that this 'talk' would be regarding his clue, Zahku approached the cabin. Upon entering, the door was immediately closed behind him, with Portia sitting in front of it so that he didn't have a chance to leave. The Makuhita let out a sigh, "Zahku should've saw that coming."

"Look Zahku, we know that you're on some sort of 'loyalty' kick, but we're gonna need you to get that out of your head," Portia stated, folding her arms. " _We_ were your teammates first, so your loyalty should be with us…"

Zahku was a bit surprised that there was no mention of his clue. With that thought out of his head, he deadpanned, "Zahku was shifted, so loyalties change. Also, team not really together, so doesn't matter."

"Well... he's got a point, there," Dade agreed. "This is essentially just gonna be a one time thing… right?"

"That doesn't matter!" Portia exclaimed, glowering at the Mothim. She peered back at Zahku, saying, "Look Zahku, the fact of the matter is that the team that you claim to be 'loyal' to doesn't even have your back."

Zahku rose a brow as she continued. "We were discussing it this morning after you and Dade left. They said that they'd eliminate you the first chance that they get and that they didn't care about your loyalty," she lied.

There wasn't a shift in his expression, as he stated, "Zahku knows already. Fish lady made clear that she no like Zahku, so he not really bothered."

"Wh-" Art began, completely annoyed and frustrated by what he just heard. "So, so... if you know that those losers are gonna be gunning for you, why the hell are you being loyal to them?!"

"Zahku gave word and had them get rid of distraction for him," he explained. "Zahku owes it."

"This is a competition, though," Belladonna chimed in. "You don't have to be loyal to _anybody_. You can just do what's best for you."

"And the reality of this is… _you_ have the deciding vote," Portia stated. "We're all gonna vote for Kane, since he's a big competitor that could win this whole thing easily if he makes it far enough. And we know that they're either voting for me or Belladonna since we're the only choices that they have. So, you either vote with us, vote with them-"

"Or force a tie," Dade brought up.

All eyes fell upon the Makuhita, as they silently awaited his response. However, Art broke the quietude with a comment, "Huh, I didn't even think about the possibility of a tie. Hey, maybe they'll make _both_ of you go home. Makes it easier for the rest of us."

Portia glared daggers at the Ferrothorn as Zahku walked towards her. "Zahku will have to think," he stated. He lifted up the Rhyperior as if she was a baby before turning around and placing her next to Art. He exited the cabin, leaving them all stunned.

"Okay, either you're full of helium, or he _definitely_ needs to go before you try to get rid of me and moth boy…" Art stated, looking at the still stunned Rhyperior.

 **000**

Eventually, they were all called down to the elimination area. Taking their seats on the benches, the contestants exchanged looks of uncertainty, specifically Portia and Belladonna. Their eyes then went to Zahku, who simply folded his arms.

Mew and Victini appeared before them, the former holding the box of chips once again. "Hello you guys and welcome to the first merged elimination!" Victini greeted. "We know, not much to celebrate, but we're more than halfway to the end!"

"Yeah yeah, whoopee," Art replied, rolling his eyes. "Can we just get this ceremony over with?"

Ignoring him, Victini continued. "The voting generally remains the same, although there may be some twists with the votes going forward. You never know. But, luckily for you, tonight is not one of those nights. Just letting you all know to be prepared in the likelihood of us deciding to do something different."

"You wanna be different so bad…" Art mumbled to himself.

"Anywho, let's get to the votes… but first, immunity," Mew stated.

"Right," Victini replied, taking an armful of chips out of the box. "Jessica, Zahku, Art, and Dade, you guys are all safe."

Jessica caught hers with psychokinesis, Zahku simply caught his, Art's hit him, as usual, and Dade avoided his, not wanting to be hit.

"Now, for the rest of you," the Victory Pokémon continued as he grabbed three more bags of chips. "Max, Sasha, and Belladonna, you three are safe, too."

The three of them caught their bags, though Sasha and Belladonna both held expressions of worry and hope as they looked at the final two.

Unlike last time, Kane understood why he was at risk this time. It was the merge, so others would have perceived him as a threat. Though, he hoped that his performance in the day's challenge would show that he wasn't a _huge_ threat. Especially compared to Portia, the _fast, water-resistant, Ground and Rock-type_.

Portia was simply hoping that Zahku decided to vote with them. She didn't know what a tie would entail and she really didn't want to go yet. She knew that she was a big threat, herself, but Kane made a lot more sense to her.

"Two big threats in the bottom two," Victini commented. "Not that surprising. You guys are actually using your heads. So, let's see who's heading home tonight. The player going home is…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

...Kane. Portia, you're safe," Mew said as he tossed the final bag to Portia, who let out a sigh of relief.

"What!?" Sasha exclaimed, while Jessica and Max simply looked on in surprise.

Kane was surprised as well, a look of pure shock plastered on his face. "Wait… what happened?"

Zahku spoke up. "Zahku… had to make tough choice. Either strong, friendly bear man everyone like or rock lady who surfs."

Jessica growled softly, "Ya see! I told you that he'd just ally back with his first team! We should have voted him out when we had the chance..."

"Yeah… but you didn't. So… oh well," Art commented. "Burly bear's going home."

Kane let out a sigh as he got to his feet. Immediately, he was tackled to the ground in a hug by none other than Sasha. "Please…" she pleaded, tears starting to form in her eyes as she hugged him tight. "You can't go yet!"

The Ursaring chuckled to himself as he got up again, patting her back. "Sasha, you'll be fine. I know you will. You're just gonna have to be strong and continue forward. You don't even really need me."

The Nidoqueen knew that he was right, but she couldn't help it. He was her best friend on the island, regardless of whether she _needed_ him there or not; she didn't want him to go. "B-But…"

"No buts…" Kane responded, cutting her off. "It'll be fine."

Just then, the Lapras swam up to the shore. Noticing this, Mew spoke up, "Well Kane, it's about time for you to go."

Kane nodded as he attempted to coax Sasha off of him. "Uh… Sasha, you're gonna have to let me go," the Hibernator Pokémon chuckled.

Sasha, despite being heartbroken that he was getting eliminated, knew that being so upset about it wouldn't change a thing. Sniffling, she slowly released her grip from the bruin, wiping away her tears.

Now free from her clutches, Kane let out a sigh. "Well, I'll see you guys around," he said, waving as he walked toward the Lapras.

The others waved as well, with Max patting Sasha's back as she sat back down, staring at the ground dejectedly.

As the Lapras swam away with the Ursaring on its back, Mew and Victini turned back to the final eight. "Well, you all have lasted another day, and at the end of it, this is still a competition. I'm sure that you all have some things to talk about, so head on back to camp. We'll see you guys tomorrow."

The contestants started leaving, with Jessica, Max, and Sasha being the last ones to go. "We're gonna need a new plan," the Bruxish stated, with Max nodding in agreement.

When they were out of range, the hosts turned to the camera. "And thus, our fan favorite competitor has been eliminated," Victini stated.

Mew followed, saying, "Now, please don't sent us angry fan mail and death threats. It's not our fault."

"Besides, other things happened as well," Victini chimed in. "The contestants now have immunity statues to look out for, Jessica and Max are sorta together now, and Zahku is now the odd man out."

"What'll happen next? Find out next time on our Island Challenge!" Mew finished.

 **000**

 **Art groaned, "I'm tempted to just get rid of the damn surfing rhino, but getting rid of Mr. Popular** _ **does**_ **seem to be the better option currently."**

 **000**

" **Sorry Kane," Belladonna said. "You're too hot, cool, and strong…"**

" **...I never thought I'd have to use those adjectives negative traits…"**

 **000**

" **Bye Kane," Dade stated.**

 **000**

" **This had better work…" Jessica said. "Seeya around, Portia."**

 **000**

" **Portia's gotta go," Kane said. "She's a bigger threat than Bella."**

 **000**

" **I'll vote for Portia, too," Max cast, scratching his stomach.**

 **000**

 **Portia let out a sigh. "It's likely gonna be between me or Kane. Hopefully Zahku votes for Kane with us."**

 **000**

" **Portia," Sasha stated. "You're too strong."**

 **000**

 **Zahku hummed, "Zahku is rather fond of bear man. He strong and listens and people like him. And… compare to surf rhino lady, he more likely to win. Sorry. Zahku has to go against word this time."**

 **000**

 _ **Votes:**_

 _ **Kane - 5 votes (Art, Belladonna, Dade, Portia, Zahku)**_

 _ **Portia - 4 votes (Jessica, Kane, Max, Sasha)**_

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 _ **Merged - (Art, Belladonna, Dade, Jessica, Max, Sasha, Portia, Zahku)**_

 **000**

 _ **Elimination Order:**_

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)**_

 _ **19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)  
**_

 _ **18th - Marley Banner (The Pranking Prodigy)  
**_

 _ **17th - Lawrence "Lucky" Addams (The Unlucky Charm)**_

 _ **16th - Lynn Jamison (The Calm Leader)**_

 _ **15th - Christopher "Chip" Torwood (The Buff Brain)**_

 _ **14th - Christine Reynolds (The Composed Musician)**_

 _ **13th - Richard "R.J." James Mitchell (The Flustered Hothead)**_

 _ **12th - Honey Winchester (The Royal Pain)**_

 _ **11th - Timothy "Tim" Lester (The Affable Introvert)**_

 _ **10th - Tonya Newman (The Inquisitive Speedster)**_

 _ **9th - Kane Mitchell (The "Daddy Bear")**_


	14. What the Buck?

**000**

As the sun peeked over the horizon, partially bathing Jeje-Amawa Island in the light of the morn, Max grumbled as he tossed and turned in his bed. Eventually, he sat up, rubbing his tired eyes. The Delibird glanced around the empty room, letting out a semi-depressed sigh.

"Last guy standing on the team," he muttered to himself. "If only that actually meant something…"

If he was being honest, he didn't really mind being alone. That didn't stop it from being a bit depressing, though. Sure, he missed the company of his fellow males, but the quietness of the cabin made it much easier for him to sleep and gather his thoughts.

He was offered one of the beds in the girls' side the night before, so that he didn't have to sleep alone, but he politely rejected the offer. Jessica was a bit disappointed by his choice, but she got over it pretty quickly. He didn't mind sleeping in the girls' room, but he was much more comfortable in the guys' side.

Plus, he knew that Jessica and Sasha were going to be talking a lot about Kane's elimination and how pissed they were that Zahku betrayed them. Heck, he felt like Sasha was going to try to tear Zahku apart when she saw him again. He didn't really want to hear anything like that, so isolation was his best course of action.

Now, while he was upset, too, he didn't really hold anything against the Makuhita. As he kept trying to get them to understand, it was just a game. Nearly every move someone does is strategic, unless they're not focusing on the game and being genuine. Sure, your friends get eliminated, but it's not like they were gone forever.

The Delivery Pokémon got out of bed with a yawn, scratching at his chest feathers. He hopped off of his bunk and peered out of the window to see if anything was happening with the weather.

Seeing nothing, the Delibird made his way out of the cabin and toward the mess hall, as usual. Much to his surprise, he saw Zahku sitting at the table where he usually waited. The Guts Pokémon hadn't returned to the Red Team's cabin the night before, so he had just assumed that he was sleeping in his old team's cabin instead.

The Makuhita's gaze hadn't left the table since the Delibird entered. When Max approached the table, greeted him and sat down, only then did Zahku's gaze move elsewhere. "Uh… hey Zahku. What's going on?"

The Makuhita let out a sigh in response. He had a feeling that he was going to be berated and questioned by the members from the Red Team, so he impulsively began explaining his reason for voting against Kane. "Zahku made decision that best benefits himself and everyone. Influenced by former team members," he expounded.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Max chuckled. "You're explaining yourself to the wrong person, dude. I'm not the one who wants your head right now."

"Delivery bird man not upset at Zahku?" the Makuhita inquired, turning to him with a bemused expression.

Max shrugged, "Eh, not really. Sure, it was kinda sad to see Kane go, but that's just how the game is. So, I don't really have anything against you. The girls on the other hand…"

The Delibird audibly shuddered. "Unless they've calmed down, you'll probably have to be wary of them."

The fighting-type groaned to himself, resting his head against his hand. "Maybe Zahku should have waited a bit longer…" he muttered to himself.

Max chortled, patting his shoulder, "Yeah, that probably would've been better. But hey, at least you can't get eliminated just yet."

Zahku rose a brow in confusion. "Zahku can't?"

"I mean, you have a clue to one of the immunity statues," Max reminded. "And since you're the ripped version of Rain-Man, I assume that you're gonna be the one to find it."

Just then, a light bulb flickered in the fighting-type's head. "Hmm… Zahku may actually have better use for clue."

Max rose a brow at his words, unsure about what the Makuhita was planning on doing.

 **000**

 **Max scratched his head, "Not entirely sure what Zahku means by a 'better use' for the clue. The clue is to help him find immunity. Unless he plans on telling all of us what it says, I don't really see a better use."**

" **And now that I'm thinking about it… maybe I** _ **should**_ **hear him out a bit more about what the others did to get him to flip. Maybe** _ **I**_ **can get the girls off of his back…"**

 **000**

Jessica's closed eyes began to twitch as she lied in her bed, soft whimpers replacing the near silence that initially filled the room. Suddenly, a _thud_ echoed throughout the room, causing her eyes to snap open.

She heard a soft groan from Sasha, who had ended up rolling off of her bunk. Jessica drowsily inquired, "You okay?"

Sasha let out a breath as she sat up and got to her feet, her sheet wrapped around her body. "Yeah, I'm okay," she answered, though her tone suggested otherwise. She lied back down on her bed, facing the wall.

The Nidoqueen was utterly heartbroken by Kane's elimination. She spent a good portion of the night sobbing into her pillow until she went to sleep.

Jessica sighed, still a bit groggy. The two of them had spoken about how Zahku was no longer trustworthy and needed to go immediately. However, given his physical prowess and the fact that he had a clue to one of the immunity statues, they were going to have to settle on Portia. It was a bit after that conversation that Sasha buried her head into her pillow and started crying.

The Bruxish floated down to the Nidoqueen's bunk, knowing that she was still upset, regardless of what she said.

"Sasha… come on," Jessica began. "Remember what Kane said? He wants you to be strong. Crying and lying here sad isn't going to help anything."

Sasha didn't respond, initially. After a few seconds, she exhaled and rolled onto her stomach, her head facing Jessica. "Then what I am supposed to do? He was my best friend here. I loved him. And Zahku ruined it."

"Hey, remember what we talked about yesterday?" Jessica queried.

"Yeah, but we can't really touch him unless he loses a challenge," the Nidoqueen replied. "So it's a waiting game."

"Well, until we can touch him, we can get rid Portia since she's still the next biggest threat," Jessica replied. She then scoffed, "I can't believe we actually agreed to go for Dade and Art first when _she_ is the real threat."

"Well… maybe we could sabotage Zahku if the next challenge permits it," the Nidoqueen proposed. "I know that it may not help if he finds a statue, but we could still try."

A smile formed on Jessica's face. "That's not a bad idea… I don't know if Max'll be behind it, but it'd be a great way to get back at that lying prick."

 **000**

" **Last night after we got back, Maxie went on about how this is just how the game is played and that we shouldn't overreact," Jessica recalled.**

" **Now, I personally don't think we're overreacting or anything," the Bruxish opined. "We're pissed that our friend got eliminated, because of betrayal, and want payback. If that counts as overreacting, then yes, but otherwise, this is just another strategy."**

 **000**

Dade's eyes flickered open, his internal clock waking him up. He groaned to himself and he stretched his wings and smacked his lips. As his tired mind slowly rebooted, the previous night's elimination ceremony began to replay itself. The Mothim was still a bit surprised that Zahku changed his mind and voted with them.

Now, he didn't know if that meant that Zahku was back on their side, but it gave him a bit of hope. Surely, since Zahku went against them, the members from the other team wouldn't want anything to do with him anymore; this left him free. He looked around the cabin, expecting to see Zahku or Art, but saw that the cabin was empty. Now, Zahku had his moments where he would leave and come back later, but Art? Art hardly ever left.

This caused him to become suspicious as he thought about where he could possibly be. "That bastard…" he muttered to himself.

He reasoned that the Thorn Pod Pokémon was out looking for the invincibility statues. Alone.

As he got out of bed, he remarked, "So much for working together..."

To be fair, he couldn't expect Art to always disclose when he was going searching. However, because of this, he was tempted to go out searching as well. But, he didn't really want to go searching just yet. He wanted to at least have breakfast first.

Aside from that, he needed to talk to Zahku. He needed to know if he was on their side _and_ he wondered about the clue he received from the hosts. Since he had it, then the two of them could work together to find the statue and use it when they deemed it necessary.

He didn't know where the Makuhita currently was, and he certainly wasn't going to go searching for him, so he decided to head to the mess hall, as he would show up there eventually. Exiting the cabin, he eyed the girls' room briefly, before continuing his brief journey to the mess hall.

And, after a few minutes of thinking, he could only swear to himself. Why didn't he and Art just take out Portia with the others when the chance presented itself? Sure, Kane was a huge social _and_ physical threat, but Portia had been on his and Art's asses for the longest time. With her out of the picture, things could have been much easier for them going forward. Plus, as far as he knew, the Blue Team reuniting to eliminate Kane was a one time thing, so there was no real reason to keep her around!

He felt like such an idiot, even more so when he ended up flying into the wall of the mess hall. "Ow…" he groaned, rubbing his head.

Entering the building, his eyes immediately went to the nearest table to his left, where he saw Max and Zahku conversing with each other. This was a surprise to the Mothim, as he was sure that the Red Team as a whole would have been anti-Zahku since he helped eliminate Kane. Then again, the Makuhita was talking to _Max_ , the most nonchalant guy on the island, so it shouldn't have been that big of a surprise.

He didn't know what they were talking about in particular, but he suspected that Zahku's clue would come up if it hadn't already. He cleared his throat as he approached the two of them. "What's up guys?" he greeted.

"Oh, hey Dade," Max responded, his tone a bit deadpan. After the whole alliance thing back when Tim was still around, he didn't really have much of an opinion of the Moth Pokémon. He didn't hate him or anything; he just didn't think much of him. "Nothing much. Zahku and I were just talking."

"Talking about what?" he curiously prodded.

"Uh…" Max began, looking back at the fighting-type, who had his same usual stone-faced visage. "Just… personal stuff, honestly."

"Oh, okay…" Dade replied, nodding to himself. He didn't really want to intrude, but he really needed to talk to the Makuhita. "Um… say, if you're finished. Do you mind if I borrow him?"

Given that their conversation was mostly over anyway, Max shrugged in response. "Eh, why not?"

"Okay, cool," the Moth Pokémon replied. He looked to Zahku, calling his name. "Uh Zahku? Can we-?" he gestured to the table that they would normally sit at.

Groaning internally, Zahku got up from his seat and headed to the other table, with Dade in tow. Now at their usual table, Dade immediately inquired, in a hushed tone, "He didn't ask you about your clue did he?"

Zahku blinked. The Delibird hadn't necessarily asked about it, but rather reminded him of it. With Dade now questioning him about it, his suspicions from yesterday were being confirmed. "No," he answered.

"Okay good," Dade sighed in relief. "Everyone knows about your clue, but only we need to be able to use it…"

The Makuhita shot the Mothim a look of disapproval. Dade noticed this upon looking back at him and returned a bemused expression. "What? Do you want _everyone_ to know what your clue says? It's _your_ reward. If you're not careful, everyone will know and someone else will find the statue before we do."

Zahku just shook his head. The Mothim had once again mentioned 'we', even though he had just said that it was the Makuhita's own reward. Didn't that mean that he could do what he wanted with it? If he wanted to share it with everyone, that'd be his own decision.

Sure, he was working with Dade, so the Mothim had the right to assume that he'd share the clue with him, but after what had happened yesterday, he was starting to rethink working with any of the others at all. He felt that he'd do much better alone, not having to deal with or consult with anyone about anything.

He turned his attention to the mess hall door, resting his face against the palm of his hand. He watched as Sasha and Jessica approached the building, a feeling of discomfort washing over him. Upon entering the building, the two girls' eyes immediately set upon the Makuhita, burning through his idle form.

Luckily, the piercing glares didn't last long, with the girls letting up once they sat with Max at their table.

Although he wanted to, he was a bit hesitant to approach them and offer his explanation. He was stronger than the two of them, sure, but he knew that a woman scorned was a dangerous thing. After a moment, though, he got up and walked toward the exit, confusing Dade. He shrugged it off, though, chalking it up to Zahku just being Zahku.

As he passed them by, Max saw Jessica and Sasha's scowls return as their eyes followed the fighting-type out of the mess hall

He let out a sigh of exasperation, "Are you two seriously gonna be like this toward him all day?"

"He helped the other team get rid of Kane when he _claimed_ to be loyal to _us_ ," Jessica responded with a glare. "We have a right to be upset!"

Sasha nodded in agreement, "Yeah, and we have a plan to sabotage Zahku in the next challenge so that we can try to get rid of him."

Hearing the plan, Max just shook his head. "Okay, I'm not saying that you can't be upset, but shooting him daggers, being aggressive, and seeking revenge on him for making a last minute choice doesn't seem like the right route to take. Heck, people watching may just think that you're overreacting and start disliking you."

Sasha's face softened momentarily as she took in what Max was saying. However, Jessica gave her new man a look before letting out a sigh, "Max... sweetie… I'm sure people dislike me already, so a few-"

She was suddenly cut off by Sasha, who questioningly stated, "Wait… last minute?"

"Yes, last minute," Max replied. "The guy explained to me that the others pretty much pulled him into a meeting and they started telling him about how Kane is a much bigger threat, and it all made sense to him. So, he didn't _just_ flip. The others filled his head and caused him momentary doubt."

"He even regrets it and said that he should have just waited longer," he continued.

Hearing an explanation, Sasha understood the situation a tad bit better. A saddened frown began to form on her face as she put her head down on the table.

Jessica, on the other hand, kept her same irritated visage. "He still had a choice in the matter and he chose to work against us. Now the other team is in a position of power, and if they want to, they can just pick us off one by one."

Max sweatdropped.

 **000**

 **Sasha sighed, "Well, apparently it wasn't** _ **all**_ **Zahku's fault, but like Jess said, he didn't** _ **have**_ **to go through with it. But… then again, I can see how it'd make sense."**

" **With things like that happening, I don't even know what I'm going to do anymore," she admitted. "I mean, I know that I have Max and Jess with me, but we're pretty much the minority now. People have been getting convinced pretty easily, including myself, and it makes sense because there's still a lot of threats in the game, but this is getting really nerve-wrecking."**

 **She let out a depressed sigh. "Kane told me to be strong, but… I just don't know."**

 **000**

Belladonna and Portia were both hanging out on the beach, sitting at the shore. Portia was still a bit shocked that she was still in the game. She thought that Zahku would stick to his guns for sure.

Belladonna vocalized what the Rhyperior was thinking, saying, "We really lucked out that Zahku actually listened to us. Otherwise, we'd be screwed."

Portia nodded in response. She was glad that things turned out well, but now she couldn't shake the feeling that she was next for sure. Well, after Zahku of course.

The only way that she wouldn't get eliminated anytime soon would be if she and Belladonna worked with Dade, Art, and Zahku again and just took out the other three. Although at that point, she'd be left with three guys who'd definitely vote for her and Belladonna once the others were gone. Furthermore, the same would prove to be true if she and Belladonna decided to work with Max, Jessica, and Sasha. Once the others were gone, they would be the next ones on the chopping block.

She let out a sigh, splashing water in her face. Belladonna inquired, "You okay, Porsche?"

Taking a moment, the Rhyperior let out a breath. "Not really," she answered. "We may have lucked out this time, but no matter what we do next, we're gonna be screwed in the future. If we choose to work with Art, Dade, and Zahku, later they outnumber and vote us out. If we work with Max, Jessica, and Sasha, later they outnumber and vote us out. So, we need to start bringing our A-game, win these immunity challenges, and look for those statues."

Belladonna rubbed the back of her head, as the Rhyperior's explanation made her even more nervous than she initially was. In the back of her head, she felt that she had a chance to last a bit longer than Portia. All she'd have to do is vote with the majority and just make sure that it wasn't her name on the chopping block. If it was, she'd just give it her all and try to win immunity.

She didn't want to just abandon or betray Portia, though, as she was her closest friend on the island. Sure, this _was_ a competition, but she still cared for the surfer girl and didn't want her to be upset. She let out a sigh, "This is gonna be tough going forward…"

Portia chortled, "'Welcome to the merge', right?" The two of them immediately looked back out at the water.

 **000**

"Well, you guys really screwed the Poochyena this time," Zapdos crowed as Mew sat in the living room, a bowl of cereal in his lap as he flipped through the channels on the television.

After they returned to the hall, following the conclusion of their previous episode, Mew and Victini were immediately met with the usual belittling and how they pretty much shot themselves in the foot since their most popular player was eliminated. So, he simply figured that Zapdos was late and decided to get his digs in now. "Yep… sure did," the New Species Pokémon deadpanned.

"Yeah, but…" the thunderbird growled, "...you fucks are actually _trending_ now because of that."

Upon hearing that, Mew rose a brow in confusion. They were trending? "Wait, what?!" he queried.

"Yep," Victini laughed as he floated into the living room with a laptop, a few of the other legendaries and mythicals in tow. "Check it out," he said, knocking his cereal out of his lap and placing the laptop in its place.

"Was that really necessary?" Mew drawled.

"Just look…" Victini urged.

Mew looked at the screen and saw that there were multiple articles and posts on Squawker about their last episode. Heck, the third, fourth, and seventh most trending topics were 'Kane', '#FuckZahku', and 'MV Island Challenge'.

"What the heck?" he asked. "Why are we trending _now_? Because of Kane?"

"Of course, you idiot!" Jirachi shot. "He was the most popular guy on you guys' show. He's a gay, hunky dreamboat that people liked to see on screen."

"I know I did…" Latios muttered to himself.

"Yep, look at this," Victini chuckled, pointing to a article title on the screen. He read, "Fans are devastated and outraged about the departure of fan-favorite Kane Mitchell, a gay hunk that defied stereotypes and filled their hearts and minds with joy."

Mew smacked his lips. "Well then…"

"Yep, even when you guys do a shit job with your merge, _somehow_ your show still gets more popular," Entei growled. "Fucking bullshit…"

"Hey, that's just your _wrong_ opinion," Victini retorted. "Not our fault viewers connect more with people from our show than you guys'. But, then again, we're not just rushing like most of you did."

"Oh blow it out your ass," Entei growled, walking away.

"Well…" Mew began, removing the laptop from his lap. "I guess we're gonna be having a lot more people watching the show now."

" _Or_ they're gonna jump ship since the most likeable guy is gone," Celebi said.

Victini rolled his eyes at her comment. "Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" He looked back to Mew. "Come on, we have another challenge to start."

"Hey, maybe make this one _actually_ entertaining," Articuno stated. "You guys just started your merge yesterday and it wasn't anything special. All you did was feed them and add statues into the mix. You could've did something with your eliminated players like a few other shows did or made the challenge more hectic, but you were just lazy."

"Yeah, why don't you do all of that on _your_ show?" Victini retorted as he floated by the group of legendaries. "Oh wait, you guys finished it in a week and nobody remembers a damn thing about it…"

Articuno scowled at him as he and Mew exited the living room. Terrakion let out another sigh as he started walking back toward his room, Heatran in tow. "You guys are just gonna give yourselves headaches the more you try to put them down."

Moltres huffed, "What does _he_ know?"

"Hey, he's got a point," Raikou shrugged, "We just have to face the fact that no matter how much we hate it, their show is the most successful."

"Success doesn't equal quality, but whatever," Jirachi responded, knowing that arguing about it wasn't going to go anywhere.

 **000**

Art approached the mess hall, concluding his early morning search. He was going to need a statue more than ever now that Kane was gone. Zahku was the next biggest threat, and then Portia, but the Rhyperior would more than likely try, and succeed, in convincing the others to vote against him, even though he wasn't even _that_ big of a threat. He couldn't even participate in the last challenge!

He hated how easily he was swayed by the notion of 'if it was a vote at the end'. He was going to have to play even harder, even if it meant stepping on toes more often. His first order of business would be to find out what Zahku's clue was, use it to find the statue, and get rid of Portia.

He entered the wooden building just as Mew and Victini appeared with their breakfast.

"Good morning competitors!" Victini greeted. "I'm assuming that most of you slept well last night."

Sasha and Jessica both glared at the rabbit-fox, causing him to chuckled. "Aww… come on. You guys should be happy. Kane's elimination is bringing us even more attention!"

"What are you on about now?" Art drawled as he sat next to Dade.

Victini expounded, "We're actually trending worldwide and apparently _have_ been since last night."

"What?!" Max responded, eyes wide in astonishment of that revelation.

"Yep, apparently a ton of people loved Kane and are pissed off at Zahku for helping him get eliminated," the Victory Pokémon explained.

Zahku let out a soft sigh, holding his head.

"Okay…?" Art spoke up. "So what? Shows tend to trend when big moves or changes are made all the time."

"Yes, that is true, _Artie_ ," Victini retorted. "But, this is our first show ever, and people are actually engaged and like you guys… for the most part. So, now know that viewers are watching you closely and continue playing the way that you think will benefit you. And if more moves like that occur, you guys will definitely be remembered for years _after_ the show is over with."

Everyone exchanged looks. A few of them didn't really care about what random Internet people had to say, as they were focused on winning, while others couldn't help but feel a bit more pressure on them.

"Alright, today's challenge will start at the glade. Meet us there in half an hour," Mew directed, floating toward the exit.

Victini followed suit, a look of slight annoyance on his face."Ya coulda let me gauge their reactions a bit more…"

 **-000-**

Art was indifferent to the news as, like he said, shows trend all the time when big things happen in them. He looked over to Dade, who held a visage riddled with irritation and stress.

"What's with you?" he asked curiously.

Dade let out a breath, turning to the Ferrothorn to say, "Zahku gave away his clue… to _them_." He pointed to the Red Team's table.

Art's heart sank, "What?!"

"Yeah…" Dade replied. "Apparently he felt bad about voting out Kane, so he decided to give away his advantage to get back in their good graces…"

Art groaned. " Is he fucking stupid!? That's not gonna stop them from voting him out!"

Dade let out an exasperated sigh. "No, he's not stupid, he's just… starting to actually have feelings instead of just being… monotonous and weird."

Art huffed, "Well, if that's the case, then I prefer it when he's a weirdo. He's supposed to be working with us and he's giving away vital information to appease a bunch of losers who are still gonna vote him out, anyway. Fucking ridiculous…"

The Mothim huffed, "I'm almost not even hungry anymore…"

The soft rumbling of his stomach could be heard shortly after, causing him to chuckle sheepishly as Art gave him a look.

"Look," the Ferrothorn began. "We already screwed up by listening to Thing One and Thing Two over there," he said, gesturing to Belladonna and Portia, who were eating their breakfast at the table across from them.

He then looked over to the Red Team's table, where Zahku was sitting with the former members. "And with sack boy over there giving away advantages to try and keep friends, we're gonna have to work our asses off even more to try and find the statues and win these challenges."

Dade nodded. "Yeah, I agree.

"Yeah, I know you do. Now, our first order of business needs to be to eliminate Portia. She's a major pain in the ass for both of us, and if she was able to convince _us_ to vote for Kane instead of her, it'll be a breeze for her to get those four to vote for us, too," Art explained.

"So, why don't we just talk to them and tell them about how _she_ was the one who wanted to eliminate Kane?" Dade replied. "I'm pretty sure that Zahku will vouch for us, and it'll put a bigger target on her back."

Art nodded. "Right. We'll just need to get to them before the challenge is over."

"Can I eat now?" Dade replied.

"Wha- Just get your damn food. I don't care," Art responded.

 **-000-**

"See. Zahku's not Giratina in disguise," Max said, holding a small slip of paper. "Just because he helped Kane get eliminated doesn't mean that he's completely against us or that he's an awful person."

Jessica gave Max a look, while Sasha just stared down at her breakfast box, moving around her eggs with a fork. Despite how she felt about the Makuhita's choice, she had to admit that she was a bit surprised that he was giving them the clue to one of the statues.

Jessica sighed, "Max, we're not saying that he's an awful person. Like I said earlier, he claimed to be loyal to us and then went behind our backs. Whether he was influenced or not, he still made that choice."

Zahku let out a gruff groan. It seemed like Jessica just couldn't let it go. He had prepared to just leave the mess hall and head to the glade, but decided not to move an inch after hearing what else the Gnash Teeth Pokémon had to say.

"But, I admit that giving us your clue when you obviously need it more than anyone else _is_ a gracious thing to do after all of that, so… thank you, Zahku. I guess…" she replied.

"You guess…?" Max retorted, giving her a teasing look.

Jessica rolled her eyes, a small smile forming on her face.

"What does the clue say anyway?" Sasha queried softly, her face resting against the palm of her hand.

Max cleared his throat as he looked over the clue. At a volume that only they could hear, he read, "Let's hope you get the message, and don't push."

There was a bit of silence at the table for a few seconds. Zahku hadn't looked at the clue, so he was a bit perplexed by its meaning. Sasha rose a brow, while Jessica simply blinked before asking, "Uh… is that it?"

"Yep," Max replied, looking closer at the paper before putting it down. "Don't really get it. It's pretty… unspecific."

"Well, there's either something there… or they were just needlessly vague to screw with us," Jessica reasoned, using telekinesis to lift the paper in front of her face.

She analyzed the paper for a few moments before putting it back down and letting out a soft sigh. "We can try to decipher it later. For now, we need to worry about the challenge. We kinda got off easy last time because the challenge wasn't that hard."

"And you didn't have to participate," Max added with a chuckle.

Jessica giggled. "True, but I doubt that it'll be the case this time. We need to be ready for anything they throw at us."

The Bruxish looked over to Zahku, who was preparing to leave. "Hey," she called after him. As the Fighting-type looked back to her, she stated, "I expect you to be cooperative and helpful this time. If you're not against us, then prove it."

Zahku didn't reply. He just turned back around and continued on his way. Jessica turned back to the table, "This'll be his second and final chance. If he screws us over or he doesn't help us when we need it, he's the next one gone."

Max let out a relieved sigh, commenting. "Well, good to see that your sabotage plan won't be going through."

Sasha let out a soft sigh as she closed her box. Her crestfallen visage finally got the attention of her two friends, who were a bit worried and confused about her condition.

"Are you okay, Sasha?" Max queried. "You look… dead."

The Nidoqueen sighed, "I feel dead..." she replied. "I just… I don't know what I'm gonna do. This game is getting more nerve-wrecking and I just don't know if I'm gonna be able to handle it," she sniveled, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Especially now that Kane's gone and we're may be in the minority if Zahku flips on us again…" she continued before burying her head in her arms on the table. "I just don't know anymore."

Jessica and Max exchanged looks of worry before Max came around to rub the Nidoqueen's back in an attempt to comfort her.

"Sasha… honey…" Jessica began softly. "We understand that losing Kane impacts you the most, but just remember what he told you. Be strong…"

Sasha slowly lifted her tear riddled face, listening to the Bruxish's words. "Max and I are with you 100% and we'll help you the best that we can, okay?" Jessica assured.

Sasha sniffled as she slowly sat up, wiping a few of her tears away. She stared down at the table, letting out a soft sigh. "Thank you," she responded.

"Hey, that's what friends do," Max said, patting her side. "And hey, we may be at the merge, but we're still a team."

Jessica nodded affirmatively. "Exactly. You're not in this alone."

Seeing a small smile begin to form on the Nidoqueen's face, Jessica smiled back. "Come on, let's head on to the glade. Hopefully today's challenge isn't so tough."

Before they left, Jessica appointed Max to take care of the clue so that the others didn't get a chance to look at it. So, the Delibird stuffed the piece of paper in his tail before flying out of the mess hall after the two ladies.

 **-000-**

"I think Sasha's starting to doubt herself now that Kane's gone," Belladonna commented. "It's… kinda sad."

Portia concurred, "Yeah, it really is, but this _is_ still a competition. If she's weaker now that he's gone, then that's a good thing for us."

 **000**

" **We need to dominate this next challenge," Portia stated. "I have no ill will towards anyone here and I don't wish harm on anyone, except maybe Art and Dade a little bit, but if someone's sad or weak or hurt slightly, we're gonna have to use that to our advantage. We're at the final eight and it's still anyone's game."**

 **000**

"I hate that Max took the clue with them. I was really hoping that they'd forget about it and we'd be able to glance at it," the Golem stated.

"Yeah, that would've been really helpful," Portia said as she began getting up. "But, it didn't happen, so we'll just have to hope that one of the rewards is a clue again. Or that we happen to stumble upon the statue during the challenge."

Belladonna chuckled as she followed Portia's lead, "That would be amazingly lucky."

"Right?" Portia replied as the two of them made their way toward the exit, continuing their conversation.

Seeing them leave, Art rolled his eyes. "Well, the Terrible Twosome is leaving. Guess we should get going, too."

Dade, who hardly finished his single pancake, bacon, and eggs, scoffed. "Who cares if they're leaving? I'm starving. And I'm pretty sure we still have like fifteen minutes or something. I'm not gonna rush just because they left."

Art rolled his eyes, "Whatever…" He proceeded to rise up and head out of the mess hall. "You enjoy that grease-riddled crap."

"I will," Dade replied as he took another bite of his eggs. As he looked back down to skewer another section with his fork, he noticed something peculiar.

What appeared to be a few black lines were written onto the bottom of his box. Raising a brow, he moved his eggs and a section of his pancake out of the way, revealing a message scribed in Sharpie. "If it is immunity that you seek, check the place similar to a creek," he read. His eyes widened. "Is this… is this another clue?!"

 **000**

" **Oh… my… Arceus," Dade stated, his eyes wide in astonishment. "I got so lucky that I chose the right breakfast box. They didn't tell us they were gonna start hiding clues with breakfast! What the heck!?"**

" **Oh well, as long as I have a clue of where to look," Dade chortled.**

 **000**

After about fifteen minutes, Dade finally made it to the gade, where the others were waiting.

Portia huffed, "About time you showed up."

"Hey, not my fault I actually ate all of my breakfast," Dade retorted. "They said half an hour, so I used most of that time."

"Hey, hey, all that matters is that all of you are here," Mew chimed in. "Now, today's first challenge will actually be team vs. team."

Hearing that, the contestants from the Red Team exchanged smirks, while the members from the Blue Team audibly expressed their vexation with groans and eye rolls.

"Whoa now, hold your horses," Victini interrupted. "You won't be with your same pre-merge teams. You'll be mixed up a bit. But, before we do that, let us explain the challenge."

Mew nodded as a burlap sack appeared in his hands. Reaching inside, he pulled out a pair of fake antlers, a pair of which had a few pink flowers attached to them, a pair of goggles, and a fake tail. He began, "One team… will be Sawsbuck and have to wear these antlers, goggles, and tails. You all will have to run and hide in the forest, avoiding sight and elimination from the hunters."

"And the other team will, of course, be the hunters," Victini continued as he reached into the sack as well. "You all be hunting them down with these," he said, taking out a slingshot and what appeared to be paintballs.

"Now, Sawsbuck, you guys' goal will be to last two hours without getting hit two times. If you get hit two times, you're out," Mew explained. "Conversely, hunters, your goal will be to get all of the Sawsbuck out within two hours."

"The team that wins will get an advantage in the second part of the challenge. And trust us, you're gonna need it," Victini chuckled. "Now, to the teams."

"Dade, Max, Portia, and Sasha, you guys will be hunters," Mew stated as Victini handed each of them a pair of goggles, a slingshot, and a pouch full of ammo.

"Well, this'll be interesting," Portia commented, stretching her slingshot back and letting it go.

Once the hunters' gear was distributed, Mew continued, "Art, Jessica, Belladonna, and Zahku, you guys will be Sawsbuck."

The gear was handed out, with Art scoffing, "Ha. You're out of your damn mind if you think that I'm wearing _that_."

"I mean, no participation means no advantage, which means no chance at immunity…" Victini listed. "So… it's either wear this, or go home."

 **000**

 **The Ferrothorn groaned, "I hate this show."**

 **000**

Art growled as the pairs of goggles and Summer Form antlers were taped onto his head and the tail was taped to his back. He felt uncomfortable and annoyed, staring forward with a piercing glare.

"Aw… ain't that precious," Max joked, looking at everyone on the opposing team.

While Art had the Summer Form Sawsbuck antlers on, Jessica had the Winter Form, Zahku had the Spring Form, and Belladonna had the Autumn Form.

"This is ridiculous," Jessica sighed.

"Alright," Mew spoke up as two large television screens came into view. One had a timer that currently displayed two hours, while the other screen simply showed multiple camera views. "Both teams have their goals. Now, Sawsbuck, you guys will have a ten minute head start, so get going."

Nodding along, the four 'Sawsbuck' made their way into the forest. With them gone, Victini and Mew turned their attention to the hunters. "Alright, now if you guys wanna come up with some kind of plan or whatever, now's the time to do so," Victini stated.

"Uh… alright," Max replied.

The four hunters walked a bit away from the screens in order to discuss a possible game plan. Portia, being the most leader-esque out of the four, immediately took charge. "Okay, I suggest that since there are four of us and four of them, we each take someone and focus on them."

Dade rose a brow, "But what if we find someone else's person? Do we just ignore them, then?"

"Of course not!" Portia exclaimed. "I'm saying that we each should have a designated person to go after, _but_ if we find someone else, we still fire at them. I want that advantage. Hell, I'm sure that we _all_ want that advantage. So, even though we either haven't worked together before or… we just don't get along," she said, glancing at Dade. " We need to work together and win this. We in agreement?"

The other three exchanged looks, but nodded a few moments later. Portia let out a sigh due to the delayed response, but clasped her hands together. "Okay. So,I think the pairings, so that there's no favoritism or connection, should be Max going after Belladonna, Sasha going after Art, Dade going after Jessica, and I'll go for Zahku. That sound fair?"

Sasha looked down at Max for assurance, as she wasn't entirely sure how she was going to handle Art. Seeing the Delibird shrug his shoulders, Sasha let out a sigh before verbally responding. "Okay, I suppose."

"Okay, great," Portia stated as she inspected her slingshot once again. "This should be a fast challenge…"

"Actually," Victini said, floating over. "Once you hit a target, you have to allow them to escape so that it's fair. You're not just gonna double tap them and win like that," he said with a snap. "The challenge would be over too quickly."

Portia groaned, rolling her eyes. "Fine…"

"Alright, you guys can get going," Mew stated, watching the screens.

Hearing that, the four hunters immediately began heading into the forest.

 **000**

Art grumbled to himself as he wandered around the island. He already despised this challenge. Not only was he going to be getting shot at, he had to wear that ridiculous outfit.

In a mocking tone, he groused, "Oh, you know what'd make a great challenge? Dress half of the contestants like bootleg Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and have the other half shoot them with paintballs. That's such a smart idea…"

"Fucking idiots…" he seethed as he walked past the mountains. "I at least better find a damn statue while I'm out here."

He looked up at the side of the mountain and eyed a particular cave that was high above ground level. Humming to himself, he looked around before beginning his climb up the mountainside.

Embedding his spiked tendrils into the mountain as he ascended, he said to himself, "Hopefully I can just hide in there for two hours and just be done with this shitty-"

"What are you doing?!" he heard from below, causing him to stop. Recognizing the voice, he groaned in annoyance.

"Shouldn't you be deepthroating a tree branch or something?" he retorted before continuing his climb. He had absolutely no real respect for Jessica. To him, she was just a slut that had a decently sized brain.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "I actually have a man now, so that won't be happening anytime soon," she answered. She continued watching the Ferrothorn as he climbed toward a cave. She scoffed, floating up to where he was. Seeing him climb into the cave, she gave him a look of disbelief, "So what? You're just gonna hide in a cave for the entirety of the challenge?"

"They didn't say that we couldn't," he replied dismissively. "There's no point in roaming around this crummy island if the only thing that _we_ have to do is not get shot. So, if you were smart, you'd find your own little hiding place and stay your ass there, too."

Scoffing, the Bruxish retorted, "Sorry, I'd rather be fair and actually participate in the challenge instead of taking the easy way out."

"Then you're about as dumb as you look," Art replied as he retreated a bit further in the cave to escape view. "Now, get outta here before you blow my cover."

With a disgruntled murmur, the Gnash Teeth Pokémon decided to leave the Ferrothorn alone. Although she hated how he was going about it, if he ended up winning it for their team, then she'd be perfectly fine with it.

 **000**

" **I don't entirely understand Art," Jessica stated. "All I know is what everyone else knows: he's a strategic jerk. If he wants to win so bad, he's gonna have to drop the attitude and actually try to get along with people instead of just pushing them away."**

 **000**

Belladonna decided to stick with Zahku in the challenge, as he was the most capable player on the island. With his strength, stamina, and almost mystical abilities, he was certainly a force to be reckoned with. Certainly _he'd_ be able to avoid detection for two hours. Not only that, but this would give her time to talk to him and maybe try to form a backup alliance.

After all, if Portia got eliminated, she was going to need to fall back on _someone_. Why not the strongest guy on the island? She cleared her throat as she walked alongside the Makuhita, preparing to engage with him.

"So, Zahku… are you sure that your strength has only come from training and sex?" Belladonna inquired. "Because I really find that hard to believe. You sure there aren't any special berries or drugs involved?"

The Makuhita shook his head as he approached a tree. "Drugs bad for system. Zahku natural strong."

The Fighting-type punched the tree, causing a bunch of apples and bananas to fall from it. As he continued walking, Belladonna could only blink in astonishment before looking down at the newly formed pile and picking up one of the bananas. A few seconds later, a creaking sound filled her ears as the same tree fell over, startling her.

She looked ahead and saw that Zahku was getting away from her. She immediately withdrew into her shell and rolled after him. Once she caught up, she got out of her shell and continued as if nothing happened. "So, Zahku… I'm a bit curious. I'm glad that you decided to vote out Kane instead of Portia, but… why did you? I thought you were good with the other team."

Zahku gave her a look. Was she seriously asking him that? She was part of the reason he made the choice! "Zahku felt that opposite team had point. But, he now regrets because other team is iffy now. He now just wanna work alone, but knows he leaves if does."

"What? Why are you so sure that you'll leave?" Belladonna queried, despite knowing the answers already. "I mean, sure, you helped eliminate Kane, but that doesn't mean you'll automatically be eliminated. Especially since you gave the Red Team members your _clue_."

She and Portia watched him hand off the clue to Max and the others back in the mess hall. They were a bit surprised that he did that, but decided not to say anything. They _did_ start listening closer to them, though.

"So, you say that you wanna work alone, but… is that really for the best?" the Golem inquired. "I mean, you may feel like working with the different teams will bring you down, but-"

Knowing where she was going with that, the Makuhita immediately cut her off. "Zahku not interested in partnership. No bother," he stated as they continued walking.

Belladonna stopped walking momentarily, a visage of disappointment forming on her face. She was really hoping that he would be willing to work with her, but could understand his distrust. She continued to follow him despite his disinterest, as he was still a good asset for her.

They approached the stream, allowing the sound of the flowing water to fill their ears. Noticing their location, Belladonna rose a brow. "Uh… what are we doing here?"

"Water noises offer bit of cover," the Fighting-type stated. Looking around, Zahku eyed a decently-sized bush among the foliage in the vicinity. Believing it to be a good hiding place, he approached it, with Belladonna watching him closely.

The sound of other voices suddenly distracted the Golem, who began looking around for the source. She looked back over to where Zahku used to be and saw that he was now gone. However, she noticed that the large bush that he had been heading toward had a few pink flowers growing from them. An impressed expression formed on her face as she approached the bush. "Nice camouflage, Zahku," she complimented.

"Zahku not in bush," she heard from behind. Confused, she started looking around before eventually noticing the Makuhita up in another nearby tree, on the other side of the stream.

Belladonna was shocked. She could have sworn that he was heading toward that bush. "What the- How did you-"

Thinking that they should be used to his abilities by now, the Guts Pokémon rolled his eyes. "Better to not question or worry about Zahku. Just find good hiding spot for self," he stated.

As the Makuhita retreated back into his tree, Belladonna looked around, unsure about where she could go. The voices started getting a bit louder, even with the rushing stream. She would have attempted to climb a tree or get into a bush, but she felt that she was too big and she'd end up moving and blowing her cover.

Not only that, but with the reddish-brown leaves that adorned the Autumn Form's antlers, she'd be easily recognized among all of the green plants. She decided to just vacate the premises, as there wasn't much cover for her there.

Just as she rolled away, Dade flew into the scene with his slingshot. He wasn't necessarily focused on the challenge; he saw Belladonna rolling away, but decided not to go after her, assuming that she'd get found by someone else sooner or later.

He was more interested in looking for a statue. Thanks to the clue he got from his breakfast box, he knew that one of the statues was located around the stream. He just needed to pinpoint its exact location and take it for himself. He just hoped that no one else found out about it.

As he started flying down stream, he asked himself, "Alright, now where would it be…?"

He wasn't sure if the statue was buried under the water, or if it was just hidden alongside the stream or in the bushes somewhere. He hummed to himself, unsure about how he was going to go about this. He didn't know the exact location, nor was he sure that he would even be able to find it before someone else came around.

This was too important to him. He couldn't let anyone else know, well, besides maybe Art. He still considered Zahku a friend and ally, but after what he did with _his_ clue, the Mothim didn't want to risk it if the Makuhita decided to share _his_ clue with the others as well. Thinking it over, the Mothim groaned to himself.

"Damn it, I really wanna look for this statue, but…" he looked around. "I don't trust this…" he stated. "I'll have to come back when the challenges are over. Hopefully Art'll be able to help me out…"

He started flying in the direction that he saw Belladonna rolling, not bothering to fully check the vicinity to see if anyone else was there.

Having heard everything he had said, once the coast was clear, Zahku descended the tree, scratching at the antlers on his head once he reached the ground.

 **000**

 **Zahku hummed, "Moth man thinks statue is at stream. Zahku clue mention message and pushing, though… Seem weird."**

 **000**

Sasha was sticking close with Max as the two teamed up in order to find their targets. Portia was initially with them, but she realized that sticking together would only waste time. So, she left them. This allowed the two of them to talk a bit more, as Max was a bit perplexed as to why Sasha was suddenly feeling unmotivated and really worried just because Kane was gone.

"I just… don't think that Kane should have that much of a hold on you," he stated as he continued walking with her by his side. "I mean, you're attracted to him, sure, but… was he really the source of all of your confidence and strength?"

Sasha huffed, looking down in disappointment, "He might as well have been. The only thing I've been good at in this game is getting R.J. pissed off, looking like a homewrecking bitch, and eyefucking Kane… and all of that goes together. I haven't done anything truly worthwhile in the game itself."

"Well, this is your chance to," Max replied. "Kane proved to be a distraction for you, so this is your chance to prove what you're made of."

"I… I guess," Sasha said, fiddling with her slingshot.

"No, we don't need guessing. We need confidence," Max stated sternly. "Come on, Sasha."

Sasha, despite still not being sure, only nodded back, causing Max to sigh. As they made it to the mountains, Max looked at the entrance and hummed to himself. Noticing his expression, Sasha inquired, "You think someone's in there?"

"Not sure…" he responded. "But, I wouldn't put it behind Art to hide away in a dark place so that he wouldn't be seen…"

Sasha sighed, "And he's my target…"

A light bulb lit up in Max's mind. "Well, why don't you handle this on your own, then? It'll give you a chance to work on something on your own. Plus, it's Art, I doubt that you'll hesitate shooting him."

"Um… are you sure?" the Nidoqueen responded, peering into the cave.

"Yeah. Just scope out the place, and if he's not in there, just come back out and keep looking," Max replied. "I'm gonna try to find Belladonna."

As the Delibird took off, the Nidoqueen looked like she was about to call out to him, but stopped herself. She looked into the cave and took a deep breath.

 **000**

" **I'm not** _ **helpless**_ **," Sasha stated. "I'm just… I'm still nervous and I don't want to mess up. I haven't done anything spectacular or proved my worth throughout the whole game. I was just lucky that other people screwed up worse than me, or else I would've been gone way earlier…"**

 **She took another deep breath. "I've just gotta… be strong… be independent… and prove that I can do handle this."**

 **She looked down, "Hopefully…"**

 **000**

Before she entered the cave, she heard a sneeze. She turned around, eyeing the foliage intently. She began approaching it, but when she heard it again, she realized that it was actually coming from the mountain.

She rose a brow at this, as the sneeze didn't sound like it came from the entrance, nor did it come the direction of the foliage. Eventually, as she inspected the mountain, she noticed the other few caves that were on the side of it.

She groaned, "Of course, someone's in one of those…"

She approached the mountain once again, this time taking notice of a small, circular depression in the mountain that had group of five holes that formed an 'X' shape inside of it. Looking up, she noticed more of the same dents leading up the mountain toward a particular cave.

"Art…" she reasoned. The Nidoqueen began climbing up the side of the mountain, eager to get a first shot.

The Poison-type Drill Pokémon finally reached the cave that Art's footprints lead to. She went inside, slingshot ready to be fired. As she trekked in deeper, she saw that she was approaching a dead end. She looked around in confusion, as the Ferrothorn's footprints led to this cave.

She suddenly heard a whistle from behind her. Turning around, she saw Art standing at the entrance of the cave. She gasped and immediately fired in his direction.

One of Art's vines gained a purple aura. He swung it upwards, causing a bunch of rocks to fall and block off the exit. Sasha's eyes widened as she ran toward the rocks. "HEY! LET ME OUT OF HERE, ART!"

"Nope. They didn't say that we couldn't fight back, so you're gonna stay in there until this crappy challenge is over," Art stated. "You have fun…"

He started heading out of the cave, leaving Sasha to pound against the many rocks. As he climbed down the mountain side, he suddenly felt something hit him in the head, eliciting a shout from him. Touching the spot and bringing his vine back, he saw that the disk at the end had a bit of blue paint on it.

Looking down, he saw Portia standing on the ground with a smirk on her face. "Gotcha, deer boy…" she teased.

Art huffed as he reached the ground and glared daggers at the Rhyperior. "Screw you…"

Portia scoffed. "Never in a million years…" she retorted, prepping another paintball to be launched. "Now scram…"

Art rose a brow. He was sure that she'd be the one most eager to take him out quickly, so the fact that she was letting him go rose a few questions. "Uh… why? Aren't you gonna take me out or something? I thought your hate boner for me was fully engorged…"

Portia passed him an irritated glower. "As much as I'd love to double tap you, maybe even completely cover you in paint, Mew and Victini said that we can't do that because the challenge would be over too fast. So, you get another chance to hide somewhere."

"Great…" Art deadpanned. "More time to waste wearing this ridiculous costume…"

As he made his leave, Portia decided to go in the opposite direction. When she came to the mountains, she wasn't really expecting to find anyone, but she wasn't going to be surprised if she did. Finding Art was a pleasant surprise; it was a shame that she couldn't fully take him out, though.

The Rhyperior hummed to herself as she started walking back toward the forest path. As she walked along the footpath, she looked up at the trees and noticed a familiar, hanging piece of rope. A small smile formed on her face as she recollected when she was hanging upside down and Chip helped her out of her slump. She couldn't help but blush a bit thinking about the Machamp and their possible relationship.

As much as she would love to just hangout and talk a bit more with him, she knew that she needed to handle her business in the game first. She was determined to win and was willing to do whatever it took. That way, she'd have money, the title, _and_ a possible boyfriend.

Letting out a dreamy sigh, she continued along the path, once again noticing the rocky staircase on the side of the path. When she first acknowledged the path a week or so ago, she didn't exactly trust it, but for this challenge, she was going to have to check out those places to make sure that she didn't miss anyone. The island was pretty big, with the forest taking up majority of it, and they only had two hours, so she needed to check wherever she could.

Approaching the staircase, she noticed that it was covered in moss and looked rather dilapidated. She started walking up them, and was surprised that they were still sturdy enough to hold her. She reached the higher ledge and saw a grotto, just sitting there in the shade. The air was more moist in that area, and the wetness of the ground reflected that. She hesitantly approached the small cave and peered inside.

Much to her surprise, she found someone, and it was just the someone that she wanted to see. "Jessica!"

The Bruxish was trying to hide in the darkness of the cave, but she was easily able to be seen due to her vividly colored body. Hearing her name called, the Gnash Teeth Pokémon cursed to herself and turned around, where she saw Portia aiming her slingshot at her. "How did you know to find me here?" she questioned.

"I _didn't_ know," she replied. "But, since I have you here, I think we should talk."

Jessica rose a brow, having a feeling that this talk was going to deal with teaming up or something of the sort. Portia was smart, so she had to know that she was on the chopping block, and if she was able to get Zahku to turn on them, then she probably felt that she could get Jessica as well. "Okay… talk about what?"

"Well," the Rhyperior began, sitting down on a rock inside of the cave. "I actually think that we can come to some kind of agreement. We're both part of groups that consist of friends that we want to keep on our side, right?"

"Yeah…" Jessica droned, listening intently.

"Well, why don't we just keep out of each other's way, don't eliminate each other, and focus on taking out Art, Dade, and Zahku. And once they're out of the way, we'll be at the final five, and it'll be anyone's game," Portia suggested. "How's that sound?"

Jessica faked a smile, "That… actually sounds good."

Portia nodded. "Glad you think so," she responded as she got to her feet. "We just need to make sure that none of them find the statue _or_ win immunity."

"Right," Jessica concurred as Portia started leaving, not taking the chance to hit her. She wasn't going to remind her or question it though, interpreting it as a sign of trust.

That idea was immediately disproved when she was suddenly shot by a green paintball a few seconds later, causing her to growl in annoyance.

 **000**

" **Yeah, none of that is happening. I just needed her to think that," Portia admitted. "I know that they have to be planning to get rid of me, next. So, I'm gonna try to convince the others to vote for Jessica once this whole challenge is over. That'll weaken her alliance a bit more** _ **and**_ **take another threat out of the game."**

" **It may be a bit tougher this time around, but I think it's manageable…" she reasoned.**

 **000**

" **Nothing's gonna change. Portia is still gonna be our next target. She can't fool me that easily," Jessica spoke.**

 **000**

Belladonna continued to roll through the forest, bumping and bouncing over rocks and logs. Dade was steadily following her, but was a very terrible shot, as she was effortlessly dodging every paintball that he fired at her.

The Golem continued rolling, eventually coming upon another path after rolling over a log. She came out of her shell and looked around to see where she could go next. She noticed that the path she landed in lead to another part of the beach. She had a pretty clear view of the volcano, as well, causing an idea to form in her head.

She rolled along the path, heading toward the beach. They never said that they couldn't leave the forest, anyway.

The Golem's feet met the warm sand as she quickly got out of view. It wouldn't make sense for her to go there if she was easily spotted by her hunter. Unbeknownst to her, her constant rolling was causing a few leaves from her antlers to fall off. She was lucky that her rolling didn't cause them to break entirely, or else there'd probably be a penalty.

She started walking around the beach, hoping that she wasn't found by any of the hunters. As she strolled around a corner, she just started thinking more about what she could do about her backup alliance idea. Zahku wasn't interested, she wasn't sure if she was willing to work with Dade again, and Art was a definite 'no'.

This left her with two choices; she could either just go at it alone or she could try to talk her way into Jessica's alliance. The Bruxish's alliance was the most stable, and with a clue to one of the statues, they were probably the most powerful at the moment, as well.

"I need to get on their good sides…" she reasoned as she sat on a log, folding her arms. "I doubt that they'll be willing to completely trust me, but I probably have a better chance than anyone else."

While thought to herself, she suddenly found herself being hit by a red paintball, causing her to jump and look around. It was then that she noticed that there was a trail of leaves behind her and she saw a pair of wings round the corner.

She growled to herself. "Of freaking course…"

 **-000-**

Dade flew back into the forest, chuckling to himself. He found himself back at the glade, and flew across in order to reach the main forest path. In doing so, he ended up spotting Art walking back toward the campgrounds, causing him to raise a brow.

Following him, he watched the Ferrothorn as he headed back to the cabins. He groaned to himself. "He didn't even get shot twice yet…"

"ART! GET BACK TO THE CHALLENGE!" he heard from a distant loudspeaker.

The Mothim nodded, having expected him to be called out for his actions. He continued to keep an eye on the Thorn Pod Pokémon, as he wanted to talk to him about his clue. The Ferrothorn groaned as he started walking toward the glade once again.

Seeing this, he quickly flew after, and caught up, with him. Acknowledging his presence, Art huffed, "You here to put me out of my misery? Because I welcome it…"

"I mean... sure, but I need to talk to you, first," Dade stated.

Art, despite his frustration and annoyance with the day as a whole, decided to hear out the Mothim. Dade filled the disgruntled Grass-type in on what he found out regarding one of the clues, causing his eyes to momentarily widen.

Wanting to get a clearer understanding, he replied, "Okay, so you're saying that one of those stupid breakfast boxes actually proved to be of use? And one of the statues is at the stream?"

"Yes," Dade answered with a nod. "And I was gonna spent most of my time looking for it, but I realized that there was a chance that someone else could see me, so I decided to hold off until the day was done."

The Ferrothorn nodded along. "And have you told Zahku at all?"

The Mothim let out a sigh. "No. As much as I want to, I don't know if I wanna risk him blabbing about the clue to the others. Especially with how easily he gave up his clue to appease Jessica and her crew."

"Okay good," Art commended. "If you did, you'd be as big an idiot as he is…"

Dade deadpanned, "Gee, thanks for that. Anyways, are you willing to help me look afterwards or not?"

"Of course I'm gonna fucking look," the Ferrothorn retorted, giving him a visage of disbelief. "It's immunity!"

"Alright," Dade nodded. "Oh and uh…"

He fired a blue paintball at the Ferrothorn's side, causing a visage of annoyance and relief to form on his face.

"ART IS OUT! RETURN TO THE GLADE, SUMMER BOY!"

Art groaned in vexation. "These two are gonna be the bane of my existence, I just know it…" he commented.

As he started heading back to the glade, Dade decided to fly toward the lake to see if he could find anyone there. Maybe Jessica was hiding in the water.

 **000**

"Uh… Zahku, what are you doing?" Max queried as he watched the Makuhita emerge from one of multiple holes around the stream.

Having not been able to hide in time, the Guts Pokémon let out a soft groan upon hearing the Delibird's voice. He had already given him and the others his clue, so if he told them about the possibility of there being a statue there at the stream, there'd be big trouble. Plus, Dade was the one who unintentionally let him know that there was probably something there, so he was going to partially owe him if he found something.

The Makuhita cleared his throat, simply stating, "Zahku bored."

Max rose a brow, not completely buying his story. In a challenge that requires stealth, the great Zahku got 'bored' and just randomly started digging holes around the stream? Color him skeptical. After their interactions earlier, he felt that the Makuhita could at least be honest with him. It wasn't like he was going to do anything.

"Really?" he asked. "Zahku, come on, you know that you usually give your all in challenges. You getting bored just doesn't add up. You can be straight with me."

Zahku groaned, knowing that Max probably wasn't going to let up. "You have not say anything," he requested.

Max nodded in response, allowing Zahku to explain, "Moth friend was looking for something around waterway. Got suspicious and started looking."

The Delibird was a bit surprised to hear that, but he wasn't that bothered by it. Though, he did ask, "Did he find another clue?"

"Don't know," the Fighting-type responded. "Just know he look here."

Max hummed before digging into his tail, "Well, I guess I'll leave you to it, then. But, I gotta get at least one-"

The Delibird turned back to face the Fighting-type, only to discover that he was gone. His eyes went wide n astonishment as he immediately flew forward to check all of the holes and at the surrounding trees. Nothing.

"Wh- Where the heck did he go?!" he queried, completely stupefied by his vanishing act. He groaned as he landed, facepalming himself. "I take my eyes off of him for a few seconds and he vanishes into thin air…"

 **000**

" **I still don't completely understand Zahku, or know how the heck he's able to do the things he's able to do, but he's still a pretty cool guy," Max explained. "So, I won't tell anyone about what he's trying to do. It may not even lead to anything, since it's just an assumption."**

" **I wish I would have shot first and asked questions later…" he stated before pausing. "...And I now realize how bad that sounds."**

 **000**

Max decided to fly off, as he didn't know where the Makuhita went, and he felt that he wasn't going to find him as quickly as he'd want to. Once he was gone, Zahku dropped down from one of the trees, having completely hidden himself among the leaves.

He dusted his hands off before moving a bit further downstream in order to continue his search. The stream stretched from the lake, all the way to the mountains, so he had a long search ahead of him. That was, if he wanted to continue it.

With Max finding him, Zahku knew that he was making himself more vulnerable than he'd like. It was then that an idea came to mind. He decided that he was going to be a loose cannon, but also work with others if he was sure that it benefited him.

 **000**

" **Zahku can try work with moth man and see if find statue together," the Makuhita stated. "Other group expect Zahku help, but not sure. Just gonna focus on winning challenge, now."**

 **000**

Sasha sat against the wall of the cave Art trapped her in. She tried her hardest to get the rocks to budge, but nothing seemed to work. She wiped a few tears away as she let out a sigh. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

" _You tell me…_ " she heard an unfamiliar voice demand. She immediately perked up out of surprise, not knowing where that voice came from.

"W-Who said that?" she asked, getting to her feet. She looked around, her slingshot out and ready to be fired. The voice didn't respond as she started walking toward the blocked exit. "Hey! Is anyone out there?! Can you help me out?!"

" _You need to help yourself_ ," the voice responded.

"Wh- I need help!" she shouted back. "And… who are you, anyway?"

There was a moment of silence before the voice came back, " _Sasha, I'm your conscience."_

Sasha blinked in response to that, unable to believe that. "I-I'm going insane. What the fuck?!" she exclaimed.

" _Calm down, Sasha. You have not gone insane. I am simply here to offer guidance_ ," the voice said.

Sasha grabbed her head with a sigh before sitting back down. "I can't believe this is happening right now…" she whispered to herself.

" _Sasha, you have every right to be upset. You were smitten by Kane and he stuck with you. However, your current behavior and mindset is only going to destroy you if you continue."_

"I know! Max and Jess pretty much told me that already," Sasha explained. "It's still just… it's hard."

" _I understand, but you also need to realize that you're only making yourself look like a helpless near-homewrecker_. _You need to be stronger than that._ "

"I'm trying, too! After Max left me alone, I was about to get Art, but he trapped me and-"

" _And you're keeping yourself in there due to your insecurity_ ," the voice interrupted.

Sasha looked down, beginning to claw at the ground.

" _Listen. You have a husband back home who barely does anything with or for you anymore after five years. You came to the game to get away and maybe win some extra cash,"_ the voice stated. " _Am I right?"_

"Y-Yeah…"

" _Okay, so why are you getting so upset about Kane? Yes, you're attracted to him, but you've established a pretty lasting friendship with him as well. He and R.J. even offered to help you out when and if you decided to leave your husband. You have nothing to be upset about. You've practically been independent ever since your husband began neglecting and cheating on you. You're more than just a housewife…"_

" _You are_ _ **stronger**_ _than what you're making yourself out to be_. _Get up, get out of here, and get that money. I know you can do it, and you know damn well you can do it as well._ "

Sasha fiddled with her claws a bit as she began thinking about what she's been going through in the past five years, including the past few weeks of the game. She's cooked, cleaned, given love, and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to fix up her and her husband's home to make sure that they continue to eat and live well, as well as buy a few things for her family _and_ herself.

And what did she get in return? Nothing but complaints. 'Why are you buying all of this?' 'Who told you to spend this much?' 'Your parents don't need this.' 'I don't like the color of the truck.' 'Couldn't you have taken out the garbage?' Hardly anything she did was appreciated anymore.

There on the island, she made herself look like a desperate housewife by lusting after Kane and being under him throughout the duration of the game. With him gone, like Jessica, Max, and now her own conscience were saying, she needed to stay strong and prove her worth. Prove that she was more than what others probably perceived her to be.

She huffed, a serious visage forming on her face. It was time for a change. She got back to her feet and faced the wall of rocks blocking her exit. Her prior 'attempts' at breaking out just consisted of normal pushes and punches. Not this time.

The Nidoqueen's body became outlined in a blue aura. She charged toward the rocks and made contact, sending all of the rocks flying away from the mountain. She panted heavily, a smirk forming on her face. She returned to the back of the cave in order to retrieve her slingshot and ammo before making her descent.

 **000**

" **I'm gonna try my best to keep my focus on this competition and win for myself," Sasha stated. "Didn't think that talking to myself would give me more reassurance. It's like I'm in one of those cheesy teen movies or something..."**

 **000**

"Jeez, did she have some kind of mental breakdown or something?" Art queried. "She just had a full-fledged conversation with herself…"

"There's nothing wrong with talking to yourself…" Mew stated. "I do it all the time."

"...Yeah that's not something to be proud of," Victini commented as he looked at the screens, earning him a side glare from Mew.

He watched as Max shot Belladonna from a treetop, getting her out of the challenge. "BELLADONNA IS OUT! PLEASE RETURN TO THE GLADE!" he said into a walkie-talkie, causing it to boom over the loudspeaker.

He observed Belladonna's expression of disappointment as she tucked into her shell and started rolling back toward the glade.

Art groaned in annoyance, not enjoying hearing the exclamations. Plus, he still hated the challenge idea, overall."Well, at least this challenge is going by quickly," he commented.

Glancing over at the monitors, Art had to do a double take, as he saw numerous holes dug all around the stream. He knew for a fact that Dade wouldn't be able to dig all of those holes that fast, and the Mothim told him that _he_ was the only one he told.

So, either Dade lied to him, or someone else figured it out.

 **000**

" **What… the hell?" Art groused. "That winged wimp has some explaining to do."**

 **000**

Portia walked up to the stream in order to continue her search, and her eyes widened upon seeing all of the holes. "What the hell happened here? Did a Trapinch or a Drilbur or something come out of nowhere?"

Assuming that it was a trap of sorts, or rather a guessing game, the Rhyperior walked around, inspecting each of the holes that was dug around the wet area. Although she didn't find anything, she had a feeling that somebody was nearby.

With Art and Belladonna out of the challenge, that meant that only Jessica and Zahku were left. She had just left Jessica not too long ago, so that had to mean that Zahku was nearby. Knowing how capable and mysterious he was, the Drill Pokémon immediately started searching through the bushes and scanning the treetops for any signs of the Fighting-type.

"He has to be around here somewhere…" she whispered to herself.

It was then that she remembered something semi-crucial: the antlers. Jessica had the Winter Form antlers, Art had the Summer Form, and Belladonna had the Autumn Form. This left Zahku with the Spring Form antlers. With that now in mind, she began looking around for any sign of pink flowers or similar plants that could be used as cover.

Surveying the area, her eyes eventually settled upon a bush covered in vibrant florets, a few pink ones catching her attention. Just as she approached the bush, the sudden sound of splashing water assaulted her from behind. She swiftly turned around, aiming her slingshot at the possible culprit.

However, nothing was there, arousing suspicion. "What the hell was that?" she questioned. She turned her attention back to the bush, only for her to notice that the pink flowers were gone. Her eyes went as wide as dinner plates. She was _right there_. How did she not see or hear anything? It was impossible!

"Zahku! I know you're around here. The others on your team are already out or about to be, so you might as well get out here and make this easy!" the Rhyperior shouted aloud.

"Yeah, I don't think that's gonna do you any good," a familiar voice stated from behind, getting her attention.

She turned around with a huff, seeing Dade fly toward her. "No duh…" Portia stated, giving the Mothim a look of annoyance. "I'm just trying to see if anything moves so that I can get an idea of where he could be."

"...But he's not going to respond," Dade replied. "That doesn't make sense. On another note, what the hell happened here?! What's with all the holes?!"

Portia shrugged, "Who cares? They were here when I got here. Zahku probably did it for all I know…"

Dade momentarily froze. If Zahku _had_ indeed dug all of the holes, then there was a chance that he probably found the statue. But, then again, he didn't spot any other holes when he came from the direction of the lake, so there was also a possibility that he didn't.

He immediately knew that he was going to have to talk to Zahku, whether he knew about the statue there or not. Then another possibility entered his head.

 **000**

" **Hmm… I wonder if Zahku's clue is the same as mine," Dade mused. "It'd at least make sense as to why he dug all those holes by the stream unless he was doing it for some kind of trap or something. Heck, he didn't show me or Art what his clue said, so we may just be looking for the same statue."**

" **But... would they really hide another clue to the exact same statue in one of the breakfast boxes?" he questioned with a sigh. "I've gotta talk to Zahku as soon as possible."**

 **000**

Max was flying down the path leading to the lake. With only two people left, and one of them being Jessica, he inferred, like Dade, that she would be around that vicinity. As he made his way to the lake, he started thinking about what Sasha was probably doing. He hoped that she wasn't just sitting against the mountain, though he wouldn't put it behind her.

He and Jessica really needed her to get her head on straight and focus on the game. Her sadness was going to surely screw up her game. And even then, their alliance was in trouble, with or without Zahku's help. If the others decided to work together again, they were done for. And if Zahku actually worked with them, it'd be a tie, and who knows what the hosts would do in that situation?

As he continued thinking, he eventually spotted something that surprised him. Sasha was walking from the path leading to the lake, bringing a small smile in his face. "Heey, you're here," he greeted, landing in front of her. "Nice to see you going around. Have you found anyone?"

Shaking her head, the Nidoqueen responded, "No. But, apparently you guys didn't need me anyway since Art and Belladonna are already out."

"Aw, don't say that. There's still two people left and we probably have like an hour or so left. We should be able to find Jessica and Zahku in that time," Max reassured her.

Just as he said that, Sasha noticed something floating through the trees. She saw vivid colors, along with a bit of white. Putting two and two together, Sasha's eyes widened in realization as she aimed her slingshot at her fleeing fish friend. "Jessica!" she shouted before firing at her.

She narrowly missed her, with Jessica giggling. "Nice try, guys," she teased before continuing to float towards the lake.

Max hadn't realized how close the Bruxish was to them and immediately took flight after her, with Sasha in tow.

Jessica continued to float high among the trees, dodging the paintballs that Max and Sasha slung at her. After Portia shot her, she debated whether she should leave her spot or not. Eventually, she decided that just sitting there waiting to be shot again wouldn't do her any good, so she started heading to the lake, which was when Sasha spotted her.

Eventually, she made it to the lake and immediately dove into it. Sasha and Max stopped firing as they reached the body of water. Max groaned in annoyance, "Dang it, how are we supposed to get her, now?!"

Sasha hummed in thought. Eventually, an idea came to her. She took a few steps back, gesturing for Max to follow, not wanting Jessica to possibly hear her idea.

"Okay," she began. "I think I have a way to get her. You hide somewhere, and I can get her talking about our next moves in the game. Then, you use Ice Beam to freeze around her and we can both try to shoot at her. That sound good?"

"Yeah, that may work, but where would I hide? I'm sure that she'd be suspicious if _I_ left," Max asked.

"I don't think so," Sasha replied. "You two may be together now, but I doubt she'd be _that_ dubious. Now… hide in… those trees over there," she said, pointing to a few trees next to where the stream was.

Max nodded before flying over to the group of trees. Once he was hidden behind a tree and a few bushes, Sasha nodded and sat at the edge, dipping her legs into the water.

"Jess! Can we talk?" the Nidoqueen called, hoping that Jessica would poke her head out in order to talk with her. Aside from them being against each other in the challenge, they were still in an alliance, so why wouldn't she?

There was a bit of silence, with Sasha unsure if the Bruxish even heard her. "Jessica… I won't shoot you. I just think that we really need to talk…"

Jessica slowly rose from the water, eyeing the Nidoqueen suspiciously. She also took notice of Max's absence, making her even more alert.

"Where's Max?" she asked before submerging most of her body back into the water.

"He left to try and find Zahku since we know you're here now," Sasha lied. "So, can we talk?"

Jessica wasn't buying it for a second. Sasha was acting way different than she originally was, and she doubted that Max would just up and leave. Nevertheless, she decided to play along, responding, "Okay… talk about what? You know that Art and Belladonna are probably watching the monitors back at the glade, so any strategy talk would be useless…"

Sasha only blinked, having not expected that reply. She began stammering, attempting to think of something else she could say to get her to stay. "Um… that's true, but I doubt that they'll really hear us. I mean…"

Suddenly, the sound of nearby cracking got the Bruxish's attention. Turning to the side, she saw a blue beam being blasted toward the water, freezing it. "I knew it!" she exclaimed before being hit by a red paintball. "Dang it!"

"Sorry," Sasha giggled.

"JESSICA! RETURN TO THE GLADE! YOU'RE OUT!"

Jessica let out a sigh as she removed her antlers, which had been stabilized by telekinesis. "Well, looks like you guys just have to find Zahku now. And he may be the toughest one to handle in this challenge," Jessica giggled. "You two have fun~."

As she floated back toward the glade, Sasha rubbed the back of her head as Max came over to her. "Well… the plan _sorta_ worked. Your Ice Beam was just a distraction instead of a trap."

"Yeah," Max chuckled. "Now… we're gonna have to find Zahku. And knowing how he is… this may take us a while…"

Sasha nodded in agreement. "And I don't know if we'll have enough time to find him, either." She let out a sigh, "Let's hope that he slips up or something…"

 **000**

"Finding that weirdo is gonna take them forever," Art laughed. "We're definitely gonna win this as long as sackboy stays where he is. Where is he anyway?"

"Oh… he's right there," Belladonna said, pointing to a nearby tree.

Everyone looked to where the Golem was pointing and saw that she was correct. While Portia and Dade were scouring the area around the stream for a sign of the Makuhita, he was actually sitting in a tree around the glade.

"What the- How the- When the hell did he get there?!" Art exclaimed.

"I saw him jump up there about ten minutes ago. Just didn't say anything," Belladonna shrugged. "I mean, it's a guaranteed win on our part."

"Okay, that's not entirely fair…" Mew stated. "We can't have this…"

He floated toward Zahku, causing Art to groan in annoyance. He groused, "It's not like they're gonna be able to find him even if he goes back in the forest…"

"You don't know that," Mew retorted before reaching the tree. "Zahku!" he called, getting the Makuhita's attention.

The Guts Pokémon looked down before jumping from the branch and landing in the grass. "Do you Zahku win yet?"

Mew shook his head, explaining, "No, no. There's still forty-three minutes left. I just need you to head back into the forest instead of sitting here. It's a bit unfair."

Zahku didn't say anything, instead he simply walked away, doing as Mew wished. The New Species Pokémon returned to the group, where he noticed that Jessica was now among the others.

"You guys had better hope that Zahku pulls this off, because you're gonna _really_ want the advantage in the next challenge," Mew commented as he returned.

"We _would_ have pulled it off if you just let him stay there," Art argued. "Plus, do you really think that those four are gonna find him?"

Victini retorted, "I mean, they found _you_."

"Yes, but I'm not an ethereal fatso," Art shot back. "You might as well just give us the win."

"Just hush and be patient," Mew stated, looking back at the monitors. "Let's see what happens."

Art rolled his eyes, growing more annoyed by the second. He glanced over to Belladonna and Jessica, having noticed that they were being quieter than usual. He saw that they were further away than they originally were and that they were talking, arousing some suspicion.

 **-000-**

"Wait, so you want to work with us?" Jessica queried, a bit suspicious.

"Yes," Belladonna responded. "I know that you guys are probably going for Portia next, and while I don't exactly like it, I'm accepting of it. Now, I'm also willing to propose a different idea that may benefit both parties, being your alliance, and me and Portia."

Jessica gave her a look of doubt, as she had already heard Portia's idea and suspected that Belladonna's proposal would just be a repeat of it. Despite her judgement, she stated, "I'm listening…"

"Okay," Belladonna began. "Now, I say that you let Portia and I into your alliance. We take out Art, Dade, and Zahku, and-"

"-then just duke it out…" Jessica finished for her, already knowing what she was going to say. She let out a sigh. "Look Bella, I'm sorry, but aside from Zahku, Portia's the threat and she needs to go."

Belladonna, somewhat expecting that response, rubbed the back of her head. She decided to try another proposal, inquiring, "Well, at the very least, once she's gone, could I join you guys' alliance? Then we can just focus on taking out the other three?"

Jessica gave her a look, unsure. If she was being honest, she felt that she could probably rely more on Belladonna than on Zahku. But, surely she knew that unless she won immunity at the final four challenge, she'd be the one to go. This was what made her more unsure. "Hmm… I'll talk to the others about it and we'll see."

Belladonna nodded before walking back towards the others, allowing Jessica to sigh to herself. Now she's heard proposals from both Portia _and_ Belladonna. Portia was definitely their next target and that wasn't going to change, and Zahku certainly hasn't been helping them, making Belladonna's offer sound great.

She huffed, "I'll have to talk to Max and Sasha once this is all over…"

 **000**

Zahku was a bit irritated that he had to go back in the forest, as he felt that his team was going to win anyway. He had already narrowly escaped Portia finding him and evaded Max's attempt before he could even get ready. Now he had to go right back into the fray when there was less than an hour remaining.

He surely wasn't going back to the stream. He decided to venture out to the other end of the forest, as no one really explored what was on that side. Who knows? He may find something useful or intriguing.

He strolled along the path that lead to the lake, but made a right through the trees. As he walked through the foliage, he glanced around to see if anything stood only think he saw was the small, open area behind the mess hall. He huffed, "Zahku thought campgrounds was smaller. Guess wrong."

He continued through the woods, hopping over logs and passing by broken trees, stumps, and large shrubs. So far, nothing else was really sticking out to him. However, this part of the forest was still the perfect place to be, as the hunters would be focusing more on the few prime spots on the island rather than the lesser-explored spots.

Eventually, as he continued his trek, he came across a decently sized ledge with a rocky edge. He walked close to the edge and looked down, gauging how high it was. Seeing that the edge was about six feet above the ground, Zahku jumped down before continuing to scan the area.

The chirping of Fletchling and Starly started to fill his ears, sounds that he hadn't heard in a while. He took in the nature and let out a soft sigh. He noticed that the area that he was currently in could easily act as a miniature campsite. There was a bunch of rocks lying around, a log sat nearby, covered in moss, and the edge of the ledge formation had enough space for someone of his size to sit and have cover in the case the weather ever got bad.

Deciding that he was going to stay there, he walked over to the fallen log and took a seat. "Hmm… Zahku could stay here for rest of game. Fix up and make own camp."

As that thought started circulating through his mind, he also started thinking about his own clue and what it could possibly mean. It was so enigmatic and vague, which was understandable, yet irritating. The Makuhita didn't have any doubts about winning this challenge, but he felt that he may not be so lucky in the one following, so the immunity statue would be great insurance for him.

He just had to hope that no one else got to it, first.

 **000**

" **Zahku said that he didn't care if eliminated or not, but does not mean he not gonna try still," the Makuhita explained.**

 **000**

All of the hunters ended up meeting up with each other and started searching for Zahku together, despite Max's insistence that staying together wouldn't do them any good as the time continued to tick away. They were approaching the mountains again, as Portia proposed that the Makuhita could possibly be hiding in the mountain cave.

"I'm just saying… if we stick together, we're just gonna shoot ourselves in the foot," Max explained. "We don't have a lot of time left and Zahku's a pretty special case…"

"Yeah, and I think that the advantage for the next challenge is gonna be crucial," Dade added. "So, I'm gonna take off and try to search around the other side of the island. I mean, if he's not around here, he might be somewhere over there."

"Eh, I guess I'll tag along," Max stated. "Double the chances of us finding him aerially."

Portia shrugged, "Fine by me. Go for it."

Dade and Max started flying off, leaving the two Drill Pokémon alone. Knowing how Kane's elimination affected her and noticing how quiet she was as they searched, Portia felt that it was the right time to prod at Sasha and figure out where her head was. Both she and the Nidoqueen gained attractions to guys that ended up getting eliminated, and she felt that they could connect a bit over that.

Portia started heading into the cave, with Sasha following her. The Nidoqueen would've been fine going alone, but since Dade and Max went as a pair, she decided to go along with Portia so that they were a pair as well.

Venturing inside of the rocky orifice, the two girls immediately noticed that this cave was much different than the one that they went into in challenges of the past. It was much more narrow and had fewer gems inside than the other cave.

"So," Portia began. "How are you feeling?" She was hoping that the Nidoqueen was open to talking with her.

Having not expected the inquiry, the Nidoqueen responded with, "Hmm?"

Believing that she didn't know what she meant, she expounded. "You know… with Kane gone, I'm just trying to see if you're still with us in the game," the Rhyperior asked. "I know that he probably meant a lot to you here, but you looking sad and being quiet isn't going to help yourself."

Sasha was a bit surprised that the rhino-saur was showing interest in her. It was a bit suspicious, but also a bit refreshing at the same time, as they didn't talk as much. "Um… I'm actually okay," Sasha answered, pausing to rub the back of her head. "I mean, yeah, it took me a while, but I'm starting to play for myself and think about what I could do."

A smile formed on Portia's face as they reached a wider part of the new cave. They reached a dead end, finding themselves in a circular area, with the colorful gems offering them vibrant light. Aside from the gems, there wasn't anything of interest inside the cave other than a few tunnels that were over twenty feet above the ground.

Seeing that Zahku wasn't there, Sasha hummed before looking to Portia and pointing out, "There's nothing here."

Portia grunted in response, "Knowing him, he probably figured out a way to get to one of those tunnels up there."

"If that's the case, maybe we shouldn't have let _both_ guys look elsewhere…" Sasha commented, gazing upwards, rubbing her arm sheepishly.

Portia sighed, agreeing with Sasha's sentiment. "Well, there's nothing that we can do in this case."

Hearing that, Sasha turned and began to leave, finding it pointless to stick around if they weren't going to be accomplishing anything. However, much to her surprise, she heard a thudding sound, following by Portia's voice asking, "Where are you going?"

Turning back around, the Nidoqueen saw that the Rhyperior was sitting against the wall, causing her to become perplexed. "Um… to look for Zahku somewhere else. Why're you sitting down?"

"Well… I was thinking that… maybe we could talk for a bit. Get to know each other a bit better," Portia explained.

Feeling an oddly flirtatious vibe from the rhino-saur, Sasha sweatdropped in unsurety. "Um… you know I'm straight, right?"

Momentarily confused as to why she'd say that out of the blue, Portia realized that the way she mentioned talking was akin to how some people try to flirt. She immediately dispelled the thought, refuting, "What? No, no, no, I'm not trying to flirt with you. You're married, but were into Kane and I'm into Chip, remember? I literally just want to talk."

"Oh," Sasha replied, feeling a bit silly for suggesting that she was flirting in the first place. She wasn't sure if talking to the Rhyperior was such a good idea. They were planning on eliminating her next, if she didn't win immunity, and it didn't really feel fair to try to establish a connection with someone, only to vote them out later. However, feeling that it'd be good for her, she decided to sit with the Rhyperior and engage.

Sitting next to her, she cleared her throat, "So… what'd you want to talk about?"

"Just… anything," Portia giggled. "I mean, we both came into the game with a bit of baggage. The only difference was that you were more open about yours and mine was revealed for a challenge."

"Oh… right," Sasha responded, being reminded of the larger Drill Pokémon's background. It was really tragic to hear that someone close to her abused her in such a fashion; it was even more surprising how well she acted as if nothing was wrong prior to that challenge. "How… how did you deal with that after all this time?" she lamented.

Portia let out a sigh, "I just… kept quiet and ignored it. It was really stupid of me to just let it happen, but… he was my uncle. I felt like I could trust him. After he finally got arrested, I could feel the weight be lifted off my shoulders, but I didn't touch another surfboard for four years. Afterwards, I got back into it and focused more on surfing itself and forgetting about him."

"Hey… you weren't stupid. You were young, and it's a family's job to look after their young, not take advantage of them. It wasn't your fault at all," Sasha stated sternly. Her serious glare started turning into one of curiosity as a realization hit her. "And… now that you mention surfing again... if he's the one who got you into it in the first place, shouldn't surfing just remind you of him more?" she puzzled.

Portia chuckled a bit, fiddling with her slingshot. "That's the same thing my mom said. She wanted me to stop altogether since she thought the only reason he got me into it was so that he could do what he did without suspicion; she didn't want me to be reminded of what he did. But, I was just having too much fun with it, and it made me stronger in the water. So, I just ended up finding another teacher and focused more on him instead of my scumbag uncle. I just went about my normal life and kept blocking it out, and even though sexual conversations and situations started making me uncomfortable, I was fine. Then… the dumb trivia challenge happened, it got mentioned and… I let it break me for a bit."

Sasha continued listening as Portia let out a disappointed sigh. "After all those years, a mere mention just completely made me completely crumble inside, and… that just fucking irks me. Then Chip…" She giggled at the mention of the Machamp. "Chip helped me pull myself together and made me realize that I've been doing fine despite everything that's happened and that I shouldn't let it bring me down when I can keep continuing to grow from it. And all in the span of just ten minutes…"

"And then the next day, Tim threw the challenge and Chip ended up going home over it," the Nidoqueen reminded.

Portia huffed, "Don't remind me. But then again, if that hadn't have happened, there was a chance that _I'd_ be the one gone if you guys chose me."

Sasha giggled, "Yeah, probably. And hey, at least you've gotten over your discomfort with sexual situations and the like. Chip kissing you before he left really surprised a lot of us."

Portia nodded, "Yeah, when he picked me up earlier that day, I couldn't stop blushing and my legs felt like jelly when he put me back down." She let out a breath, "I really hope that we can do something after this game. Maybe it'll help me move on and grow even more."

Sasha shrugged, "There's always a chance. Meanwhile, I want to move on, but my dumb husband won't let me…"

"Oh yeah, I'm definitely gonna need to hear the whole background of _that_ ," Portia stated. Having heard her complaints about her husband and seeing her fawning over Kane, she was really curious to know what was really happening.

 **000**

"When the hell did the challenge turn into a soap opera?" Art queried, watching and hearing what the girls were saying on the monitors. "How much time is left?"

"Um… a little less ten minutes," Mew stated, glancing over at the countdown clock.

"Yep, just go ahead and give us the win," Art insisted. "Those bozos are nowhere near him."

"Just wait until the challenge is over," Victini replied, growing annoyed by the Ferrothorn's impatience. They wanted to see how things played out, so that's what they were gonna do.

Having been watching the monitors as well, Jessica concurred, "Yeah, now pipe down." Seeing that both Max and Sasha were with people from an opposing alliance, she was watching and listening intently to make sure that they didn't try to get them to betray her.

So far, she couldn't hear anything really suspicious from Sasha and Portia's conversation, as they were simply talking about their backgrounds and issues they've faced. As for Dade and Max, she hadn't really heard them say much to each other, much to her relief.

"Well, looks like we're gonna be the ones getting the advantage," Belladonna spoke with a laugh as they watched Max and Dade land behind the mess hall. "They're kinda close, but I don't think they'll reach him in time."

 **000**

Max stood on the stump behind the mess hall, facing the rest of the unexplored forest, and let out a sigh. There was a chance that Zahku was deeper in the forest, but he felt that they wouldn't have enough time to find him.

"Uh… why are we just waiting here? We need to go while we still have time," Dade urged him.

"That's the thing," Max retorted, turning to him. "I don't think we'll have _enough_ time."

"They haven't given us a warning time yet, so I think it's safe to assume that we still enough time to search through this place," Dade reasoned, not wanting to give up yet. "Come on!"

The Mothim took off into the other side of the forest, with Max letting out an uncertain sigh before following him.

 **-000-**

Zahku scratched his head as he climbed up one of the nearby trees. He saw that there were numerous berries inhabiting the leaves of the trees and wanted to start gathering for when he came back later that night.

He had already set up his own little campsite, having moved the log closer to the ledge, gathered all of the leaves together, and made his own little fire pit with the rocks and a few fallen sticks. Now he just needed food, aside from what they served them at the mess hall.

After knocking about ten or so berries down, Zahku climbed down the tree. As he kicked his berries into a pile, he could hear faint murmurs in the distance, letting him know that a couple of the others were drawing near.

"Hmm, Zahku should probably find another place to make self unseen in case," the Makuhita said to himself.

He walked toward one of the nearby bushes and got inside one of them. At that point, Max and Dade came upon the Fighting-type's miniature campsite. Seeing what all was there, Max rose a brow, "Huh… this looks…"

"...like someone was here," Dade finished, looking around suspiciously. "He's here. I know he is..."

"5 MINUTES LEFT!" they heard Victini announce.

"He's around here somewhere," Dade stated. "Look carefully."

The two of them began their search around the miniature campground, looking for the hidden Makuhita. Zahku simply watched as they searched the premises, completely ignoring the nearby bushes. Eventually, he saw that they were vacating the area, having been unable to find him. He could only shake his head as he emerged from the shrub, spitting out leaves and picking others off of his body.

"A-HA! I TOLD YOU HE WAS NEARBY!" he suddenly heard, startling him a bit. He turned around and saw that Dade and Max were actually a few feet behind him. He paled before swiftly leaping out of the way before they could shoot him.

Max only gave Dade a look; if he hadn't yelled out, they would have won the challenge. Now they had to try to chase Zahku or catch him off guard again before their time ran out. Seeing the look, Dade sheepishly chuckled. "Oops…"

Max and Dade immediately flew after the Makuhita. They watched him jump behind a tree, and given how he worked, they immediately flew to the top of the tree to check it out. Upon noticing that there was nothing there, Dade looked back down and noticed the Makuhita running off.

"There he i-" the Mothim began before Max covered his mouth, not wanting him to alert the fleeing Fighting-type.

 **-000-**

Zahku decided to head back to the glade, as he was sure that about two or so minutes had passed and that they wouldn't be able to reach him in time. As he ran, he could hear the flapping of wings behind him and immediately knew what was coming.

Max and Dade flew after him quickly, their slingshots at the ready. They fired after him, but he just continued running and dodged the paintballs as the splattered on the ground.

"Oh come on!" Max exclaimed before he started slowing down. "Alright, forget it. We lose. They get the advantage."

Dade, having slowed down upon seeing Max do so, sighed. The Delibird was right, they probably wouldn't have enough time to catch him anyway, and somehow the Makuhita was quicker than them. However, upon realizing something, he growled to himself. "We're fucking idiots…"

"Hmm?" Max responded, raising a brow.

 **000**

"Did you seriously not think to use Ice Beam or do _anything_ to try to slow him down?" Portia inquired, holding her head in slight annoyance. Max, Dade, and Zahku had returned to the glade, with the Sawsbuck being declared the winners thanks to the Guts Pokémon.

"It uh… kinda slipped my mind," Max sheepishly admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey, you can't put _all_ the blame on those two bumblers," Art chimed in. "You and the spurned housewife just spent your time bitching about your lives, so you weren't much help, either."

"Oh, wait… you heard all of that?" Sasha queried.

"No duh. They had these monitors here for a reason," Art reminded, gesturing to the screens. "And it wasn't anything we didn't already know."

Sasha and Portia glared at the Ferrothorn, annoyed by his nonchalance toward their issues.

"Alright, let's just move along shall we?" Mew chimed in, ending their conversation. "Now, the Sawsbucks won thanks to Zahku's… Zahku-ness, so they get the advantage in the second part of the challenge."

Zahku threw off his antlers and tail and folded his arms, as the others on his team held accomplished looks. Meanwhile, the hunters had slightly anxious and peeved expressions plastered on their faces.

"Now, let's head back to the mess hall so we can start," Mew stated as the nine of them started heading back toward the mess hall.

 **000**

 **Portia groaned, "I feel like Dade and Max botched the challenge on purpose to try and make sure I didn't have any help in the second challenge."**

" **I'll show them that I didn't need the dumb advantage anyway. Hopefully the next challenge isn't too difficult and I can pull out a 'W'."**

 **000**

All of the contestants, and Mew, entered the mess hall and noticed that the tables were once again situated like they were when they had their merge breakfast. The only difference was that the white cloth clad tables were able to be sat at. There were eight different trays situated on the table, letting the contestants know where they would be sitting. A single red rose relaxed a glass bottle, forming a visual divider for the players' seats.

With all of this set up, it was easily discernible what the next challenge was going to be. Most of the contestants were either unbothered or excited, but a certain someone was less than enthused. "Oh no, don't tell me that this is an eating challenge…" Art drawled, finding the idea of eating more food from them grotesque.

"Oh, but it is," Victini said, coming from the kitchen wearing an apron and a chef's hat. "Yes, it is I, Chef Victini, here to serve up your next challenge."

"Is the outfit really necessary?" Portia deadpanned, thinking that the character act was a bit unneeded.

"Yes," Victini responded flatly. "Now, about you guys' challenge is pretty simple." He cleared his throat before further expounding, "Keeping on theme with the previous challenge, you'll be eating some Sawsbuck parts. However, they won't be your typical Sawsbuck parts. We have brains, eyeballs, testes, rectum, and heart."

"D- Did he just say rectum?" Dade inquired, his eyes widened in surprise as the others' faces were twisted in that of repulsion and nauseation.

"Yep, but don't worry, they've been cleaned thoroughly and have been boiled for your consumption," Victini explained. "And hey, some of you are carnivores, so this shouldn't be _that_ bad for you."

"Oh, and in addition to the parts themselves, they may be coated in other disgusting toppings and sauces to make things a bit more difficult for you," Mew added.

Hearing that, nearly everyone groaned or exchanged looks of uncertainty. Jessica groused, "Ugh… _great_."

"Now, each of you take a seat and the challenge will begin," Victini directed, clasping his hands together before floating back into the kitchen.

As the contestants went around and took their seats, Art once again expressed his disdain for the challenge, asking, "Can I just say fuck this and drop out?"

An annoyed visage formed on the New Species Pokémon's face, as he was growing steadily annoyed by Art's inability to just do what he was told without finding something to complain about. He answered, "No, not until you at least _try_ to eat something".

Art grumbled to himself as Victini returned with his own iron tray of multiple covered plates. The Victory Pokémon hummed to himself as he placed a plate onto each contestant's tray. Once they were presented, he explained, "Alright, lift your lids."

Everyone did as they were told and immediately recoiled by what they were seeing. There were a pair of eyeballs sitting on each of their plates, optic nerves and all. As they slowly settled back down, they heard Victini state, "We're starting small, as you can see. No pun intended, but acknowledged."

"This is sick!" Dade bellowed.

"Oh please, all of the parts we're feeding you are 100% edible," Victini replied, waving away his complaint. "Oh, and before I forget!"

Victini floated back toward the kitchen before returning a few seconds later with a tray with eight glasses of what appeared to be milk. "Some Sawsbuck milk to help you guys wash down the parts you'll be eating…"

"These will be elimination rounds," Mew began to explain. "You must complete your dish before your fellow competitors in order to move on to the next round. The player that's able to devour all of their dishes the fastest will win immunity in tonight's vote."

Mew soon added, "And, since the Sawsbuck won, their advantage is that they only have to eat _half_ of what is presented to them."

Expressions of relief washed over Jessica and Belladonna's faces, while Zahku didn't respond and Art rolled his eyes.

"Now… for this first round, the first six players to finish will move on," Victini said. "Dig in!"

 **-000-**

A close-up of the eyeballs on Portia's plate was seen before the camera panned up to the uncomfortable Rhyperior's face. She glanced to Belladonna, who had the same expression, even though she didn't have to eat both.

Nearly everyone had an expression of disgust on his or her face, not wanting to devour the sensory organs before them. However, with immunity at stake, it didn't look like they really had a choice. Jessica took a deep breath. "Okay," she said before biting into one of the eyeballs.

It immediately popped in her mouth, filling her maw with juice from it. The taste was highly bitter and sour, and the texture was completely odd and undesirable, nearly making her gag then and there. Everyone else just watched her, and her facial expressions weren't giving them much assurance. Eventually, the Bruxish managed to choke it down and panted in the aftermath, coughing a few times as well.

"So… how was it?" Max inquired, with Jessica giving him a narrowed side-eye in response.

"It was… something," she answered seriously. "The juice inside is just nasty and the texture is awful. But, it was still… _edible_ , at least."

"Well, _you_ sickos can eat this garbage, but I'm not doing anything," Art commented.

A sudden belch was heard, with everyone looking over to the source. And, of course, it was Zahku, with his plate completely empty.

Dade sighed, "Shoulda saw that coming."

Portia, seeing that, gained a competitive glare. There was no way that she was going to lose to Zahku. She needed this too much. She took a deep breath before picking up her plate and swallowing both of the eyeballs whole.

She shivered as she felt the two orbs slide down her esophagus. She eyed the glass of milk before her warily, as she had no idea how deer milk tasted, but she decided to try it in order to wash away the faint taste that was on her tongue.

She picked up the glass and took a sip of it, only to immediately gag a bit. The milk was alright at first, but the smell reminded her of manure and the taste was extremely earthy, as if there was dirt mixed into it despite the liquid being smooth.

Removing her lips from the glass, a grimace formed on her face. "Okay, the milk is a bit better, but still not great," she said with a strained voice. "It tastes like watered down milk mixed with dirt.

"Well, considering that you're a Ground-type, shouldn't that be good to you?" Dade inquired.

"And since you're a Bug-type that can fly, shouldn't you like to eat trash and shit like this?" the Rhyperior shot back with a glare.

Dade remained silent before looking back at the eyes staring up at him. He looked at the others and watched as Sasha plugged her nose and popped one of the eyeballs in her mouth. Max and Belladonna did the same, with Belladonna shuddering after the eyeball slipped down her throat.

"Mother of Arceus, that's bad…" the Golem commented, wiping her mouth.

"That's four players. Only two more of you will be able to move on, so you guys best hurry up," Mew stated.

Dade groaned silently as he stared down at the eyes once again. He looked to Art, who was just watching the others with mild amusement. "Don't look at me. I'm not doing it," he laughed. "And while you're stalling, you may wanna get eating if you don't wanna-"

"And the first two losers out are Art and Dade!" Victini announced. "Who spent more time chatting and looking around than actually trying to earn immunity."

Art huffed, not really caring about what the Victory Pokémon said, while Dade only groaned.

"You two, go over to the Kid's Table," Mew said, pointing to a small, decrepit table sitting in the front left corner of the mess hall. It wasn't there when they first walked in, but they could piece two and two together as to where it came from.

As the two of them made their way over to the Kid's Table, Art whispered to the Mothim, " _You've got some explaining to do, Buster!"_ To this, Dade just sweatdropped, surmising that he was going to mention the stream.

Victini had gone back in the kitchen to fetch the remaining contestants' next dishes, allowing them to prepare themselves mentally and physically. Max had taken a few gulps of the milk before him, smacking his beak (lips). "Huh, not _that_ bad," he commented.

"You actually like that deer juice?" Portia inquired, raising a brow. "Ew…"

"Hmm… wouldn't say that I _like_ it," Max said, inspecting his glass. "It's just… not bad."

Jessica shook her head with a soft giggle as Victini returned with another tray, this time having six covered plates.

He placed a plate in front of each of the remaining contestants before settling next to Mew once more. "Alright, lift your lids," he directed.

Despite their hesitation, everyone did as they were instructed, removing the lids from their plates. Sitting on each of their plates was a pair of pinkish-white orbs, with darker pink lines running through them in different sections.

Belladonna's eyes widened, as she immediately recognized what was before them. "Are these… testicles?"

"Yep, Sawsbuck testicles, otherwise known as Twist Mountain Nuggies," Victini introduced. "Boiled just for you guys."

"For this round, the first _four_ of you to finish will move on," Mew explained. "And… GO!"

 **-000-**

"I've had fried versions of these," Belladonna said, picking one up with a nostalgic smile. "But, the ones I had were from a Bouffalant, so they were a bit bigger. They weren't bad at all from what I remember."

She took a bite of one of them with no hesitation, causing a bit of juice to spray out, surprising a few of the others. Max, being one of the only guys still in the running, couldn't help but flinch upon seeing the Golem bite into the organ.

"Uh… okay, I'm not sure if I'm gonna be able to do this one," Max stated with a grimace, pushing his plate away.

Jessica didn't like it when Max quit or put forth hardly any effort, but with this, she could most definitely understand. "Well, I guess that's understan-"

A soft belch cut the Bruxish off. Everyone turned to the source and, surprise, surprise, Zahku's plate was empty. "Reminds Zahku of pork," the Makuhita stated, patting his stomach.

"Oh come on!" Max groaned in disbelief.

Sasha picked up one of the testicles on her plate, a bit nervous about having to eat one. She brought it up to her mouth and ran her tongue across it, only to recoil at the oddly familiar taste.

"What the heck? Zahku's right, this kinda tastes like a boiled pork chop or something to me," Sasha stated before taking a bite out of it. She had to peel away the thin, veiny outside any focus on the meat inside. The texture was a bit odd, but the vague taste of pork was still there for her, making it not as bad as she believed it would be.

Looking around and seeing that her fellow competitors were actually handling this dish better than expected, Portia knew that she'd have hurry and to before Jessica or Sasha did. Belladonna and Zahku had already finished, and Max had already said that he wasn't doing it.

Using the same maneuver as before, she picked her plate and swallowed both of the organs swiftly before holding her breath and taking a swig of the milk. She gagged in the aftermath, but she was moving on.

"Alright, it's down to Max, Jessica, and Sasha. One spot remaining," Mew stated. "And with the Sawsbucks' advantage-"

Jessica finally let out a breath. "Done…" she said, having finished one of the testicles on her plate.

"And Jessica moves on," Mew announced; he turned to Max and Sasha. "Sorry you two, shoulda been a bit faster. To the Kid's Table with you."

"I'm fine with not eating balls," Max chuckled as he flew up from his seat. "Not really my thing."

Sasha swallowed what was still in her mouth and let out a sigh, having done that for nothing. The taste wasn't bad, but the fact that she ate testicles and didn't get to move on was just depressing. She rose up from her seat before heading over to the Kid's Table as well.

As Victini headed back to the kitchen to fetch the next dishes, Mew explained, "Alright, we're down to the final four. Now, for these last three rounds, the _last_ person to finish their dish will be eliminated and have to go to the Kid's Table. Last one standing wins it. Got it?"

"And the milk counts as well. The glass must be empty by the last round. _Everything_ must be devoured," the New Species Pokemon added shortly after.

Belladonna and Jessica eyed their untouched glasses warily. Given Portia and Max's conflicting reviews of it, they weren't sure of how good it really was. They were gonna end up finding out eventually, though, as Victini returned with another tray.

Placing the contestants' plates in front of them, Victini chuckled. "This one should a bit easier for you guys. It's a bit bigger, but… y'know. Go ahead and lift your lids."

Doing as they were instructed, the final four contestants revealed their next course. It was a brown, medium sized, somewhat triangular piece of meat.

"Sawsbuck heart!" Victini announced. "And this time around, I've gone ahead and halved the portions for specific players."

Belladonna and Jessica both saw that they each had half of a heart on their plates, while Zahku and Portia both had whole ones on theirs.

"Now," Mew began. "Like I said. Last one to finish gets eliminated from the challenge. So, in three…

two… one… GO!"

 **-000-**

Knowing that Zahku would more than likely finish his heart within seconds, Portia immediately picked up the entire boiled organ and put it in her mouth. She didn't swallow it like she did the ones before. Once it was in her mouth, she started chewing it thoroughly.

This time, she could say that she somewhat enjoyed the taste. It was still meat, after all, and it wasn't _as_ disgusting as the previous two dishes. The only issue was that it was pretty bland, which was to be expected.

Belladonna hummed as she took a bite of her half-heart. "This is so weird…" she stated while chewing. "But… not that bad."

Jessica was enjoying this dish much better than the ones before, actually savoring what she considered to be _actual_ meat, despite how flavorless it was.

Portia finished up her heart with a sigh of relief. "Done!" she announced. Looking around, she was happy to see that neither Jessica nor Belladonna were finished, meaning that she was moving on.

She looked further down and saw Zahku patting his stomach, his plate empty. Her eyes tightened in a glare.

 **000**

" **I'm getting** _ **really**_ **sick of Zahku the Wonder," Portia growled, folding her arms. "I may have to switch from Jessica to Zahku…"**

 **000**

"And Jessica is out of the running!" Mew announced as Belladonna swallowed her last bit of heart.

Hearing the news, the Bruxish let out a sigh, as she only had a couple more bites left. She shouldn't have savored anything and just eaten.

"Jessica-"

"Yeah, yeah, the Kid's Table, I know," she responded, rolling her eyes as she floated over to the corner with the others.

Max and Sasha were actually sitting at the table, while Dade and Art were a bit away from it. Once Jessica came over, Sasha grew a bit perplexed. "So, now what are we going to do if Portia gets immunity?"

Jessica scoffed, "I honestly doubt that'll happen; Zahku's still up there. _But_ , if she somehow manages to win this, this'll be our chance to get rid of Zahku once and for all. He's too big of a threat to let continue, these challenges aren't really giving him an opportunity to help us, and we already have his clue. We don't really need him anymore."

Sasha nodded in understanding, while Max just rubbed the back of his head. He didn't really want Zahku to go yet. The guy gave up his advantage to try and make peace with them; he didn't want to kick him to curb immediately, especially after the two talked earlier that dat. He thought that they could even hang out a bit more.

"Uh… sure, Zahku makes a lot of sense, but why not Belladonna?" he inquired. "She's essentially Portia's second in command, and she's almost just like her. She's not scared out water, she's handled previous challenges pretty well…"

"Because I trust Belladonna much more than I trust Zahku," Jessica stated. " _And_ she actually expressed interest in joining our alliance, though I'm still a bit skeptical about that. So, getting rid of Zahku is just the all-around better decision."

Max let out a soft sigh.

 **000**

" **Okay, I know that the game is all about getting rid of each other and making it harder for the next guy to get ahead and everything, but… this just doesn't feel right to me," Max explained. "I don't know why. I mean, people have done screwy things in the past, like Honey getting Lynn eliminated, Tim throwing the challenge, Zahku going against us and voting for Kane…"**

" **...but, those were all pretty valid gameplay strategies, even though one was slightly out of jealousy and another was for revenge, but failed," the Delibird continued. "Eliminating him now would just feel like we're kicking him while he's down. Sure, he's the most formidable player in the competition, but at the same time, that puts a massive target on his back, so he has to make sure he wins, he already felt bad about voting for Kane** _ **and**_ **gave us his advantage to make up for it, the watchers pretty much hate him right now, he doesn't have many friends left in the game, and he can't speak as well as he'd like to."**

" **It just makes me feel… crappy," he finished.**

 **000**

"Alright, on to the next dish!" Victini said as he placed the next three plates before the remaining players.

Portia turned to Belladonna, whispering to her, "Bella, no matter what the next dish is, both of us need to immediately chow down on it so that Zahku doesn't win immunity."

The Golem grew a bit nervous after hearing that, but nodded in understanding. She just had to eat half of what the other two had to eat, and Portia's mouth was pretty big already, so if they pulled this off, they could easily vote out Zahku.

"Alright, lift your lids," Mew instructed.

Lifting the lids off of their penultimate plates, the girls' eyes widened immediately. It was brownish-pink mass that looked like it was made up of folds.

"Sawsbuck brains!" Victini announced.

"Okay, I'm pretty sure any Sawsbuck who sees this challenge is gonna want you guys dead," Portia stated.

"Hey, it's a Pokémon eat Pokémon, and other stuff, world," Victini retorted with a shrug. "They'll be fine."

"Now, the rule still remains. Last one to finish heads to the Kid's Table with the others. No chance at immunity," Mew reminded. "Get ready… and… GO!"

 **-000-**

As they planned, both Rock and Ground-type females shoved the brains into their mouths. The texture was so odd and the strange smell from it was making it a tad bit more difficult than they thought it would be.

Belladonna, having to only eat half, managed to finish off the brain, only to immediately go for the milk in order to wash it down, as a few small chunks were still on her tongue. She partially gagged drinking the milk, though she didn't complain, as Portia had already given her a review of it.

Speaking of Portia, she was still struggling a bit with the brain, having to go for the milk as well in order to wash it down. That was, until she heard-

"And it looks like Portia's out of this round."

She froze. She was… out? A knowing look formed on her face as she swallowed what was left in her mouth. At that point, she already knew that Zahku had finished, so she didn't even bother looking over at him. She simply rose up and sulked over to the Kid's Table in disappointment.

"Well, we're down to the final two," Mew stated as Victini went back into the kitchen. "Party rock girl and Zahku. Who's gonna win the immunity?"

As the banter continued over at the competition table, Portia just looked over to the others, who were watching the table. However, she briefly locked eyes with Sasha, almost giving her a pleading look. A bit unnerved, Sasha just looked down before focusing back on the challenge scene.

 **000**

" **There are so many options to choose from right now when it comes to what'll be best for us!" Sasha exclaimed. "Almost everyone is a threat in some way. Portia and Belladonna are both strong and in an alliance, Zahku is freaking insane, Jessica, Max, and I are together, and Dade and Art are practically both just out already, but they're still strategic."**

" **Ugh… why is this so difficult?!" she groaned. "I almost don't even wanna vote for Portia since we had our talk. And I can tell that Max doesn't wanna get rid of Zahku, either. I'd honestly be fine with voting Belladonna, but Jessica thinks that she can trust** _ **her**_ **more than Zahku, which is somewhat reasonable, but still doesn't make much sense!"**

 **000**

Victini chuckled as he exited the kitchen with the final tray, holding the last two covered dishes. "This is my favorite," he chuckled as he placed a plate in front of each of them.

He floated next to Mew, who explained, "Alright, the first one to finish their final dish _and_ drink all of their milk, wins immunity."

Belladonna looked anxiously at her covered plate, while Zahku was simply resting his head against his hand, looking boredly at his dish. "Lift your lids," Mew instructed.

In doing so, a pungent odor filled the mess hall. A long, slimy piece of flesh was piled on each plate, with Zahku having a bit more.

"What the hell is that?!" Art exclaimed.

"Sawsbuck rectum!" Victini revealed, causing Belladonna's eyes to widen.

"So… you're telling me... I have to eat Sawsbuck ass if I want to win immunity?" Belladonna questioned, the smell not bothering her as much as the others.

"Yep," Victini answered.

"Honestly didn't think I'd be eating any butt at all in my life, but… this show I guess," the Golem reasoned, shaking her head. She had already eaten brains, balls, and heart, why not rectum? She just had to hope that Zahku didn't eat all of his quickly.

"Alright, in three… two… one… GO!"

 **-000-**

Belladonna picked up a the rectum and the feel of it was already grossing her out a bit. Focusing on the fact that it was _boiled_ , she took a bite of it without worry about any fecal matter remaining inside. It didn't change anything, though, she was still eating a Sawsbuck's butt.

As she continued, she closed her eyes and just tried thinking of other things so that it wasn't as weird as it was. She imagined that it was a churro, as she was holding it like one, and just continued to much on it, only talking after swallowing chunks. "You know… this isn't that bad if you don't think about it."

"You're still eating deer ass, stop making it sound enjoyable!" Art shouted from the sidelines.

Ignoring the Ferrothorn, the Golem continued to push through. She only had a few more inches of rectum to go. However, her glass of milk was still more than halfway full.

A crazy idea formed in her mind as she finally opened her eyes after a while. She started tearing off chunks of rectum and putting them inside of the milk, causing the onlookers to look on in confusion and disgust.

"Bella, what are you d… Wait… that's genius!" Portia shouted in realization.

Belladonna finished tearing the remaining pieces of her rectum and putting them in the milk before taking the glass and starting to chug it.

The looks of disgust on the others faces remained as the Golem eventually finished, feeling a bit sick. She looked to her right to see if she managed to beat Zahku, but as it turned out… Zahku didn't even touch the rectum.

"Wait… Zahku didn't eat anything?" Belladonna said questioningly. "So… that means…"

"Yep, Belladonna, you win immunity!" Mew announced. "Congrats!"

"Yes!" the Golem cheered. "I won! I won!"

"Yep, I guess you got lucky that Zahku got a stomach ache or something…" Dade commented, looking to the Makuhita, who just started leaving the mess hall.

"Well, Belladonna has immunity at tonight's vote, so for now, just chillax, maybe throw up if you feel the need to, and we'll call you all when it's time," Mew explained.

"Wait, what about dinner?" Max inquired.

Mew chuckled, "Oh… I'm sure you guys aren't gonna be hungry after this challenge, _but_ , in case you still feel peckish…"

A box of granola bars appeared on the Kid's Table, with Art huffing, "Gee, thanks…"

"Hey, shut up, it's better than the crap we just had to eat," Portia stated as she took one of the bars and immediately unwrapped and took a bite of it.

 **000**

 **Max hummed, "It's not like Zahku to just give up like that. He didn't even touch the rectum, even though he ate everything else like a savage."**

" **I wonder what's going on…"**

 **000**

Max was flying around the island, searching for any sign of Zahku. He felt that he owed it to the guy to tell him that he _may_ be at risk tonight, but he also wanted to know why he did what he did, knowing how nearly everyone felt about him.

Eventually, he noticed a figure sitting on the cliff. And given that the others were still trying to get the taste of the organs out of their mouths, he coud only assume that it was the Makuhita. His assumption was correct, as he landed next to the Fighting-type, who was sitting on the edge of the cliff.

"Hey Z," he greeted.

Zahku responded, "Hello."

Unsure about how to start, Max rubbed the back of his head. "So… I just felt that I needed to tell you that… you may end up in the bottom two tonight. Not my choice, of course, but… you know," he explained.

Zahku nodded. "Zahku aware. Disliked because of helping get out bear man. Too strong for game. Got out nice bug lady. Make sense."

Max rose a brow, "Okay… so why didn't you try to eat the rectum in the challenge if you knew you were in trouble?"

"Because Zahku still safe anyway," the Fighting-type stated firmly.

Max grew a bit confused. "Wait, what do you mean by that?"

Zahku looked beside himself before reaching for something. He held up a small, wooden statue of Mew, causing Max's eyes to widen.

"Y-You found one of the immunity statues?!" Max excaimed. "How?! When?!"

"It why Zahku came to cliff," he explained. "At challenge, Zahku starting thinking about clue. After eat brain, Zahku realize, 'Don't push, close to edge.' And thought edge of cliff. Statue was beside rock.'"

Max shook his head in disbelief. "Whoa, wait, you're saying that… after you ate the Sawsbuck brain, you actually gained helpful knowledge? Wh- How does that even work?!"

Zahku could only shrug his shoulders, making things even weirder for Max. He managed to shake it off though, commending the Makuhita. "Well, congrats on finding the idol. I don't know for sure if you'll have to play it tonight, but just keep it on you in case."

Zahku nodded in response, as Max got back to his feet, preparing to leave. Unbeknownst to him and Zahku, Dade had been watching from a distance, having seen Max fly off. He wasn't sure about what they were talking about, but he didn't like it. Not one bit.

 **000**

" **Okay, now I'm worried that Zahku is gonna start working more with them instead of with myself and Art," Dade explained. "This one-on-one crud with Max just started and it already needs to stop."**

 **000**

Dade went back to his cabin, as Art had gone back there so that he didn't have to hear the girls chew the granola bars and talk about how awful the challenge was. He decided that it was time to present him with a new idea.

"Wait, you want to do what?" Art asked, sitting in his bed.

"We need to vote out Max," Dade repeated firmly.

Art scoffed, completely befuddled by his statement. "Um, I'm sorry, but do you _not_ realize that we have the prime opportunity to get rid of Portia, or maybe even Jessica?! The hell are we voting for the Santa guy for? "

"Because, this morning, he was talking to Zahku, and it sounded like the two of them were starting to get close," Dade explained. "Then, what does Zahku do? _He gives them his fucking clue_. And I just saw the two of them sitting on the cliff! I think Max is convincing Zahku to go against us."

"You really believe that?" Art deadpanned.

"It makes sense! Zahku was on his team for a while, so they already had a faint connection. Now they start talking one-on-one and learning a bit more about each other and forming a friendship and I'm not gonna stand for it!"

Art stifled a laugh. "Okay, first of all, you don't stand… you fly. Second of all, this sounds more like speculation based on _jealousy_ rather than a valid reason."

Dade gave him a look, a faint blush forming on his face. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he was a bit jealous, but that wasn't the point. "Okay, how's _this_ for a valid reason? The more threats remain in the game, the more hidden we become. Think about it. Zahku, Jessica, Portia, and sorta Belladonna are all seen as bigger threats than you and me right now. If we keep them in, we just let them fight amongst themselves until we're at least in the final five or so."

"That… actually makes sense," Art commended. "So, what? We just try to vote out Max and Sasha while watching the fireworks?"

"Pretty much," Dade explained. "Though having it done in intervals will balance it out. So, instead of Sasha after Max, it'd probably be Portia or Belladonna."

"Okay, that plan sounds decent, but… we don't have enough votes," Art reminded him. "I mean, besides _maybe_ Zahku, who the hell is gonna listen to us and vote for Max?"

Dade shrugged, "Hey, it doesn't have to happen tonight. I'd just prefer that it happen _soon_."

Art grunted as he turned to face the wall, "Whatever."

"What? Don't you want to go check the stream? We should get out there before they call us down," Dade reasoned.

Hearing that, Art let out a sigh. "You're lucky we need this," the Ferrothorn said as he began making his way out of bed.

 **000**

All of the girls were still in the mess hall, chatting with each other about the possible votes. Portia was still gunning for Jessica, and Jessica still wanted to go for Portia, however they were speaking as though they were on the same page.

"Zahku definitely needs to go, no question," Portia stated. "I really need to figure out what drugs he's taking, because that story he's giving us just _can't_ be true."

"I'm a bit skeptical myself, but that's the only explanation we've got," Sasha shrugged. "And I doubt drugs could make you do what he does."

As they talked, Belladonna hummed to herself, thinking about a possibility that could benefit the four of them even more. Eliminating Zahku would mean that the girls woud outnumber the guys, so they could easily pick them off one by one until the four of them were in the finals. However, the aspect of immunity and the immunity statues still proved to be a bit of a hindrance.

Despite that, she decided that it was worth a shot. If they didn't want to do it, regardless of who went home, she still had allies, or at least she hoped so. "So," she started, getting the other girls' attention. "What would you girls say to a Girls' Alliance? I mean, once we get rid of Zahku, we'll outnumber the guys. Then we can just pick them off until we get to the final four. It's a perfect opportunity!"

An intrigued visage formed on Portia's face. Belladonna hadn't presented this idea to her before, but it sounded pretty good. She looked to Sasha and Jessica, who had looks of consideration on their faces. "I mean… it sounds reasonable to me; it's an easy way to the final four."

"Yeah… it does sound reasonable, but what about…" Sasha began, only for Jessica to cut her off.

"There's no buts," the Bruxish stated, giving her a look. "It _is_ actually pretty reasonable... The fact that we'd have to vote out Max would be a bit of an issue, though."

"Yeah, he'd probably be a bit… _hurt_ ," Portia stated. "But, given his reactions to other eliminations, he probably wouldn't care all that much."

"Probably not," Belladonna chimed in. "But, this can only work if we _focus_ and keep our target on Zahku. Are you girls in?"

Sasha shrugged, while Jessica nodded and Portia smiled. With these replies, Belladonna formed her own smile.

A few seconds later, Max came back to the mess hall, peering in through the door to see if the others were still inside. Seeing the girls, he immediately called out to them. "Uh… Sasha, Jess, I need to talk to you guys for a bit…"

The girls exchanged looks of confusion, before Jessica answered, "Uh… okay hon, just a minute…"

 **-000-**

Max went back out and waited on the outside, rapidly tapping his foot. He really needed to warn the girls about Zahku's idol before they got called down.

Eventually, the two girls exited the mess hall, with Max letting out a sigh of relief. "Finally," he commented. He gestured to their cabin before flying over to it, the two girls following him with looks of confusion.

Once they were at the stairs of their cabin, Jessica asked, "Max, sweetie, what's going on?"

The Delibird took a seat on one of the stairs, revealing, "Zahku has an immunity statue."

Both Sasha and Jessica's eyes widened in shock. Jessica exclaimed, "WHAT!? Please don't tell me-"

"Yes, it's from the clue he shared with us…" Max explained. "He told me that eating the brain helped him figure it out somehow, and that's why he didn't eat the rectum."

"Because he knew that he'd be safe," Sasha reasoned.

Max nodded, "Yeah, that's why I think we need to vote for Portia instead. If we vote for Zahku, then it means nothing."

A sudden realization caused a look of wonder to form on Jessica's face, "Wait… who's to say that he'll even use the statue tonight? I mean, he could use it any time."

"I'm pretty sure that if Mew or Victini tell him he's going home, he's going to whip it out," Max replied.

With that now in mind, an idea formed in Jessica's head. "Actually… this could work out well."

Max and Sasha exchanged looks of confusion, with Sasha asking, "Uh… how so?"

"You heard Belladonna, Sash," Jessica giggled. "She wants a girl alliance once we eliminate Zahku. We can still do that, but act like we don't know about Zahku's idol. That way, it'll be out of play and he'll have to find another one. Then, Max can vote for Portia, and since I'm pretty sure that Art and Dade will vote for her, too, she'll be the one going home!"

"Okay, but what if they decide to vote for _you_ instead?" Max responded. "They worked with her before, so voting for you would probably be better for them…"

"Well, we don't know that, now do we?" Jessica queried. "We can always just ask them."

"Ask? Jess, I doubt that they'll be honest with us..." Sasha inquired.

"They will if they know what's good for them," Jessica stated, turning toward the Blue Team's cabin. "Come on…"

The Bruxish started floating toward the cabin, with a nervous Sasha and a skeptical Max in tow.

 **000**

"I wonder what that was about…" Belladonna stated as she grabbed another granola bar.

"Hey, whatever it was, it got them out of our hair, which is good, because I need to talk to you," Portia said, sitting against the wall.

The Golem had a slight feeling that she knew what her friend was going to say, but she nodded anyways, responding, "Um… okay. What's up?"

"Why didn't you let me know about your idea of an all Girls Alliance beforehand?" the Rhyperior inquired.

Belladonna explained, "Because I literally thought about it when it was just the four of us in here talking about eliminating Zahku."

"Well, it served as a much better red herring than I tried to do earlier," Portia chuckled, not noticing that Belladonna's expression turned from one of indifference to one of confusion. The Rhyperior continued, "I talked to Jessica earlier in the hunting challenge and had her thinking that we were just gonna stay out of each other's way and just focus on eliminating Zahku and the other two, but an all girl alliance is a much better cover."

"But… Portia, I was being serious," Belladonna explained. "I mean, this is _really_ an opportunity for us to take control and knock out the serious competition. Are you saying that you were just acting like it was a good idea to trick the others?"

Portia shook her head. "No, Bella, it _is_ a good plan, but do you really think that Jessica and Sasha are gonna betray Max anytime soon? They've been together for far too long!" she explained. "Like I said this morning, no matter what threesome we work with, they'll just vote us out once everyone else is gone. That's why we need to vote for Jessica, so that her alliance is weaker and we can be in control. I'm sure we can get Dade and Art to vote for her, too."

Belladonna sighed, "Porsche, you don't know what could happen if we do that. What if they found the idol? What if Max and Sasha decide to work with Art and Dade for retaliation? Our safest bet is to just vote for Zahku and get rid of the hugest threat in this game."

"And there's also a chance that they'll all just vote for me and I'll be the one gone," Portia replied, holding her head. "Ugh! This is too fucking complicated! So many fucking factors…"

Belladonna grabbed her leg, "Like I said, let's just vote for Zahku and be done with it."

Portia looked her friend in the eye and let out a soft sigh, removing her hands from her head. "Okay, we'll vote Zahku. Having him go first will make things a lot easier for us, anyway…"

Belladonna smiled at her before the two high-fived.

 **000**

After a couple more hours, the contestants were called down to the elimination area. Tension was at an all-time high, with multiple threats having a chance at being eliminated. It all came down to who was loyal and who decided to do their own things.

Mew and Victini approached the contestants, the latter holding the chip box this time. "Hello soon-to-be final seven. You guys certainly dealt with things that weren't so near and _deer_ to you," Victini joked.

A few of the contestants cringed at the awful joke, with Art asking, "Okay, can someone smack him for that?"

"Ignoring that attempt at a joke, let's jump right to the votes," Mew stated, earning him a glare from Victini.

"Wait!" Belladonna spoke up, getting the hosts' attention. "Uh… can I give my immunity to someone else?"

Everyone else's eyes widened in shock, including the two hosts. They exchanged looks, with Victini stammering, "Uh… well…"

"No way!" Dade spoke up. "We already voted, so she wouldn't even be in any danger. She'd just be saving someone else. That's not fair."

The other contestants agreed with the Mothim, as Portia glowered at him.

"Dade has a valid point, Bella," Mew responded. "You can't try to pass your challenge-earned immunity to someone else if you've already voted."

"Now if you had done it after you won the challenge, _then_ it could have happened, but otherwise, no dice," Victini chimed in.

Belladonna let out a sigh, with Portia patting her on the back. "It's okay. Thank you for trying," Portia credited, with Belladonna nodded in response.

"Anything else?" Mew asked, looking at each of the competitors. They all simply exchanged looks with one another.

Hearing silence, the New Species Pokémon continued, "Okay. You all should know the drill by now. Belladonna, you've got immunity, so you get your bag first."

Victini tossed her bag at her, which she caught effortlessly.

"Now, those of you who had no votes," Mew proceeded. "Sasha, Jessica, Art, and Dade."

Art's bag hit him in the face once again, as he didn't bother trying to catch or block it, while the other three caught theirs either physically or by using telekinesis. It was just then that realization hit Jessica.

"Wait… Max got votes?" she asked, looking to her boyfriend in worry. The Delibird shrugged his shoulders in response, not knowing what to make of it.

"Portia… you're safe as well," Mew said. "Only one vote."

Portia let out a sigh of relief as she caught her bag.

"Alright, Max and Zahku at the bottom," Mew acknowleged. "I have to say, I was a bit confused by this vote. I honestly expected another situation like last night where two threats were at risk, but whatever."

Seeing his position, Max cursed to himself. Unless Zahku decided not to use his idol, he was going to be screwed big time. Zahku silently sighed to himself.

"The person going home is…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

...Zahku. Max, you're safe."

The Delibird knew that that wasn't true just yet, as did Sasha and Jessica. He just turned to Zahku, who didn't move an inch, as he stared down at the sand. The Makuhita could hear his heart beating in his head. After a few seconds, the Makuhita took a deep breath and hopped out of his seat.

Max let out a sigh of relief, as did Sasha and Jessica. However, Zahku had hopped down for a reason. He started digging underneath the spot he was sitting in, confusing the hosts, as well as the other contestants.

"Uh… Zahku, what are you doing?" Portia questioned. "You're out of the game, already."

Zahku eventually stopped his digging, uncovering a small sand-covered statue of Mew. "No, Zahku isn't…"

Max's eyes widened, as did the others, Dade and Art especially.

Dade began, "Is that-"

Jessica growled with a glare. "ZAHKU, DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!"

Zahku ignored her protest and handed the statue to Mew before heading back to his seat.

Mew inspected the statue to check its authenticity before chuckling to himself. "Uh… well, this _is_ one of the hidden immunity statues. That means, all of the votes for Zahku are null and void. Therefore, Max… you're out."

Everyone's eyes widened in shock, while Jessica simpy had a look of rage on her face. Zahku had not screwed her alliance once, not twice, but now THRICE _and_ at the same time, her boyfriend was getting eliminated! He was going to pay.

Max let out a sigh of defeat. He couldn't even really be mad at Zahku, as he _told_ him that his name was going to be brought up. He just didn't think that the other person would be him.

"Well… it's been fun," the Delibird said, hopping out of his seat.

Sasha picked up the Delibird, giving him a hug, "I'll miss you, Max," she said, causing him to chuckle.

"I'll miss you, too, Sash," he responded as she released him. "Just keep on this new path you're going down. You know you got this."

The Nidoqueen nodded affirmatively before she turned to Jessica, who simply had an angry-sad expression on her face. Seeing this, Max let out a sigh before flying up next to her. "Jess, it's okay. I'm sure that you'll still do great out here."

"I'm going to get him out of here, I swear…" she stated shakily.

"Hey, hey, hey, calm yourself," Max said, giving her a peck on the cheek. "It isn't the end of the world. Just keep playing the same way you've been. And _don't_ try to kill Zahku, okay?"

Jessica huffed, "No promises…"

Max groaned as he landed and hopped back down to ground level. Zahku hopped out of his seat once again as well, walking over to the Delibird, which made Jessica glare daggers at him and growl.

"Zahku sorry, but… had to do best for him," the Makuhita stated. "Still friend?"

Max chuckled, "Yeah, still friend…"

The Guts Pokemon let out a sigh of relief.

"Max, the Lapras is waiting. Time to head off," Victini chimed in.

Max nodded, flying toward the Transport Pokémon. He turned back to wave to the others, "Well, I'll see you guys around."

"Bye Max," Belladonna replied, waving back.

A few of the others waved back as well as the Lapras swam away with the Delibird.

The hosts turned back to the final seven, with Victini commenting, "Well, I've gotta say that _that_ was a shocking elimination."

Mew chimed in, "My immunity statue is now back in play, so if I were you guys, I'd keep searching all around. Don't just wait for the clue rewards; aome clues may already be around you."

"Now, head on back to the campgrounds. I _know_ that there's gonna be a lot to talk about," Victini chuckled.

The contestants started vacating the elimination area, with Jessica still having a pissed expression, and Dade and Art exchanging looks before looking back at Zahku, who was trailing everyone.

The hosts looked back to the camera. "Well, that certainly was a shocking elimination. Max was honestly my pick to win the game," Mew commented.

"Yeah, well, it just goes to show that anything can happen on the show. And with both immunity statues in play again, we may have more moments like that heading our way," Victini added.

"Will Jessica have a breakdown? Will Art and Dade do better with the challenges? And the most important question: Will anyone else be Zahku'd? Find out next time on our Island Challenge!" Mew finished.

 **000**

 **Art smacked his lips, "I guess I'll stick with the munchkin's plan and vote for Santa boy."**

 **000**

" **Bye-bye, Zahku," Belladonna stated confidently.**

 **000**

" **This'll teach you to fuck with** _ **my**_ **friend!" Dade chuckled. He then looked at the camera and cleared his throat. "I mean, Max is a casual threat. See ya!"**

 **000**

 **Jessica huffed, "Well, we couldn't find Dade and Art in time, but hopefully the plan still works. If not, then.. I don't know."**

 **000**

 **Max sighed, "Once again, I'm voting for Portia. Something that I** _ **hope**_ **others do, too."**

 **000**

" **I told Bella that I'd vote for Zahku, so that's what I'm gonna do," Portia stated, folding her arms.**

 **000**

" **Zahku, I suppose," Sasha shrugged.**

 **000**

" **Zahku is voting for himself. He not getting major blame this time!" Zahku declared.**

 **000**

 _ **Votes:**_

 _ **Zahku - 5 votes (Belladonna, Jessica, Portia, Sasha, Zahku) - Do not count**_

 _ **Max - 2 votes (Art, Dade)**_

 _ **Portia - 1 vote (Max)**_

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 _ **Merged - (Art, Belladonna, Dade, Jessica, Sasha, Portia, Zahku)**_

 **000**

 _ **Elimination Order:**_

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)**_

 _ **19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)  
**_

 _ **18th - Marley Banner (The Pranking Prodigy)  
**_

 _ **17th - Lawrence "Lucky" Addams (The Unlucky Charm)**_

 _ **16th - Lynn Jamison (The Calm Leader)**_

 _ **15th - Christopher "Chip" Torwood (The Buff Brain)**_

 _ **14th - Christine Reynolds (The Composed Musician)**_

 _ **13th - Richard "R.J." James Mitchell (The Flustered Hothead)**_

 _ **12th - Honey Winchester (The Royal Pain)**_

 _ **11th - Timothy "Tim" Lester (The Affable Introvert)**_

 _ **10th - Tonya Newman (The Inquisitive Speedster)**_

 _ **9th - Kane Mitchell (The "Daddy Bear")**_

 _ **8th - Maximus "Max" Nichols (The Cool Companion)**_


	15. The Escapists

**000**

As the final seven contestants returned to the campgrounds, there was mostly silence, as hardly anyone expected Max to be the one going home, not even Art and Dade! Despite this, the Mothim was happy that it happened, as it got rid of someone that he felt would get in the way of him and Zahku's connection.

The only thing he was worried about now was the statue that Zahku played. It was back in play, but he had no idea which clue it corresponded to. Did the Makuhita find the idol at the stream, or did he find another one?

He was going to have to interrogate his friend so that he and Art knew whether they should keep looking around the stream or not. This was extremely important, because with his and Art's votes being the ones that got Max eliminated, Jessica would most likely be gunning for them.

As they reached the campgrounds, Jessica immediately turned toward the other contestants and glared at all of them, barring Sasha, who stood behind her.

"Alright which of you voted for Max?" she growled, glaring daggers at them. "He did _not_ deserve to go!"

Nobody said anything initially, but eventually the Ferrothorn spoke up. "Hey, newsflash, fish trap, this is a competition. People you like are gonna be eliminated," he stated. "No one _deserves_ anything. It just happens."

"That wasn't the question," Jessica retorted, not wanting to hear Art's mouth unless he was answering her. "I asked… which of you voted for Max?"

Belladonna sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "Honestly, just telling you who we voted for may be easier," she suggested. "Uh… I voted for Zahku…"

"Same here," Portia admitted, folding her arms.

"Okay, and we voted for Zahku, too…" Jessica stated. "Now, that leaves Art, Dade, and _him_ …"

The girls turned back around to face the guys, who had been trailing them on the walk back. However, they were surprised to see that all three of the guys were now absent.

"Oh, and whaddya know? All three of them are gone," Jessica stated, glaring. She scoffed, "Figures."

Portia decided to bring up the Donphan in the room, reminding them, "Hey, there was a vote for me back there, too." She folded her arms, gruffly, asking "Any explanation on that? Because if the four of us voted for Zahku, and two out of three of them voted for Max, that means that there's one other vote for Zahku and the other for me…"

Sasha and Jessica exchanged looks, arousing suspicion in the Rhyperior, who narrowed her eyes at the two of them. Jessica decided to go ahead and ease her suspicion, explaining, "Max wanted to vote for you, so I assume that he did."

Portia's eyes widened a bit, but she understood, as she _was_ a threat. However, she couldn't help but be a bit confused. "But… why wouldn't he vote for Zahku instead? _He's_ the biggest threat!"

Sasha chimed in, "He knew about Zahku's immunity statue. He told us about it, but we voted for Zahku anyway because… well..."

Having not expected Sasha to expound upon the situation, Jessica let out a groan, which cut the Nidoqueen off. "Look, basically the choice was between you and Zahku. Max told us that Zahku found the immunity statue, but I figured that since Max was still insistent on voting you, and Art and Dade probably didn't want to deal with you, that us voting for Zahku still wouldn't matter. But… turns out it did."

Portia scoffed, "So, you guys tried to get rid of me with an immunity statue, but your plan backfired because Art, Dade, and Zahku didn't vote your way. Doesn't that make Max's elimination _your_ fault? You can't get mad or snippy at anyone else when _you_ had the opportunity to change the outcome. You got cocky, and your plan blew up in your face. And while I'm sorry Max is gone, I'm not gonna be sorry for you…"

The Rhyperior started walking toward the cabins, with Belladonna deciding to follow. Watching them go, Sasha let out a sigh. "Well, that didn't go over so well…"

Jessica let out a depressed sigh, looking down. "No... it didn't… but, she's right. I can't really blame anyone but myself," she murmured as she turned around and started heading back to the cabins.

Sasha passed her a look of understanding before proceeding to follow her. Jessica continued, "He kept insisting that we vote for Portia, but I got a big head and… now he's gone."

As they entered their cabin, Sasha attempted to console her, saying, "Hey, hey, it wasn't entirely your fault, Jess. We tried to talk to Art and Dade, but they weren't in their cabin, and we didn't see them until the elimination ceremony. How could we have known that they were gonna vote out Max?"

Jessica sighed in response, floating up to her bunk."You have a point , but we could have prevented it all together if I had just listened to Max…"

Sasha let out a sigh. "Well, like you told me after Kane got eliminated… being upset won't change anything. But, the difference in our situations is that Art and Dade _are_ touchable."

Jessica took a deep breath. She was disappointed in herself for being a partial reason why Max was eliminated, but she was also angry at Art and Dade for voting for Max in general. What reason did they even have to do so? After their previous conflicts with Portia, she thought that the Rhyperior would be public enemy number one for them.

And then there was Zahku. Oh… her dislike of the Makuhita has most certainly turned into an intense hatred and irritation.

 **000**

 **Jessica growled. "I… want… Zahku…** _ **gone**_ **. He's screwed over the alliance THREE TIMES after promising to help us out. THREE TIMES! He convinced Kane to target Tonya because** _ **she distracted him**_ **; he** _ **helped**_ **the others vote out Kane; and he just used his immunity statue and got Max eliminated!"**

 **She let out sigh of irritation, "Okay, the last instance was my own fault since Max warned us, but he still didn't have to use it! I'm sure he'd gain a bit more respect back after helping get rid of Kane, but** _ **no**_ **, he just puts a bigger target on his back."**

 **She huffed, "I have to admit, the weirdo is proving to be a bigger problem than I thought. We've gotta find a way to knock him out.** _ **Hopefully**_ **he doesn't find another statue."**

 **000**

Portia huffed as she slammed the door of her and Belladonna's room. She was understandably pissed. The fact that they were planning on eliminating her wasn't the issue, but it was the manner in which they were gonna try to do it.

"I can't fucking believe this…" Portia stated, sitting on her bed. "They were really hoping to get our hopes up, let Zahku play his idol, and then have me be the victim." She scoffed, "Forget about working with them…"

Belladonna could understand Portia's anger, but she still felt that she was overreacting. Taking a seat beside her, Belladonna sighed. "Portia, I honestly don't think that this is a big deal. Sure, they tried to vote you out, but that's the game. Plus, their plan backfired and they lost another alliance member. They got instant karma."

Portia grunted in response, not wanting to verbally admit that she had a good point. Belladonna continued, "Now we're either gonna stay fragmented _or_ we can try my idea of a girls' alliance again. Now that Max is gone, Jessica and Sasha don't have to worry about betraying him. So, we can pretty much run this game if we just join forces!"

Portia let out a breath, folding her arms. She didn't know if she could trust Jessica; she had a slight feeling that Sasha didn't go along with the plan willingly. She'd happily work with Sasha, but Jessica was a different story. She felt that she could trust the Nidoqueen, not as much as she trusted Belladonna, but still.

"I'd be fine with working with Sasha," Portia explained. "I still don't really trust Jessica. Especially after what just happened. If we somehow manage to convince Sasha to abandon the sinking ship over there, we'll have a bigger chance. And maybe we can pull in Zahku to be another vote. Then we'll have the numbers and we can get rid of the other three."

"Wait, you wanna keep Zahku in now?" Belladonna inquired, a bit confused by her idea. She felt like it'd be a pretty poor move on their part.

Portia let out a sigh. "At this point, the guy is either going to destroy us in these challenges, or find a way to save himself. And I'd rather have him be on our side than be against him."

That statement left Belladonna a bit more puzzled. She recalled the fact that Zahku was supposed to be helping Jessica's alliance, but the last two, well three, eliminations were members of her alliance, and he played a part in all of them! Belladonna was a bit nervous about that, not wanting to be another casualty of Zahku's supposed help.

"Uh… I don't think that's a good idea," Belladonna responded, rubbing the back of her head. "I still think we'd be better off with Jessica and Sasha than Sasha and Zahku. Zahku has caused Jessica's numbers to drop significantly. Who knows what'll happen if _we_ try to get him to help us? One of _us_ will probably end up going home."

Portia giggled to herself. "Bella, I think you're just scaring yourself. Zahku is not a threat to us when it comes to voting. I can't speak about what happened with them pre-merge, but _we_ were the ones who convinced him to vote for Kane. And Jessica just ruined her own alliance by trying to use Zahku's statue to take me out. So, Zahku's fine to work with. We just need to get to him before Dade and Art try something with him."

Belladonna let out a sigh of her own. "I guess…" she replied. "But, if you insist on this, how are we supposed to get Sasha alone without Jessica getting suspicious?"

Portia shrugged, "I honestly think that we could just tell her upfront. If she wants a better chance at survival in the game, she'd join forces with us. If not, with how things are looking, she'll probably be the next one out, and Jessica will be all alone."

Belladonna nodded in understanding, though she still didn't really like how Portia was thinking. There wasn't any real reason to try and demolish Jessica's alliance when they could easily join forces. But, the more she thought about it, the more sense it made for her to go along with it.

Jessica's numbers were down, so even if Portia got eliminated and she joined the two other girls, Dade, Art, and Zahku still had an opportunity to team up. It'd end up being a tie, then. It _would_ be beneficial to go with Portia's plan, however, Zahku had told her in the last challenge that he'd rather work alone. He said that he knew that he'd probably be screwed if he did, but he could still have that mindset, which worried her a bit.

She let out a sigh, "Well, hopefully things work out well…"

 **000**

Having retreated to the cabin with Zahku, Dade immediately questioned him. "Okay Zahku, spill it. Where did you find the immunity statue?"

"And more importantly, why the hell didn't you tell us you found it!?" Art exclaimed.

Zahku only blinked in response. He didn't believe that it was that important, as the statue was back in the game anyway. However, knowing that they weren't going to let him go without an explanation, the Makuhita let out a sigh.

"Zahku find statue on cliff after challenge," he explained, folding his arms. "Eat brain and understand clue better."

"Oh right, the clue that you gave away to the _other_ team and didn't bother sharing with your two actual allies," Art recalled.

Dade mentally sighed in relief, knowing that the statue that went with his clue was still out there. Plus, with both statues back, he'd have to keep his eyes peeled for any other possible clues that may come up. He was still sure that the statue he was looking for was somewhere around the stream, though he and Art searched and searched around that area before the ceremony, and came up empty handed.

"Okay…" Dade began. "Here's a deal, Zahku. Art and I are pretty much at the bottom since _we_ were the ones who voted for Max."

Upon being reminded of that, Zahku grew rather perplexed as to _why_ exactly they voted for Max instead of the person he knew that both Art and Dade disliked the most: Portia.

"So-"

"Why you vote for Delibird friend?" he interrupted, folding his arms.

Dade let out a sigh, "Zahku, does it really matter? He's gone. It's time to move on like we always do."

"It make more sense to vote for big rock lady since both dislike her," the Makuhita expounded, not wanting to let it go. He repeated, "Why vote for Delibird friend?"

Dade prepared to talk, but Art beat him to it, explaining, "Because he was jealous of how close you were getting to him. _And_ because we figured that since _he_ was the one that you were talking to alone, he was manipulating you into giving up your stuff. But, it was mostly jealousy on his part, I just went along with it."

Dade glared daggers at the Ferrothorn. "Gee, thanks…"

Zahku held his head in irritation. They really voted for Max, the only other guy that made him feel comfortable, even in the shortest time, because… Dade was jealous. Yes, Dade was one of Zahku's first and practically only _actual_ friend, aside from Lucky, but that didn't mean that Zahku could only talk to him.

"Zahku doesn't see why it such big deal," Zahku stated, giving Dade a look. "Zahku wasn't manipulated. Zahku felt guilt. And you no need to feel envy if still talk with you."

"Zahku, ever since you switched teams, you've been on the outs with them and trying to get on their good side," Dade stated firmly. "They only kept you around because you were strong and you were able to convince some of them. You're trying to keep your word to them, but you're _failing_ dude. This is a competition; you don't have to keep your word all the time. We've barely really hung out since the merge happened. And it was still just gameplay if we got together."

He continued, "You and Max were talking in the mess hall, _apparently_ about some personal things. _You gave them your clue_. And I saw you two sitting at the edge of the cliff together!" Dade exclaimed. "I just… I want to win this game, sure, but you've been like a brother to me in this game and… I just didn't want to risk losing you to someone who was probably just pretending to care."

Zahku rubbed the back of his head, sheepishly. He didn't realize that Dade cared about him that much. It still didn't excuse him voting out Max just because he was jealous, but at least he understood a bit more.

Art verbally retched, expressing his feeling toward the interaction. "Sappy friendship shit. Just… why?"

Dade glared at the Thorn Pod Pokémon once again, only breaking his gaze when Zahku started walking toward the door. "Zahku…"

"Zahku… is gonna go think," the Makuhita stated before exiting the cabin.

Dade let out a sigh of disappointment. He didn't think that eliminating Max would impact Zahku in the slightest. In previous eliminations, he would barely be affected, though more recently… he had been showing a bit more… emotion. "I hope that get rid of Max doesn't turn him away from us…"

Giving what he heard and how passionate he sounded, Art curiously asked the Mothim, "So… do you like have a crush on him or something or-?"

Dade growled to himself.

 **000**

 **Zahku let out a sigh. "Zahku is definitely working for self from now on. Moth friend is still friend, but Zahku just need distance from all right now. He promise help, but cause bad stuff. Need to find statue again and win challenges. Only way."**

 **000**

Mew and Victini returned to the Hall of Origin, as they typically do following the conclusion of an episode. Mew let out a soft chuckle, "I honestly didn't expect it to be Max. I really thought that Zahku had run out of luck."

Victini chuckled as well, nodding in agreement. "I did, too. But, some of them have their own agendas, so we shouldn't be that surprised."

A sudden exclamation was heard from the living room, getting the two hosts' attention. They proceeded toward the living room, passing through the kitchen, where Shaymin was making herself a cookie sandwich.

Mew greeted her, as Victini continued into the living room in order to see what was going on. "Uh… hey there, Shaymin," he greeted, floating up behind her.

"Hey, Mew," she responded, turning to him. "You and Victini finished with your episode for today?"

Mew nodded in response before acknowledging what the Gratitude Pokémon was making. It was a big sugar cookie with various scoops of ice cream on it, with an equally-sized chocolate chip cookie on the top with whipped cream on top.

"Uh… I'm guessing your sweet tooth is in control of you right now," Mew joked, folding his arms with a smirk.

Shaymin giggled in response. "You can say that. I haven't had any sweets in a while, so I'm just giving myself a big treat."

Mew chuckled, "Well, I'm sure it's well deserved. Just don't get _too_ sugar high."

"We'll see," the Grass and Flying-type replied with a smirk.

Mew smiled back, looking into her eyes. The stare continued for a few more seconds before Mew cleared his throat with a blush. "Well, uh.. I'm gonna… yeah…"

He floated to the living room, with Shaymin returning her attention to her dessert. She couldn't help but giggle at Mew, though.

 **-000-**

Entering the living room, Mew was surprised to see a table with cards sitting on it. The cards weren't playing cards either, but rather cards that listed different tasks such as 'Washing dishes' and 'Cleaning Kyurem's room'.

"Uh… what the heck is happening here?" Mew inquired.

"Apparently, instead of hating on our show… they're now betting on whose gonna win," Victini responded, folding his arms.

Mew sweatdropped, looking at the other legendaries in the room with narrowed eyes. "Really?"

"Hey, as much as we hate you guys, we can't knock the fact that you guys' show is the most successful," Entei stated. "So, we decided to make things more interesting for _us_."

Articuno added, "Yep, and since we don't really need money, we're wagering our chores."

Mew looked at all of the cards on the table and just shook his head. He refused to believe that there were _that_ _many_ things to do around the hall. "Uh huh…"

Latios growled, "And that damn mystical punching bag just got me cleaning people's rooms! Fucking stupid ass statue!"

The other legendaries either chuckled or smirked at the Eon Pokémon's misfortune. Victini gained a smirk of his own, folding his arms. "Okay, so now you guys are betting on the next elimination, right? I think I'll get in on this…"

"What!?" Mew exclaimed.

The Victory Pokémon shrugged, "Hey, I might as well get something out of this, too. Our popularity is great, but getting out of stupid chores is even better."

Jirachi gave the rabbit-fox a glare, not entirely sure if she wanted him to get involved, "Uh huh… and how do we know that you won't just tell your players to vote for certain people just so you win?"

Victini stifled a laugh. "I doubt that they'll listen to what I say when it comes to the votes. They all have their own things going on and it's already pretty good. Plus Mew probably wouldn't let me do it anyway."

Mew folded his arms, glowering at the Victory Pokémon. "You're damn right…"

"Well if that's the case, then I say that the ugly fish is gonna be the next one gone," Moltres spoke up. "It makes the most sense. Well, besides the wannabe homewrecker."

Articuno scoffed, "Screw you, I say that Zahku's time is up. There's no way that he'll be able to save himself again."

"He lost their last challenge _on purpose_ , I'm pretty sure that means that he'll be good for a few more rounds," Raikou chimed in. "He's playing smart."

"Uh huh… if he's so smart, then why didn't he try to win the immunity anyway, get the statue afterwards, and then give it to the Delibird so that the surfer bitch went home?" Thundurus argued.

As the legendaries began their debate and betting once again, Mew just shook his head and started going back to his room, not wanting to deal with it.

 **000**

The next day, on Jeje-Amawa Island, the weather seemed to be turning bad. Larger waves were forming and crashing, with the sky being filled with gray. The whistling of the wind sounded like eerie, echoing wails. The intense rustling of the leaves and the minor creaking of the wood of the cabins was causing Dade to stir in his sleep.

A sudden roar of thunder bellowed from the sky, eventually startling him awake. The Mothim sat up, panting as he looked around. He looked down and saw that Art was looking out of the window. The Ferrothorn acknowledged the Mothim's awakening.

"Morning, scaredy moth," Art stated as he started climbing back onto his own bed.

Dade flew toward one of the windows and looked outside to see that rain was pouring down heavily. The sound of thunder once again startled him slightly, but he got over it. "Well, I guess there's no challenge today…"

" _And_ no way of us going out to look for the damn statue," Art added. "Not to mention that all of the holes will be filled with water."

Dade let out a sigh, "Right." The Mothim then began thinking about something that he noticed regarding some of the challenges. He turned to Art, "You know, you complain a lot and tend to hate participating in the challenges. How do you intend on making it further if you don't try to win immunity or advantages ?"

Art scoffed, "Hey, I've participated in plenty of challenges. And I may complain, but if I feel like I'm gonna be alright, I'm not gonna participate. Simple as that."

"Yeah, but we're at the merge now. You never know what'll happen. And with us voting out Max, we're gonna be the main focus," Dade reminded.

"Yeah, and whose fault is that?" Art retorted, giving him a look. " _I_ wanted to get rid of Portia, but _no_ , your boner for Zahku made it so we voted out the guy who didn't do anything but talk to him. So if and when we get eliminated, I'm gonna blame _you_."

Dade rolled his eyes with a groan. "Look, the only way the two of us are gonna be able to stay in the game longer is if we _each_ find an immunity statue and/or break our backs in these challenges in order to win. We do that and we're golden."

"Uh huh…" Art deadpanned before looking back out of the window from his bed. "Well, unless our _gracious_ hosts decide that they want us all to get pneumonia, looks like there won't be a chance to do either of those things today."

"Yeah…" Dade replied. "Well, might as well sleep in…"

Right as the Mothim flew back onto his bed, a sheet of paper was slipped under the door, which Art took notice of immediately. "Hey, moth to a lame, we got mail…"

Dade looked back down at the ground and saw the sheet of paper there. He flew down and grabbed the paper, reading it aloud. "Despite the weather being dreadful, we will still be having a challenge today, so head into the mess hall for breakfast and a breakdown of the plan for today."

Upon hearing that they would have to go outside, Art let out a groan of aggravation. "Yep, of course they'd make us go out there... Fucking assholes," he groused.

Dade let out a sigh, looking out of the window again. "Well, no use in complaining. Let's just go."

 **000**

Already in the mess hall, Mew and Victini waited for the other contestants to appear, watching as the wind continued to blow intensely and the rain continued hammering down.

"I still don't think we should have had a challenge today," Mew commented, his arms folded.

"Hey, other shows always have their contestants play in the elements, no matter what," Victini explained with a shrug. "Plus, the challenge is still gonna be indoors…"

Mew huffed, "I suppose. Now, who the hell did you bet on last night?"

"Don't worry about it," Victini responded. "You aren't involved. Just know that I'm not gonna be tampering with anything."

"You'd better n-" Mew began.

Suddenly, Sasha rushed into the mess hall, panting heavily and dripping wet from the harsh rain. As she wiped her face, Victini chuckled.

"Ah, there you guys are," he commented as the other contestants began pouring in as well.

Jessica, Portia, and Belladonna weren't that bothered by the rain, nor the harsh wind, so they casually strolled in, dripping wet. Portia and Jessica both held looks of irritation, though.

Portia took a seat at one of the tables with a sigh, querying, "Any particular reason you guys are making us do a challenge in this weather?"

"Nope, we're just going with the flow," Victini replied. "Just because it's raining doesn't mean we're not gonna have a challenge. Now… where are Zahku, Art, and Dade?"

"We're right here, jackass," they heard Art respond as he entered the mess hall with Dade clinging to one of his vines. Noticing that Dade was still on him, Art gave him a look. "Uh… you can let go of me, now."

Dade released his grip on the Ferrothorn, shaking himself in an attempt to get dry. "I was lucky that I didn't get blown away," the Mothim stated, shivering slightly. "What's going on?"

"You missed the memo by a few seconds," Jessica deadpanned. "No matter the weather, they're still gonna have us do challenges."

"Oh, so you _are_ trying to get us all sick. Good to know," Art commented with a glare.

"Pipe down, Art. Other players in these types of shows go through challenges in these situations all the time," Victini replied, giving him a look of annoyance. "Now, we're just waiting on Zahku…"

"Zahku present," they heard a voice state from behind him.

They saw that the Makuhita was coming out of the kitchen, causing them all to stare at him in confusion. Despite not knowing how long he was back there, Mew cleared his throat. "Okay, uh… well, then. Now that all of you are here, we can explain what's going to happen."

"After breakfast, all of us will meet at the glade, where the challenge will be held. We'll explain more when we're there," Victini explained.

The final seven all gave the hosts looks of anger. They didn't feel that they needed to leave their cabins to hear this. They could have included that information in their notes and just given them all their breakfast at their cabins.

Belladonna folded her arms with a growl. "Ok, if this was all you guys were gonna say… why make us leave our cabins?"

Ignoring her, Victini and Mew exited teleported out of the mess hall, leaving their breakfast boxes behind. All of the contestants groaned as thunder boomed outside.

Dade stared at the breakfast boxes, having a feeling that another clue was inside one of them. If someone else picked the right box, he was screwed.

As everyone started walking toward the boxes, Dade groaned to himself. If he said or did anything, he knew that the others would immediately be suspicious anyway. He was going to have to hope that he either got lucky or that the others didn't notice the clue inside.

Everyone grabbed their own breakfast boxes, excluding Art. Dade and Art sat away from everyone, as usual, with Dade watching the others closely. He noticed the final breakfast box sitting on the table and quickly went over to grab it. He placed in front of Art, causing the Ferrothorn to give him a look of disapproval.

"What the hell are you doing, runt?" Art queried. The Mothim knew that he wasn't going to be eating any breakfast, but he still brought him a box.

"Remember, these breakfast boxes could have clues to the statues in them," Dade whispered to the Ferrothorn. "And with you not eating, not only do _I_ get double the deliciousness, there's double the chance of us getting another clue. We just have to hope that, if it's not in one of these, the others don't pay much attention."

Art rolled his eyes, "Yeah yeah yeah, just look through them already. If it's not in either of these, we'll just hang back and watch them. If one of them takes their box with them or whatever, we'll know who to watch out for."

Dade nodded in agreement before opening both boxes.

 **-000-**

Opening her breakfast box, Portia's eyes settled on what was inside. There were a couple of sausage links, two boiled eggs, and a waffle, with a couple of syrup packets on the side. She just shook her head, commenting, "I really wish that they'd consider having bigger portions for those of us who could pretty much eat this entire box in one bite…"

Belladonna giggled, "I doubt Greasy Al's does things like that. But, it would be cool, though." The Golem glanced over to another table, where Sasha and Jessica were sitting. Recalling Portia's idea, she turned to the Rhyperior, asking, "So, are you still planning on being upfront with Sasha?"

The Rhyperior looked back at the other table and hummed to herself. As the sound of the rain striking the roof reverberated around the building, she looked around the mess hall. Art and Dade were looking around as well, Zahku was sitting alone, and Jessica and Sasha were talking amongst themselves.

She hummed, "I think I'm gonna go for Zahku, first. I feel like he'll be easier to deal with."

Belladonna was still rather nervous about that, so she immediately decided to divulge the information she knew regarding the Guts Pokémon. "Okay, look Porsche, Zahku has told me that he wants to work alone. Granted, he also said that he knew that he was probably screwed if he does, but he still told me that in the last challenge."

Portia hummed, looking back at the Fighting-type. "Well, if he knows that he's probably screwed if he tries to work alone… he shouldn't reject the offer."

The Rhyperior got up and started walking toward the Makuhita, causing Belladonna to sweatdrop. She opened her own box and immediately, her eyes widened. Three numbers, written in permanent marker, where on the inside of the box's lid. In smaller print underneath the three numbers, read 'Possible Immunity Statue Clue: Useful in Today's Challenge.'

She looked around to see if anyone else was paying attention to her, and was happy to see that no one was paying her any mind. Portia seemed to attract most of the attention when she went over to talk with Zahku.

She gazed back at the numbers, which were written as roman numerals: VI, XXIII, XXXVII. "Uh… okay…" she whispered to herself. "That's… 6, two Xs, that's… 20, I think, so 23… and then that'll be like… 36. So, 6, 23, 36…"

As she repeated the numbers to herself so that she didn't forget them, she kept her eyes on the others, not wanting them to know about it. Honestly, she didn't even want Portia to know about it, because she had a feeling that the Rhyperior would mainly focus on the immunity and likely keep it in her possession.

Now, that may not have been true at all, but the possibility was there and she wasn't risking it. Once the numbers were memorized, she tore off the lid and put it underneath the bottom of the box so that Portia didn't see it when she came back over.

 **-000-**

Her actions didn't go unnoticed, as Art narrowed his eyes at her before nudging Dade. "I think Portia's lackey got it…"

Dade, who was eating from the boxes, immediately looked over to Belladonna in surprise. He looked back at Art, asking, "How do you know?"

Art gave him a look, "Well, considering that she was staring intently at her lid with wide eyes, and then tore it off and put it under her box… yeah, I think it's safe to say that the bitch has it."

Dade let out a soft sigh of irritation. Out of everyone to get it, it had to be her. Though, a new idea came into his head as Art turned his attention back to Zahku and Portia, who were still talking.

"Say… what do you say to convincing Belladonna to work with us?" Dade inquired.

Art gave him a look. "You really think that she's gonna want anything to do with us? Oh, please," he rolled his eyes.

"No, no, I don't mean for real. I mean, we can convince her to work with us, tell her that we'll do what she says since we're pretty much screwed if we don't, and then, if she tells us, we'll tell the others about her finding her clue in the box and say that she needs to go," the Mothim explained.

Art stared at him in awe. "Okay, did you come up with that just now, or did you have that set up for somebody else?"

"Just now," Dade explained, looking back over to the Golem. "When your back's against the wall, you've gotta be constantly thinking, and I'm a quick thinker…"

"Okay, but there's a problem, Einstein," Art retorted, "There's a pretty big chance that she's gonna tell Portia when she gets back over there, plus, I really _really_ doubt that she'll believe anything you say anymore."

Dade looked back at the table where Portia and Zahku were still engaging in conversation, gaining a smirk. He turned to Art, "You never know unless you try…"

The Mothim started flying over to Belladonna, causing Art's eyes to widen. The Ferrothorn shook his head with a groan.

 **000**

" **The moron had a decent plan, now he's gonna end up ruining it," Art commented.**

 **000**

"Okay, what the hell is going on right now?" Jessica asked as she watched Dade approach Belladonna and start talking with her. First Portia went to Zahku, and now Dade is going to Belladonna? What the heck was happening? She was beginning to get a bit paranoid.

"I don't know," Sasha answered, having watched the actions as well. She was a bit unnerved by it as well, though she was trying her best not to let it show. "I guess they're trying to make deals or something."

Jessica hummed in response, scanning the room before setting her eyes upon Art, who was sitting alone at the moment. She growled to herself, as she despised the Ferrothorn's attitude and overall personality, plus he voted for Max. Why would she want anything to do with him?

However, with Portia being angry at her for their plan, she was going to need some help. He hated Portia as well, so maybe they could reach some sort of agreement if she tried talking to him. After getting to know Chip a bit better she appreciated him more, so maybe the same could happen with Art?

"Well, I'm not gonna just sit here and wait to be spoken to," she stated firmly. "I'm gonna try and talk to Art and see if he'd be willing to help us vote out Portia."

Sasha was a bit surprised by this, recalling, "Aren't you still mad at him and Dade for voting for Max?"

Jessica sighed, "I'm getting over that, because with Portia and Zahku still in the game, I feel like I'm in a bit of danger now. Especially if they're over there chatting right now. She may convince him to join up with her and Belladonna. Then it'll be the three of them versus the rest of us, but if we manage to get Dade and Art on our side, we may stand a chance."

"But… Dade's talking with Bella," Sasha reminded. "I don't know…"

"I'm just gonna try," Jessica responded. "If he acts like he usually does and doesn't give me a chance, then I- no, _we_ are going to have to find the immunity statues and win the immunity challenges."

 **-000-**

The Bruxish approached the Ferrothorn, who immediately took notice of her and stifled a laugh. Once she was next to him, he commented, "Okay, what the hell is this? Enemy chat day?"

"Ha ha…" she dryly replied. She let out a groan, "Look, I know that we don't like each other. At all. But at this point in the game, some of us are going to need to work together if we want to take out the bigger threats."

Art rose a brow, "So… you're saying that you wanna work with me?"

"I wouldn't be here talking to you if I didn't…" Jessica deadpanned. "So, what do you say? And please… be serious."

Art hummed to himself, as he was going to have to think deeply about this. He honestly didn't know if he wanted to work with her and Sasha; it just seemed counterproductive. As soon as they got together and eliminated the perceived 'bigger threats', they'd be left with them, and he was sure that if Belladonna was still in at the time, she'd join in and they'd vote for him and Dade.

It all came down to Dade's plan. If they managed to knock out Belladonna, then he'd definitely consider joining them… for a brief while. As of now, he wasn't willing to just give in. "I'll… get back to you on that. There are few… _factors_ that have to go into place first."

Jessica gave him a look, "So, I'll take that as a maybe…"

"Take it however you'd like," Art responded with a shrug. "Like I said, there are a few factors that I have to wait on, first. Then, I'll _probably_ let you in on it and then you'll get your answer."

Jessica rolled her eyes and floated back toward her original table. In the back of her mind, she was glad that he didn't just outright decline, but she was still frustrated at not getting a straight answer.

Returning to Sasha, the Nidoqueen asked, "Well?"

"It's… a maybe," she explained. "He kept saying something about certain factors playing out or whatever, so we have to _wait_ for an answer…"

Sasha let out a sigh. "Well, it's better than nothing…"

Jessica nodded in agreement before looking back over at the pairs that were still talking.

 **-000-**

Belladonna passed Dade a look of wariness, unsure about whether or not she could trust him. Not only was their history not the greatest, but she had _just_ found a clue to an immunity statue. The timing was just too coincidental.

"So, what do you say?" Dade queried. "Art and I have nowhere else to go and we need _somebody_ to work with."

Belladonna hummed to herself, slight on high alert. She wasn't entirely sure if it was in her best interest to work with them, at least at the moment. Portia was still in the game, and she definitely wouldn't disapprove. Once Portia was gone, she wouldn't have to worry about sharing the clue with her and make her a bigger threat, and she'd more than likely end up being a swing vote.

She noticed that Portia was coming back over and knew that she'd more than likely ask about Dade. "Look, I'll think about it and talk to you guys later. Now's not the time."

Seeing how she looked, Dade knew that Portia was coming back. When she returned to the table, her eyes narrowed at Dade, giving him a death glare. He tried to act like her presence wasn't scaring him, but her piercing glare was too much for him, causing him to clear his throat and fly back toward Art.

She turned back to Belladonna, expecting an explanation from the Golem. Seeing the look she was getting, Belladonna gave the Rhyperior a simple explanation. "He's trying to get me to work with him again…" she said, rolling her eyes.

Portia huffed, "Of course… He knows that he and Art are screwed, so of course he's gonna try to get you back. No one else is gonna work with them."

Belladonna looked over at Zahku, who was simply eating his breakfast like normal. She saw Dade immediately fly over to him, causing her eyes to widen a bit. She looked back at Portia. "Say, uh… what all did you say to Zahku? You were over there for a while."

"Oh…" Portia began, picking up one of her eggs. As she inspected it, she explained, "I just explained to him how helping me and you would be the best thing for him. Like you said, he told me that he was planning on working alone, and I kept trying to talk him out of it and get to know him a bit more so that he'll trust me."

She glanced back over to the Fighting-type, but immediately glared upon seeing that Dade was with him now. "I don't know if it worked or not, but hopefully he decides to work with us." Resting an elbow on the table, Portia sighed, "Arceus, this game is getting too complicated…"

Belladonna giggled, "Well, we're getting closer to the end, and we're all decent contenders for the finals. Things are bound to be intense."

Portia let out another sigh, knowing that she was telling the truth. "Well, hopefully things settle down after the next couple of votes…"

 **000**

" **Luckily, Zahku was willing to talk to me," Portia stated, dripping wet from the rain. "He gave me the whole spiel about him not wanting to rely on others and vice versa, but I had to try and get it through his head that helping us also helps him. Sure, we're gonna vote him out as soon as we're done with him, but hey, that's the game."**

" **I just hope that Dade doesn't fuck it up since the two of them are so close…"**

 **000**

 **Despite the awful weather, Dade managed to make it to the confessional, sopping wet.**

 **Having spoken to Zahku shortly after his and Portia's conversation ended, he stated, "Okay... so Portia tried to get Zahku to join her and Belladonna. He… uh… told me that he was gonna start doing things by himself from now on and uh… that really hurts."**

" **I mean, I guess that means that we can still count on him for votes if we ask, but… he won't be** _ **completely**_ **with us anymore and… I don't like that."**

 **The Mothim let out a depressed sigh. "This is exactly what I was afraid of… Now we definitely need other allies. The only other people left are Jessica and Sasha, and according to Art, Jessica asked if he wanted to work with them. This** _ **could**_ **be a good thing for us. But, we'll have to see what all happens after the challenges."**

 **Suddenly, the confessional door swung open due to the wind, startling him.**

 **000**

Finishing breakfast, everyone made their way through the pouring rain and intense gale in order to reach their general meeting area, the glade.

The temperature had dropped significantly, so they were all shivering, except Zahku and Art. Their eyes settled on an enormous, rectangular structure that stretched across nearly the entire glade. Mew and Victini, the latter of whom was wearing a raincoat, were floating in front of a pair of doors.

Once they were all lined up, Victini began, "Alright, welcome to today's challenge, which will take place in here. Each-"

"Okay, can we just go inside since it's drier?!" Mew suddenly snapped, growing annoyed by the cold rain and wind.

Victini chuckled, "Hey, not my fault; you didn't call dibs. Plus, I'm a Fire-type; rain hurts me more than it hurts you."

"P-Please, can we just go inside if it's dry, like Mew said?" Sasha inquired, who was hugging herself and shivering.

Victini groaned, "Fine…"

 **-000-**

Inside of the structure, the temperature was a bit higher, which was already better for everyone. The entrance itself was wide, with the walls being an eggshell color and the floor being covered in a red velvet carpet. The most notable thing, though, was the fact there were three different sets of gray doors with the numbers 1, 2, and 3 painted on them with white paint.

After everyone got settled, Victini began, "As I was saying, today's challenge will take place in here. Today's challenge is based on the 'escape room' game. For those of you who are clueless as to what that is, an escape room is a game where you are placed in a room and you must solve puzzles hidden around the room in order to escape."

"We already know; you had us do that before in the kitchen," Jessica recalled.

Victini shrugged. "Eh, oh well. Now, as you can see, there are three separate paths beyond these door and each path consists of three escape rooms that you must complete," he explained.

"Now, even though _I_ suggested doing this when there were six of you left in order for it to be even, there are seven of you left," Mew chimed in, making Victini roll his eyes. "You guys will be separated into three groups and have to work together to make it through the rooms. The first two groups to finish will win immunity, leaving only two, or three, choices for elimination. Everyone understand?"

Everybody nodded in understanding, though a few of them were a bit worried about who they'd possible be paired with. Some of them hoped that they were paired with their current allies.

Victini rubbed his hands together, "Now to make it interesting. The pairs are… Dade and Portia…"

The Mothim and Rhyperior's eyes widened. "Oh, for crying out loud…" the Mothim groaned.

"Sasha and Belladonna…"

The two of them exchanged looks, not really having a problem with the pairing.

"That leaves Art, Jessica, and Zahku as the final group," the Victory Pokémon stated.

Zahku and Jessica both remained silent, thought Jessica was both cursing and smiling in her head. Art scoffed, "Oh joy…"

"Yep," Victini replied. "Dade and Portia, you guys are going down the first path, Sasha and Belladonna are going down the second, and and Zahku, Jessica, and Art, you guys are taking the third one."

"Alright," Mew began, "Get to your doors. We'll count you guys down and you guys can get started."

Portia and Dade lackadaisically went toward the first door, neither of them looking forward to being stuck together for the challenge. Belladonna and Sasha simply walked up to their door and remained silent, having no reservations about their partnership. Jessica, Zahku, and Art approached their door, with Zahku sighing to himself, and Art shaking his body slightly, expressing his slight disappointment.

"Alright, in three…. two… one… GO!" Mew announced, as the three doors started opening, allowing the contestants to enter.

 **000**

Dade and Portia entered their first room, which resembled a standard, suburban living room. The carpet was a white, with a few brown spots staining the floor in different areas. A lavender scent was in the air, making Dade sneeze. "Ugh… smells like my Grandma's house," he commented.

There was a maroon couch and ottoman in the middle of the room, with a blue and beige colored rug sitting underneath the ottoman. There were a few odd pictures of various Pokémon hanging on the wall, all in a row. A television sat on a black TV stand in front of the couch. There were also Stufful and Teddiursa stuffed toys sitting on the couch. In the back, there was a bookshelf completely full of books. On the other side of the room was the door, presumably to the next room, which had three different keypads on it.

Dade let out a sigh. "Well, let's get on with this…"

"Not so fast, munchkin," Portia stated, turning to face him. "Let's get a few things straight, first. I don't know exactly _what_ you said to Belladonna, but just know that it's not going to work. And even though we have to work together in here, we will _not_ work together outside of here. Lastly, if you don't pull your weight and we end up losing, I will end you… You understand?"

Dade somewhat expected this kind of confrontation, given what all had happened earlier. Growing a bit tired of the hostility, he decided not to respond to her. Instead, he simply flew over to the other door to inspect the keypads.

Portia was surprised that he chose to ignore her, folding her arms. She decided to go ahead and follow him.

Dade let out a sigh, looking over each keypad. "Okay… so, we're gonna need a three digit number and two four digit numbers. The numbers gotta be around here somewhere…"

The Mothim began searching around the room for any secrets. He immediately went over to the bookcase, checking the spines of the books for any clues. While he did that, Portia decided to sit on the couch and see if there was anything on the television that could help them out.

The Rhyperior picked up the remote and turned on the television, which immediately got Dade's attention as he heard the 'On' chime from the television. He scoffed, "Are you kidding me? _You_ threaten _me_ and talk about _me_ pulling my weight, and yet, you're over there watching TV?"

Portia rolled her eyes in response before stating, "Oh, pipe down. I'm trying to see if anything pops up that's useful. They wouldn't have put a functioning TV in here if it had no purpose."

Dade sighed to himself before looking back at the books. As he read some of the names, he couldn't help but be confused and intrigued by the possible subject matter. "What the heck _are_ some of these books? _The Adventures of Sausage and Doughnut_? _My Penis is Too Big? Goodnight Munna 2?_ "

He immediately stopped, realizing what he had just said. "2…" he whispered to himself. He looked over the bookcase once again. "Wait a minute…"

He noticed that the bookcase had four shelves, each with a set of books on it. _Goodnight Munna 2_ was the only book on the second shelf that had a number in its title. He pieced two and two together immediately and started reading over each book.

Portia was flipping through the channels, but found that there were only ten channels, and one of them was just another keypad, it would seem. Due to the other channels not having anything she deemed useful, she kept the channel on the keypad in case something new happened.

She decided to start searching the couch and rug in order to see if anything useful was hidden there. She ripped the cushions off of the couch, tossing the stuffed toys aside. She found was a much smaller remote that resembled a calculator. It had 10 number keys, as well as a 'Delete' button and an 'Enter' button.

"Hey, buggo, I found a new remote," Portia reported, inspecting the device. She clicked a few numbers on it, only to hear popping sounds coming from the television. Turning her head, she saw that the numbers that she had typed on the remote were now on the keypad on the TV.

Her eyes widened. "Okay… this remote lets me put in numbers for this pad on the TV."

"Okay, I think I have one of the codes," Dade stated, having ignored what the Rhyperior said.

With a look of bewilderment, the Drill Pokémon watched him fly toward the door. "What?" she queried.

Dade started punching in the numbers in the second keypad, as it was one of the two that required four numbers. "9-2-6-5…" he said to himself as Portia walked up behind him, her arms folded. He pressed the enter button, but it glowed red, apparently signifying that he was incorrect, as the numbers were cleared.

"Okay… it's not that one…" he said to himself as he moved on to the third keypad. As he did this, Portia eyed the remote in her hand. She heard Dade repeat the numbers once again, "9-2-6-5…"

She walked back toward the television and started punching in those four numbers. Once all four of them were in the keypad, she pressed the enter button on the remote. The television glowed a bright green color, getting Dade's attention as the number combination failed to work on the third keypad on the door as well.

"What the heck happened?" he asked.

"I just punched in the four numbers you said into the keypad on the TV screen and… _this_ started happening," she explained. "Don't know what it m-"

Suddenly, a creaking sound was heard, alongside shuffling. The two of them turned around and saw that the bookcase had curved outwards, revealing a new room.

"-eans…" Portia finished.

 **000**

While Dade and Portia made a bit of progress in their living room setting, Sasha and Belladonna were scratching their heads in their office setting. Their door to the next room was in the same position as the others.

A navy blue carpet covered the entirety of the floor. There was a single, black, wooden desk sitting in the middle of the room, with a desk lamp and a laptop sitting on it, along with a hot cup of tea. A tall, oddly-shaped plant was sitting next to the desk as well. The light blue walls were only decorated with a single picture frame that hung near the door.

"Hmm… well, this should be pretty easy," Sasha commented as she approached the desk. "There's not much here, so we don't have to really search that much."

"Nope," Belladonna said as she immediately went over to the picture frame and took it off of the wall. She looked at the door to their next room and saw that there was one keypad and a padlock on it.

She went back to the desk, where Sasha was opening th laptop. Upon seeing the screen, the Nidoqueen eyes widened and she blushed as she slammed it closed. "O-Okay, I think the laptop is just a decoy…"

Belladonna rose a brow. "What makes you say that?"

Sasha moved out of the way, allowing for the Golem to open the laptop and view what she had seen for herself. Belladonna's reaction was opposite of Sasha's, as she simply giggled and smiled. "Wow Sasha, I didn't know you were scared of porn…"

Sasha blushed, "I am not scared! It was just… surprising."

Belladonna hummed to herself before saying, "Well, I guess you're right about this just being a decoy. There's nothing to do on this thing. There's not even a start menu; the screensaver's just a slideshow of a Pangoro, a Medicham, and a Sawk with different tattoos either showing their butt or holding their junk…"

Sasha turned her focus to the picture frame Belladonna brought over and instinctively turned it around. A notecard was taped to the back of it, reading, "The key to freedom you want to behold is where it could be either hot or cold."

"What?" Belladonna queried, taking the picture frame to read it for herself. She scoffed, "Well… anywhere could be hot or cold. That doesn't help us at all."

Sasha, thinking about what she had witnessed earlier in the mess hall, thought about asking her about what she said to Jessica about possibly joining them. She didn't know if it'd be appropriate since they were racing to finish.

Nevertheless, she decided to take the chance, turning to her. "Um… speaking of helping… Were you still planning on joining up with myself and Jessica?"

Belladonna let out a sigh, explaining, "Well… you know, _I_ still want us four girls to come together and take out the guys. But, Portia wants to keep Zahku in to help us, and then bring _you_ in so that Jessica is all by herself."

"What?!" Sasha inquired in shock.

"Yeah, she's playing the game a lot harder than she used to," Belladonna explained. "And she's still peeved about what you guys were trying to do last night."

"I didn't want to do that," Sasha explained. "Jessica came up with the idea, and there wasn't much I could do besides just go along with it."

Belladonna looked down momentarily before giggling. "I guess both of our friends planned things that we don't think are smart," she stated.

Sasha nodded in agreement, "Yeah."

Just then, Belladonna thought back to what Dade had offered. She didn't know if she could trust him, but neither he nor Art had anything to lose, so maybe working with them again wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"Well… uh… what do you say if you and I work together?" Belladonna offered. "I could talk to Portia and get her to vote for whoever… and then you can talk to Jessica and see if she'll vote. That way, we're working together without the two of them knowing."

Sasha hummed to herself before replying, "It sounds like a good plan, but I can't help but feel like we'd be lying to them."

"I mean, it's not really lying. We're serious about who we want to vote for, and we're just convincing them to vote the same. There's not really any deception," Belladonna explained.

Sasha was still a bit unsure. Yes, it'd be a good way to make it further in the game, but she felt that she'd be betraying Jessica, and she didn't want to do that. "I'll... think about it," the Nidoqueen replied.

Understanding her thought process, Belladonna nodded before focusing her attention back to the picture frame. "Hot and cold…" she repeated.

Sasha picked up the cup of tea that was sitting beside the laptop and decided to take a sip of it. She heard a faint scraping sound from inside of the cup. She stopped drinking the tea and looked inside of the cup. She saw that a gold key was sitting inside of itx, causing her eyes to widen.

"Uh… well, I found the key," she said, taking the key out of the cup.

"What the heck?" Belladonna queried. "Why was it in a cup of… Ohh… right, tea can be hot or cold when you drink it." She sighed, holding out her hand.

Sasha handed off the key as the Golem went back to the door. She glanced back at the laptop and looked away immediately with a blush. She then slowly found herself looking back at the screensaver slideshow and noticed something peculiar, specifically about the tattoos on the three 'mons' bodies.

"Wait…" she began, looking closer.

"And… done," Belladonna said, removing the lock from the door. She turned back around and couldn't help but stifle her laugh upon seeing Sasha staring intensely at the laptop screen. "Well, I see that you've come around quickly…"

Sasha looked back at her and blushed, groaning, "It's not like that. I'm focusing on the tattoos. I think they have a message or something."

As the slideshow changed once again, showing the Sawk, Sasha grumbled under her breath before focusing on the tattoo it had on its chest. "See, his tattoo says 'Lamp'," she pointed out.

Belladonna saw that she was right, but immediately asked, "Who the heck gets 'Lamp' tattooed on their chest?"

The Nidoqueen sighed, "That's not important." The screen then changed again, this time showing the Medicham. This time it was a female, so it wasn't that bad, but the size of its butt was still just… too abnormal. "Okay see, the Medicham has an ampersand and 'Plant' tattooed on each of its butt cheeks."

"Lamp… and… Plant…" Belladonna reasoned. "Okay, so there's something we've gotta do with the plant and the lamp," she said, fiddling with the branches on the tall potted plant.

"And the Pangoro has a tattoo on its gut that says 'Use the'," Sasha read.

Belladonna commented, "Whoever their tattoo artists are need to be fired."

Ignoring her statement, Sasha said, "So, we have to use the lamp and the plant. Is there a light switch anywhere?"

"On it," Belladonna stated as she went toward the door they had entered from and hit the light switch that was next to it, turning the light off.

In response, Sasha turned the lamp on, shining the light against the wall and causing the plant's shadow to appear on the wall.

"Hey, Bella, can you move the plant out of the way real fast in case it's blocking something useful?" Sasha inquired.

"Wait, wait… I see numbers over here," the Golem stated, looking at the wall from where she was standing.

"You do?" Sasha queried. From where she was sitting, all she saw was a blob that vaguely resembled the plant.

"Yeah, they're all kinda bunched together, but I definitely see a few numbers,"Belladonna said. "Maybe we should mess with the leaves a bit so that we can see them a bit clearer." She walked back toward the plant and started spreading its branches and leaves a bit so that numbers could be clearly seen.

Once she did that, she found that the numbers became much more visible. "I see a 4, a 7, a 9, and a 5…" she said.

Sasha went over to the door and immediately started putting the numbers in. She pressed the enter key, and the keypad glowed green. The door clicked and slowly opened, granting them access to the next room.

"YES!" Belladonna cheered as she walked ahead and high-fived Sasha. "One down, two to go!"

 **000**

Jessica, Art, and Zahku were in a cold, vault-like room that only had a single island in the middle of it. In one of the corners was a black safe, though they didn't really seem to bother with it. Their focus was on the slide puzzle at the moment.

Approaching it, they saw that there was a sliding puzzle that had a key embedded in it. A slot was on the side of the island, a place where the key was supposed to come out. "Okay… this should be a cinch," Jessica stated.

"Is… this seriously it?" Art queried. "Pathetic…"

"Well, I'm sorry that this is too 'easy' for you," Jessica responded sarcastically. "There's a safe over there in the corner if you want a challenge. See if you can get it open without a combination and find out if there's anything useful inside…"

Art gave her a look for a few moments before walking toward the iron cabinet, grumbling to himself. Zahku was already inspecting the safe, trying to see if he could bust it open by himself. Seeing this, Art hemmed, "Uh… Him-cules, I don't think your uber-mega strength is gonna help anything in this case. We need to figure out a combination…"

Zahku picked up the safe and started shaking it up and down in order to hear if there was anything of use inside. Nothing was rattling inside of it, so the Makuhita put it down and took a seat before gesturing for the Ferrothorn to take over.

Art gave him a look. "You realize that I won't really be able to do anything, so _you_ are gonna have to put in the combination."

Zahku sighed, having a feeling that this was going to be annoying for him.

Meanwhile, Jessica was working on the slide puzzle using her telekinesis. She was making quick work of it, being a Psychic-type. She retrieved the key in little time and let out a soft sigh.

"If only it was _anyone_ else," she whispered to herself as she watched Zahku and Art work on the safe. The fact that the only way to guarantee safety for herself was to also guarantee safety to Zahku and Art was a bit disheartening to her.

Sure, she wanted to work with Art in order to try and save her skin, but his cryptic answer made her a bit suspicious and she didn't have time to wait. As for Zahku, he was the biggest threat in the game, so giving him immunity was shooting herself in the fin.

She was almost tempted to throw the challenge and just hope that one of the other two were eliminated, but after seeing Portia talk with Zahku and Dade talk with Belladonna, she knew that it was too big of a risk.

She sighed once again before floating towards the guys. "Hey," she spoke up, getting their attention. "I got the key."

"Of… course you did," Art sarcastically replied. He turned back to the safe. "Well, as you can see, we have been unsuccessful in the… three or four minutes we've spent trying to unlock this thing. So, since you've already got the key, let's just get the hell out of here."

Jessica, Art, and Zahku went toward the door, which had the key hole on the side of the door instead of on it. This immediately rose a few questions and caused Jessica to become a bit skeptical.

Despite her skepticism, she placed the key in the key hole and turned it. A soft, rumbling sound echoed throughout the room, but the door didn't move an inch.

"Like I thought… nothing," Jessica commented. "There has to be more to it…"

Art groaned in annoyance. Behind them, a slip of paper slid out of the center island, which got Zahku's attention.

The Makuhita went towards the paper and saw that there were three numbers printed on it: 6 - 23 - 36. He glanced over at the safe and hummed to himself.

"Zahku!" Jessica called as she floated toward him. "What do you have?"

"Paper come from middle thing," Zahku explained, handing it to her.

"6, 23, 36…" she read. She looked back at the safe. "This must be the combination…"

As she approached the safe once again, Zahku followed her, having nothing else to do. Art remained by the door, figuring that the two of them could handle the safecracking. That, and he'd rather be away from them momentarily.

Jessica put in the combination and opened the safe, which revealed a simple, red button. Jessica pulled out the button and inspected it.

"Okay… I guess this room has more to it than I initially thought," Jessica stated as she handed it off to Zahku.

Zahku immediately hit the button. Initially nothing happened, but soon enough, a click was heard. The door creaked open, allowing them to move on to the next room.

"About time…" Art commented as he pushed the door open a bit more. "Come on you two, we don't have all day. I'm not getting put on the chopping block because of you."

The Ferrothorn started entering the next room, with the Bruxish and Makuhita trailing behind him.

Jessica and Zahku made their way into the next room, where they found themselves in a nightclub scene. The walls were covered in a dark, violet felt. There was a bar against the right wall, complete with a counter, a few bar stools, and bottles on shelves behind the counter.

The floor was tiled, and glowing different colors, illuminating the dark room. There was a metal pole in the middle of the room, and there were a few soft chairs scattered about the were also a couple of plants sitting in the back corners. Hanging on the walls were three rather provocative paintings featuring three Lopunny in lingerie. Poppy dance music was also playing in the background.

Art was already on the opposite side of the room, inspecting the door, which had a large lock on it. There was a placard fixed to the wall next to the door that read: 'Find the key to get to room three, clues can be found, just look and you'll see.'

"Ugh… now we gotta find a key in this stupid place," Art groused as he turned back around.

"Do you just call everything stupid for no reason?" Jessica deadpanned as she floated past him to inspect the placard for herself.

Art scoffed, "You're the one who allegedly fucked every guy within a 200-foot radius of her house. Of course _you_ would find a place like this _not_ stupid. Bunch of skanks taking their clothes off to appease men who're likely cheating on their wives."

Jessica huffed, turning to him with a glare. "Hey, guys and girls have the right to dance, strip, and entertain for a paycheck if they want to. Just because people like _you_ wanna have some sort of moral superiority, it doesn't mean that they're wrong for what they do. If anything, it just makes you look like a buzzkill and a jackass," she opined.

Art rolled his eyes. He didn't really care about all of that. If he called something stupid, it was stupid to him, end of story. "Uh huh, whatever…"

Suddenly, a loud shattering sound got their attention.

 _SMASH! SMASH!_

The two of them turned around and saw that Zahku was standing on one of the bar stools, behind the counter, and throwing the liquor bottles against the opposite wall, shattering them.

"Zahku, what in the Distortion World are you doing?!" Jessica exclaimed as the Makuhita picked up another bottle.

The Guts Pokémon gave them a look. "Zahku looking through bottles for clue," he responded before throwing the bottle in his hand against the wall.

His consistent bottle throwing was amassing a big pile of glass against the opposite wall, as well as causing a few smaller shards to be scattered across the floor.

Art groaned, asking, "Can't you just be normal and _look_ in the bottles instead of just throwing them like a lunatic?!"

In response, Zahku picked up another bottle and looked at it. There was nothing inside of it, so he immediately threw it against the wall again.

Art gruffly replied, "I'll take that as a 'no'."

Jessica's protuberance opened and her eyes glowed blue. A blue aura surrounded the Makuhita, who was levitated back to her and Art. "No more of that," she stated sternly. She floated to the remaining bottles and started inspecting them, leaving Zahku to simply fold his arms. "Have to do everything…" she grumbled to herself.

"Well, while you do that, I'm just gonna relax for a while," Art stated as he sat in one of the chairs. "Let me know when you find something useful…"

Jessica could only roll her eyes in utter annoyance. The fact that, so far, _she,_ and somewhat Zahku, were the only ones working, or at least _trying_ , while Art just stuck around really irked her. She took a deep breath as she continued reading the labels on the bottles and trying to see if there was something in one of them.

 **000**

" _ **Really**_ **tempted to just say fuck it and take the risk…" Jessica stated.**

 **000**

After the bookcase curved outwards, revealing a new room to explore, Dade immediately flew over to investigate. The new room resembled a cramped closet. The back wall was completely lined with gray bricks, with concrete covering the floor and sides. The temperature in that room was much lower than the room they were already in.

Dade looked around and, initially, thought that the room was just empty. However, as Portia walked up behind him to check out the room as well, he noticed that a brick was stretching out further than all of the others.

Just as he was about to speak on it, Portia beat him to it. "Hmm… that brick looks suspicious," she commented as she stepped into the room and pulled the brick out of the wall. In doing so, she also pulled out a small, drawstring sack that was attached to the brick.

"What the heck is that?" Dade queried, eyeing the sack.

Portia grabbed the sack off of the brick and shook it, hearing a faint rattling from inside. They went to the table, where she opened the sack and dumped out what was inside.

Letter tiles poured out onto the table, as well as a small, rectangular block. Dade picked up the rectangular block, inspecting it. He noticed that the block had the number 135 etched into it and immediately grew curious as to what it could mean.

"Hey… 1-3-5, this could be the three-digit combo!" Dade assumed as he prepared to fly toward the door.

"Hold it!" Portia called after him, causing him to the stop in his tracks. She picked up on of the letter tiles, which had a letter 'P' on it. "That block was in with the rest of these things, so it's likely connected to them."

Dade didn't understand the issue. He was going to try the numbers and if it worked, it worked. If not, then he'd bring it back. "Okay… I'm still gonna try it, though. Not a big deal," he stated as he continued flying to the door.

Portia rolled her eyes, grumbling, "Waste of time…"

A few seconds later, she heard the Mothim exclaim, "It works!"

Her eyes widened as she immediately turned in his direction. "WHAT!?"

"Yep…" Dade affirmed, "The light turned green, so the three digit number is done. Now we just need the two four digit numbers."

"Okay… if that gave the first code, then I guess these letters should spell out another clue or something," Portia hypothesized as she started messing around with the seven letter tiles there were given.

Dade returned to the table to assist the Rhyperior in figuring out what the letters meant. The seven letters were: E, T, U, R, I, C, and P. Given the way they were arranged on the table, Dade immediately turned his attention to the four picture frames hanging on the wall. "Picture…" he stated as he flew over to the pictures.

Portia, having heard him say the word, went ahead and spelled it out just to be sure. Seeing that he was correct, she stood up to join him in front of the pictures.

 **000**

" **Okay… maybe Dade is more useful than I thought…" Portia commented, her arms folded.**

 **000**

"Maybe we have to take the pictures down and see what's behind them…" Portia suggested.

Dade hummed to himself as he carefully viewed each picture, attempting to find anything usable within the photos. The first picture was of two Rockruff playing in the mud; the second picture was a family picture that included an Electivire, a Pangoro, three Pancham, and an Elekid all standing in front of a two story house; the third picture was of an Eevee, a Luxio, and a Luxray lying in the forest; the final picture was a Nidoking sitting on a park bench, staring into the distance.

He looked back at the door and thought about the fact that they still needed two four-digit codes to completely unlock the door. The letters spelled 'PICTURE', so these pictures had to be involved. Given that there were four of them, Dade thought about the possibility of the pictures being the code.

Just as Portia was about to remove the first picture from the wall, Dade shouted out, "WAIT!"

The Rhyperior ceased her actions, turning to him with a look, "What is it?"

"The pictures could be giving us the code already," the Mothim explained, flying up to the first picture. "Look… there's _two_ Pokémon in the first picture. There are _seven_ family members in the second one…"

Catching on, Portia finished, "And there's three Pokémon in the third one, and just one in the last one. So… 2-7-3-1?"

"Worth a shot," Dade commented with a shrug.

Given that he was correct about his previous assumption, the Rhyperior decided to take Dade's word for it. The two of them went over to the door, with Portia keying in the possible code.

 _BEEP_

It was accepted, meaning that they only had one more code to go. However, with the pictures being their last clue, they weren't entirely sure where to go from there.

Portia sighed, "Okay… so now what do we do? I really feel like we're falling behind the others… "

Dade hummed. "Well, the first code was alongside another clue, the tiles," he reasoned. "Maybe it's the case for this, too. Take the pictures down."

"You mean what I was already planning to do before…" Portia deadpanned as the two of them went back over to the four pictures.

She proceeded to take the four pictures off of the wall, revealing a red button behind the third one. Portia groaned, "Oh come on!"

She knocked off the final picture and saw that there was a notecard taped to the wall that held four numbers.

Dade's eyes widened. "Wait… if that's- What's with the button?"

"Who cares?" Portia replied as she looked at the numbers on the card and went back to the door to key them in.

Dade started at the button for a while before Portia snapped him out of it, shouting, "IT WORKS!" He turned toward her and saw that the door was opening, allowing them to move forward. "Come on, we need to pick up the pace. Who knows how far Jessica and Art have gotten together…" she commented as she entered the next room.

Dade followed the larger Pokémon into the next room, and immediately his eyes widened. It was yet another living room scene! However, this one was much bigger and had more to it.

The first thing that they noticed was the fact that there was a hardwood floor instead of carpeting like in the previous room. A television hung on the wall, with a shelf set up underneath it, which held a DVR. A pure, white couch was stationed in front of the television, with a glass table sitting in front of it on a large white and red rug. On either side of the table was a white sofa chair, presumably made of the same material as the couch adjacent to them. There was a small bookshelf in the front corner next to a window that showed the outside, as well a white wall, which was yet another room.

There was a toy chest near the bookshelf, as well as a small, ovular rug that would allow children to play on a soft surface. In the back half of the room, separated by an island, was a kitchen. The countertop of the island was made of marble, and there were three stools in front of it. The kitchen itself was pretty normal, with the refrigerator sitting next to the stove, and a sink being against the side of the back wall. There were multiple cabinets and a pantry door in the back as well.

There was a short hallway on the opposite side of the room, which held the door to the final room.

"They seriously put us in the section with two fucking living rooms…" Portia groused. "We're screwed…"

"Hey, you never know," Dade shrugged. "Maybe all of the rooms are like this. And who's to say that this room will be as complicated as the last one? There's just more places to check."

Portia folded her arms in response as Dade started flying to the other door in order to see what was required to exit this room. He saw that there were ten square indentations in the door separated into two rows: four on the top and six below it. They were surrounded by a faint, white background.

He looked around, but didn't see any instructions or any context clues like the keypads. "Uh… okay, so there's nothing here to tell us what to do, but there are a lot of square indents in the door."

On her way to view what he was talking about, Portia glanced at the glass table and noticed that there were numerous magazines and papers sitting on it. On one piece of paper, she saw the word 'INSTRUCTIONS' printed at the top in bold. She facepalmed.

"That's because the instructions are over here!" she called back to him as she sat down on the couch and picked up the paper.

Dade flew over to her, glancing over her shoulder. Portia read, "Your goal is to find ten letter tiles that are hidden around the room. Once you find them, use them to spell out the two word phrase and place them in the door."

"Oh, so this is a bit easier," Dade commented.

Portia deadpanned, "Yes… finding things in a larger room. That will be much easier."

Dade gave her a look before looking back at the table and noticing something peculiar sticking out from the stack of magazines.

He picked up half of the stack, revealing a tile with the letter 'E' painted on it. He stifled a laugh, "You were saying?"

Portia huffed, getting to her feet. "Whatever. If it's really that easy, then we shouldn't be in here that long," she commented.

"Okay, let's do this…" Dade began. "I'll take the living room area, and you take the kitchen. That way, we share the work and have an almost equal amount of space to search."

Portia nodded, "Fine by me. I just hope that the damn tiles aren't in impossible spots or behind invisible doors or something…"

"Hey, I hope so, too," Dade concurred. "Like you said, with Jessica and Art working together, who knows how far ahead they are." He paused momentarily, putting on a thinking face, "Actually… that depends on if Art is actually trying or making Jessica and Zahku do all of the work instead. If so, then it's just Jessica's brain and maybe Zahku's muscle, if required. Either way, it's still bad for us, so yeah… let's get this done."

Portia nodded before heading toward the kitchen. Despite her previous issues with him, she had to admit that working with the Mothim was… actually worthwhile. Sure, she was still giving him a hard time since he was manipulating Belladonna and trying to get rid of her, but she was slowly coming around to the Moth Pokémon. She'd never admit it, though.

Focusing on the task at hand, she began opening all of the drawers and cabinets that she could so that she could easily scan through them all. Meanwhile, Dade was already at the bookcase and tossing all of the books out of it.

 **000**

" **I have to admit, I mean, I know she still hates me, but having her as a partner… isn't really terrible. Granted, I preferred it when she was a bit more reserved and less abrasive, but… this is still pretty decent," Dade commented.**

 **000**

Belladonna and Sasha's second room resembled a pizza shop. The floor had checkered white and red tiles. There were seven tables spread across the room, each with four chairs sitting at them, as well as six booths in total, two against the left wall and four against the right. There were numerous pictures hanging up on the walls as well, specifically of baseball players. Across the way was the door to the final room, and against the back corner was a black safe, which immediately caught Belladonna's eye.

It wouldn't have been a true pizza shop without actual pizza, so each table and booth had a pizza box on it. The delicious aroma of pizza wafted through the air, causing Sasha's stomach to growl a bit. Hearing the faint rumbling, Belladonna stifled a laugh. "Didn't we just have breakfast?"

Sasha blushed, grumbling, "Yeah, but… I guess I still feel hungry. Anyways, we should see what we have to do so that we don't waste any time."

Noticing a piece of paper sitting on one of the closest tables, Belladonna picked it up. "Find the code to the door in the pizza boxes. To know the order, pay attention to the rainbow."

Sasha rose a brow. "Uh… okay? Pay attention to the rainbow?"

"I guess that means they're gonna be colored…" Belladonna reasoned. "Otherwise, I don't see any rainbow around here…"

Looking around, Sasha's eyes locked on the safe. The note didn't mention anything about it, so she assumed that it must have a special purpose. "Hmm… maybe there's another clue in that safe," she commented.

Belladonna's eyes widened. She remembered the Immunity Statue clue she got earlier and how it said it'd be helpful in the challenge. She couldn't let Sasha know about it, though. It needed to remain a secret. So, the Golem decided to try and see if she could crack the safe alone.

"Hmm… it _is_ kinda suspicious" the Megaton Pokémon concurred, feigning ignorance. "I'll check it out, you start looking through the pizza boxes. I'll let you know if there's anything useful inside."

Sasha nodded in agreement as Belladonna started walking toward the safe. Belladonna let out a soft sigh of relief as she crouched in front of the safe. "Okay… the combination… uh… 6… 23… 36…" she said as she turned the safe dial.

She got the safe open, and right there, sitting on a rainbow-colored mat, was the Immunity Statue of Victini. She held in her excitement and looked over her shoulder to see if Sasha was paying any attention. Seeing that the Nidoqueen was busy with the pizzas, she swiftly grabbed the statue and put it in her shell.

 **000**

" **YES! I got the statue!" Belladonna squealed, showing it to the camera. "As long as I'm able to keep it a secret and make sure the target's not on my back, I can save anyone I want!"**

" **Things are gonna be interesting…"**

 **000**

After making sure that the statue was hidden, Belladonna cleared her throat and pulled out the rainbow mat that the statue was sitting on. "Hey Sasha, I got a rainbow mat over here!"

"You got it open?!" Sasha shouted to her in shock.

Forgetting that she was supposed to keep her knowledge of the combination a secret, Belladonna knew that she'd have to come clean…. _Somewhat_. "Uh… yeah… my breakfast box had a set of numbers on the inside of the lid and said that it'd help us out in the challenge. Luckily, I remembered them."

"Huh… so I guess there's a safe in the others' paths, too," Sasha reasoned. "Anyone could have gotten your box."

"Haha yeah…" Belladonna sheepishly replied. She looked at the mat in her arms and saw that there were a few numbers hidden within a few of the color strips. "Hey… didn't the instructions say to 'follow the rainbow'?"

"Yeah… but the mat's rainbow colors look a bit weird," Sasha stated. "Like… they're not in the regular pattern."

Looking back at the mat, Belladonna discovered that the Nidoqueen was correct. She was so enthralled by the immunity statue that she had just gotten that she didn't realize that colors of the mat were in the incorrect order. "Well… maybe that's intentional. It _did_ say follow the rainbow. Maybe we're supposed to remember the colors in order and that'd be the code we put in."

"Wait… so if we do that… what do we do about all the pizzas?" Sasha inquired.

Belladonna gave the Nidoqueen a knowing look. She giggled, "I mean, if you wanna grab a couple for us to take out of here… be my guest. Otherwise, we can just move on since I got lucky with the clue."

Sasha looked back at the pizza boxes and shrugged her shoulders as she picked up three of them. Belladonna, looking at the mat as she approached the door, hummed as she squinted in order to figure out the numbers that were there.

She looked at the keypad and saw that it required four numbers. As Sasha walked up behind her with the pizzas, Belladonna hummed to herself. "Okay, not all of the colors have a number with them," she relayed.

"Okay…" Sasha responded with a nod. She reasoned, "So, that may mean that we have to skip the color if it doesn't have one and go to the next one that does."

"That makes sense," Belladonna nodded. "Okay, uh…" she chuckled nervously. "Um… do you mind refreshing me on the order of the colors on the rainbow? I mean, I know that red is first, but…"

"Roygbiv…" Sasha responded.

Belladonna blinked in confusion, not understanding what the Nidoqueen said at all. "Uh.. Roy who?"

The Nidoqueen responded, "Roygbiv. It's like an anagram. Like R for red, O for orange, etc."

"Ooh…" Belladonna understood. "So… red, orange, yellow… green, blue… uh… wait, what color starts with 'I'?"

"Indigo," Sasha replied. "Y'know, the bluish color that's not _totally_ blue."

"Right…" Belladonna replied, having forgotten about that color. "And the last one is violet, or purple, right?"

"Yes," Sasha affirmed with a nod.

Belladonna let out a sigh as she looked at the nat once again. "Okay, and only… blue, green, orange and purple have numbers. So…"…"

"Orange, green, blue, purple. Whichever numbers are with them in that order," Sasha explained.

Belladonna began punching in the numbers that were hidden in the colored mat as Sasha shuffled a bit with the pizza boxes, wanting a better grip. The Golem successfully keyed in the numbers 4, 6, 3, and 7, causing the keypad to turn green. The door creaked open, with Belladonna commenting "This was _too_ easy…"

Sasha hummed, "Well, technically we only finished this room quickly because you got the advantage. It'd have been a lot harder if-"

"Sasha… it's okay," Belladonna interrupted with a giggle. "As long as we're not the last ones out of here, it shouldn't matter. And plus, one team has Dade and the other has Jessica, so we definitely caught a break."

The two of them found themselves in their final room, where a large pool took up the majority of it. Blue and white small tiles lined the floor, as they spotted multiple wooden benches set against the walls. Floating inside of the pool were numerous buoys of varying shapes and sizes. The smell of chlorine hit Sasha like a truck, with the odor burning her nostrils a bit.

The Nidoqueen shuddered as she set the three pizzas down on a nearby bench and rubbed her nose. "I hate the smell of chlorine," she commented.

Belladonna had an opposite reaction. With a chortle, she took a deep breath before exhaling, "With all the pool parties that I've been to, the smell doesn't even faze me anymore."

She glanced around and noticed a poster hanging on the wall. Being that it was the only thing there, they approached it in order to see what was going on.

The Golem let out a breath as she began reading the poster. "Final Room Directions. One at a time, you will dive into the water, grab a key that is attached to one of the buoys, and use the key to try and unlock the three locks that are on the door. You may not retrieve multiple keys at one time and _all_ players must participate."

After reading that, the girls had very different reactions. Belladonna fist pumped in excitement, cheering, "This is gonna be awesome!" Meanwhile, Sasha let out an uneasy groan.

 **000**

" **Yeah… I'm not that strong of a swimmer…" Sasha explained, nervously rubbing her arm.**

 **000**

Art had managed to doze off in the twenty minutes that Jessica took to search each and every bottle for a clue. Jessica growled in agitation before smashing the final liquor bottle on the floor, which startled Art out of his slumber.

"Huh, what?!" the Ferrothorn snorted as he looked around and saw that he was still in the same room, with Jessica floating over to him. "About time… Did you find a clue?"

Jessica glowered at him angrily. "No, I _didn't_ find a clue! If I did, and we ended up getting out of here, I sure as hell would've just left your sorry ass in here!"

Art stifled a laugh, "And I still would be safe since I'm on the team…"

"Arceus, I can't fucking believe I was gonna try to work with you," the Bruxish snapped. "You're so lazy and insufferable! I knew you were an asshole, but actually working with you is just… RAH! I don't see why Dade is still aligned with you!"

"Because he knows that without _me_ and a few others, that he's screwed. And hey, now you have your answer about us working together," Art said. "You think I'm insufferable, so… no way in hell we can work together. So, might wanna get back to work and help us all get immunity."

Jessica bared her teeth at him, so tempted to bite off one of his vines. A sharp whistle was suddenly heard, with the two of them looking over to the source. Zahku was standing next to the door holding a key, which made Jessica's eyes widen.

She quickly floated toward him. "How... Wh-Where the hell did you find it!?"

Zahku simply pointed toward the walls and floors. Jessica and Art both saw that one of the naughty pictures was turned around 180 degrees, revealing a hidden compartment that had a card on it. On the same wall as the pictures, near the door, a section of the wall was opened up like a filing cabinet. There was a chained up box sitting next to an open tile in the floor next to a pair of bolt cutters.

Jessica could only blink in response. How in the hell did she miss all of that!? But, then again, the music _was_ a bit loud and she was focused more on the bottles. She let out a sigh, "Whatever. Just put the key in already."

Zahku did as he was told and unlocked the door. Once unlocked, the door slowly creaked open, and a foul odor immediately hit them like an Arm Thrust. Jessica held her breath, groaning, "You gotta be kidding me…"

"Well, next room smells interesting. This is gonna be awful," Art commented as he passed by the two of them.

Zahku followed him without saying a word, with Jessica grumbling to herself before doing the same.

 **000**

" **Okay, new plan, I'm gonna make** _ **him**_ **do all the work in the next room. If we lose, I'll try to talk to Portia and Belladonna before the vote and get them to vote for Art so that Dade is more open. Then we can take out Zahku and go for that girl alliance thing," Jessica explained. "At this point, fuck the guys in this game, and** _ **not**_ **in a literal way."**

 **000**

Passing through the door, the trio found themselves in a room that resembled a junkyard. There were multiple piles of trash decorating the room that would make a Garbodor wet itself.

"Well, this explains the awful smell," Art commented. "It smells like a Garbodor's ballsack…"

Jessica gave him a look, "And how would you know what that-"

"It's a figure of speech, skank," Art deadpanned. "I know that _you_ know what nearly every Pokémon's balls smell like. I was just saying…"

Zahku had already started walking to the door while the two spoke. Having noticed this, Jessica ignored Art and just floated after the Makuhita. Watching them leave, Art rolled his eyes and decided to stay put until they relayed the instructions to him.

Jessica and Zahku observed the door and saw that there was an indentation with a carving of Mew in it. There were also four separate squares in the indentation, each with a small hole in the middle.

"What the heck? Is this some kind of puzzle?" Jessica inquired.

Zahku pointed to a stretched placard underneath the puzzle, which the Bruxish perused. "Search the garbage for the pieces, four, and find yourself in the game for a few days more," she read.

She scoffed as she turned around, "So we have to search all of this trash for four puzzle pieces…"

Zahku began walking toward one of the trash piles, but Jessica stopped him, holding him via telekinesis. Confused, Zahku inquired, "What fish lady doing?"

Jessica hushed him, explaining her plan. "Look, Art hasn't been pulling his weight. _We've_ been the ones doing most of the work and he's just sitting back and making snide remarks. So, I think that we should make _him_ search the trash. And if we end up losing, I could try to talk to Portia and Belladonna and get them to vote him out with us. Are you in?"

Zahku honestly didn't know if he could trust Jessica, especially since he knew that she still held some resentment towards him deep down. Plus, he wasn't sure if getting rid of the Ferrothorn would be a good move for him. With Art and Dade still in the game, he still had some guys that could talk to, regardless of him being a free agent.

The Makuhita hummed to himself. He needed some security, so in response, he decided to try and bargain with the Bruxish. "If Zahku help fish lady eliminate thorn man, fish lady have to promise not to vote Zahku afterwards."

Jessica blinked in response, seething a bit in her head. She really didn't want to agree to his terms, as he was major threat. Suddenly, an idea came into her head.

 **000**

 **Jessica growled softly. "As insufferable as Art can be… keeping him around** _ **would**_ **be better than keeping Zahku around. With Art, you'll know that he won't try in these challenges unless he wants to, while Zahku will do whatever challenge he's told to."**

" **Plus, I still hate how he's screwed Sasha and I over so much," the Gnash Teeth Pokémon added. "** _ **And**_ **both Portia and Dade tried talking to him earlier. He's too big of a threat. So, if we can lose this, I'll convince the others to vote for Zahku instead of Art,** _ **but**_ **I'll still agree to his terms…"**

 **000**

The Bruxish groaned in annoyance, "Fine, I won't vote you out…"

Zahku nodded, "Then Zahku agree."

"Alright then, let's give Art the news…" Jessica said as she floated back over to him, with Zahku following with his arms folded.

Jessica approached the Ferrothorn with a devious smirk. This expression caused the Thorn Pod Pokémon to huff and ask her, "What? Is there a Garbodor hidden in here somewhere that you have to bone?"

The Bruxish growled softly, but through gritted teeth responded, "No… _you_ are gonna be refuse rummaging to find us four square puzzle pieces that can go into the door."

"What!?" Art exclaimed. "You must out of your fucking mind if you think I'm searching through this junk. You're the psychic-type here, _you_ find them."

Jessica giggled, shaking her head. "Oh-ho no, no, no… that's not how it's gonna work this time, buddy boy. Zahku and I did majority of the work in the last two rooms while you just talked shit and contributed nothing. This room is _all yours_. And hey, if you don't win this for us and the three of us are vulnerable at elimination, we'll easily convince the others to vote for you. There _were_ conversations happening that didn't concern you…"

"And there were conversations that didn't concern _you_ either," Art deadpanned. "And plus, Portia doesn't like you. Dade doesn't like you. _I_ don't like you, and hey, either Belladonna or Zahku can be easily swayed. So, again, _you_ are the psychic-type here, and _you_ are the one mostly in danger here. So… ya might wanna get to work…"

Jessica glared daggers at him, looking down at Zahku and rethinking her idea once again. "No… fuck you. I can make nice with Portia and Belladonna long enough to get rid of you, and then Dade…"

"Hey, way to go! You just gave away your strategy. Nice work," Art sarcastically commended. "Now all we have to do is sit and wait until the other teams pass."

"Wait, what?" Jessica queried, confused by what he was getting at.

"Don't you worry about it…" Art responded as he settled against the door they just came from. Jessica grew genuinely concerned by what the Ferrothorn said. She didn't know why he was so calm and acting like nothing bad was going to happen, but she didn't like it at all.

She was almost tempted to just do the puzzle herself, but… she decided against it. She felt that it was just a scare tactic; a bluff. He knew that he'd be eliminated, so he was just pretending not to care. Wasn't he?

As Jessica thought to herself and tried weighing her options, Zahku just watched them, slowly shaking his head. He knew what was going to happen in the end, and he was going to be fine with the result regardless.

 **000**

Portia and Dade had been a bit successful in their search for the letter tiles, having found half of them already. So far, they had two S's, an O, an M, and a P.

"S, S, M, O, P…" Dade stated, looking at the five tiles sitting on the island. "Maybe something with Mops?"

Portia narrowed her eyes at him, finding his answer to be idiotic. Having been on the receiving end of the look, Dade huffed, "Hey, I don't hear you giving any ideas."

"Yeah, because we don't have all of the letters, yet!" Portia shot back as she started looking around the kitchen again. "Why would I try to make a guess based on half of the information?"

"Hey it saves a bit of time for when we _do_ get all of the tiles," Dade explained. "If we figure it out before we find all of them, and we end up being right, then we can just stick'em in and go."

Portia huffed, "Well, _you_ can try and do that. I'm gonna keep looking." The Rhyperior opened the refrigerator door and saw that it was actually full, much to her surprise. There was a large turkey, a few bottles of soda, condiment bottles, a pickle jar, and numerous bottles of water inside.

She started pulling out everything, with Dade flying over to her upon seeing what she was doing. In doing so, he noticed that something was jutting from underneath the refrigerator. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was yet another tile. "Hey! There's another tile sticking out from under the fridge," he said, alerting Portia.

"Good," she responded, taking out the soda bottles. "Now we just need four more…"

Dade pulled out the tile, which had a letter 'E' printed on its wooden surface. He flew back over to the island just as Portia finished clearing out the fridge. He queried, "Is there a point to doing that? Couldn't you have just moved stuff out of the way?"

"Doesn't really matter…" Portia deadpanned. "I still found a red button here," she said, eyeing a red button at the back of the fridge. Dade flew back over to inspect her discovery, commenting, "I mean… you coulda just moved the turkey and pressed it then…"

Portia scoffed, "Just hit the button…"

Dade flew inside of the fridge and pressed the button, causing a sharp beep to be heard, followed by humming. They looked around before Portia spotted the source of the sound.

"The microwave started…" she acknowledged, walking over to it.

She noticed that something was inside of it, and the smell of italian food suddenly began filling the room. Dade flew over, lured in by the smell. "Is that… lasagna in there?" he asked.

"Looks like it…" Portia responded.

Soon enough, the microwave started beeping again, signaling that it was finished. Portia opened it, and the smell enveloped the room for a while.

Dade hummed, asking, "I wonder why there was a piece of lasagna cooking in here."

"There's probably a clue or something inside…" Portia said as she took out the paper plate that the lasagna was sitting on and started poking at it.

"Well, if you find something in the lasagna, you might wanna check the rest of the food, too," Dade suggested as he started flying back to the living room section.

Portia hummed to herself as she inspected the lasagna. She started lifting layers of the cheesy, saucy pasta, eventually coming upon a piece of wood.

Gaining a smile, she removed the wood, which turned out being another letter tile, this time the letter 'A'. "Nice!" she exclaimed.

She licked the sauce and cheese off of the wooden tile before eyeing the lasagna hungrily. She shrugged her shoulders before dumping the pasta into her maw and throwing the plate in the nearby trash can.

She walked back to the island, tossing the tile onto it before walking back toward the food that she took out and left on the floor in front of the refrigerator.

Eyeing the foods and beverages that she took out, she figured that her best bet would be to check the turkey. She inspected the cold, but cooked, turkey, as there was stuffing inside of it that could very well be housing another tile. She picked up the bird and placed it on the counter.

Due to her hands being pretty large, she couldn't just shove her hand inside of it and search it that way. Instead, she just smashed the turkey and started tearing through it. She sifted through the stuffing and turkey meat, eventually finding another tile, as she expected to. This time, another 'E' was printed on it.

"Okay, that's eight," she commented as she put the tile on the island with the others. "We just need two more…"

"Make that one more," Dade commented, tossing another tile on the pile. "Found that behind the TV…"

"Okay, so _now_ we can make an attempt at trying to figure this out," Portia said, looking at all of the tiles before her. There was a higher chance that they could figure it out now that they had more pieces.

"Alright… S, S, M, O, P, E, A, E, N…" Dade listed. "And it's a two word phrase… four letters at the top and six-"

"Open sesame!" Portia exclaimed as she started arranging the tiles to fit her idea. "Look, we've got O-P-E-N, and the rest of them can spell 'sesame', we just need another 'E'. You look for that. I'll out these things in the door…"

"Oh… uh… okay," Dade responded, a bit surprised by how quickly she figured it out. He thought that _he'd_ be the one to figure it out, but, whatever. The faster they finished, the better.

Portia put the nine tiles they had already procured into the door before dusting her hands off. She turned back around and headed back over to the kitchen in order to check once again. Just as she passed by the island, she heard an exclamation from Dade. "Found it!"

She jerked her head back quickly and saw that the Mothim was holding their final tile. "Good job! Come on, let's get the hell out of here!"

Dade flew over to the door, with Portia following him. He stuck in the final tile, the 'E', and the spaces around the tiles illuminated with a bright green color. The door creaked open, and Dade lifted an arm to give a high-five, but Portia just forged ahead without giving him even a glance. The Mothim groaned, "Why even try?"

He flew after the Rhyperior, entering the next room. The next room resembled a recreation center, with the air being very musty, and blue pads surrounding the main attraction of the room: an enormous ball pit.

"Whoa… this is _huge_ ," Dade commented.

Portia smelled the air a bit before verbally retching, "Yeah, but it smells awful in here…"

"Let's just go figure out what we've gotta do," Dade said, flying to the opposite side of the room. Portia took the long way, going around the perimeter of the pit.

Their final door was made of iron and had three padlocks on it. There was a placard hung up next to it, similar to the other rooms. Dade read, "The three keys you need and inside the pit. Search through the balls and you may win it."

Portia huffed with a smirk, "Jessica would love this. She's used to having balls to her face,anyway."

"Geez, seriously what's your damage?" Dade queried. "You've been more aggro and bitchy lately and it's getting extremely annoying. Like, you realize that this just a game, right?"

Portia huffed, "I'm just trying my hardest to win this. Belladonna's the only _real_ ally that I have left in this game, and the rest of you are all out to get either me or Zahku, so I am _not_ gonna risk anything by taking this stuff lightly."

Dade deadpanned, "You realize that all you and Belladonna have to do is team up with myself and Art and we can-"

"No," Portia interrupted, turning toward the ball pit. "I've dealt with you two enough when we were still a team. Not anymore."

"Hey!" Dade shot back. "We are _all_ trying to win this game. Just because you dislike us doesn't mean you can't vote with us. You did it when we were voting out Kane. What's the difference, now?"

"There are two immunity statutes in play, and seven of us left. I'm not risking taking _either_ of you further in the game just to be screwed over by a fucking statue that you either find or that Zahku gives you," Portia explained. "And I saw you go right over to him once I came back to the table, so there's no way in the Distortion World that I'm trusting either of you."

Dade gave her a look before shrugging in response, "We'll see what happens in the end. Go ahead and find those keys…"

The Rhyperior glared at the Mothim before jumping into the smelly ball pit, causing a few of the colored spheres to fly toward him.

 **000**

" **Okay, so Portia most definitely needs to go soon," Dade commented. "She's playing this game** _ **way**_ **too hard** _ **and**_ **just basically told me that she has nobody. So, all I have to do is get Art, Zahku, and either Jessica or Sasha, and she'll be the one to go."**

" **Obviously that can't happen now since I'm** _ **connected**_ **to her, and I'm pretty sure more of them would vote for me," the Mothim explained. "But, when the time comes, it'll happen. I just have to hope that Art manages to make it out in time, too. That way we can get rid of Belladonna…"**

 **000**

"Come on Bella!" Sasha called, a pile of wet keys beside her. After a few seconds, Belladonna returned to the surface, holding another key. "Okay, that's six of them… but shouldn't you get in here, too? It said that both of us have to participate."

"Right…" Sasha hesitantly replied. "But… I'm not that strong of a swimmer."

"Oh, I can help you with that," Belladonna offered. "Come on in."

"But… they said one at a time," Sasha replied. "I don't think-"

Belladonna began climbing out of the pool, the water dripping from her rocky shell. "There, now I'm not in the water," she responded. "Now, get on in and I'll coach you through this. And hey, they said both of us had to participate. So technically, you can just get _one_ and it'll be fine."

"I… I guess," Sasha timidly replied, looking at the water. The Nidoqueen let out a sigh as she sat down on the floor before scooting forward and slowly lowering herself into the water.

"See, it's not that bad," Belladonna commented.

Holding onto the edge, Sasha explained, "No, no, I-I can float and stuff, but actually moving… it's really difficult for me. I just end up sinking and I'm afraid that I'm gonna drown."

Belladonna rubbed the back of her head, humming, "Well, do you know how to doggy paddle at least?"

"Sorta…" the Nidoqueen replied. "But like I said-"

Belladonna interrupted her. "Sasha, all you have to do is _not_ panic. Panicking and possibly flailing will just make it worse. Just stay calm, doggy paddle over to that buoy over there," she instructed, pointing to a nearby blue buoy. "Then, just grab the rope underneath and pull up and untie the key."

Sasha looked over at the buoy in question and let out a sigh. "I'll try…"

The Nidoqueen started awkwardly swimming toward the anchored float. She whined to herself as she kicked her legs and moved her arms forward. Feeling like she was sinking a bit, her body slowly going under. She started to panic a bit as she approached the the buoy. She was flailing madly, but when she felt her left arm finally touch the buoy, she held onto it, panting erratically.

"You made it!" Belladonna cheered. "Now, get the key."

Sasha, still a bit petrified, swallowed as she moved one of her arms off of the buoy. She reached down underneath the buoy, but couldn't quite reach the rope. She moaned in distress before putting her other hand back on the buoy.

She opted to try and use her feet instead. She used her right foot to guide the rope toward her left arm, which she used to grab it.

"I-I got it!"

"Nice! Now just get back to the edge and climb out," Belladonna instructed. "I'm gonna go back in, and you can check the seven keys we already have. Hopefully one of them at least unlocks _one_ of the locks."

Still holding onto the buoy, Sasha swam toward the edge, pulling herself out of the pool. She pulled the buoy out of the water and let out a sigh of relief. "Finally…" she panted, water dripping off of her body.

She heard splashing a few seconds later and turned back around to see Belladonna back in the water. "Go ahead and try to unlock the door. If some of them don't work, I'll just check more."

Sasha nodded as she walked toward the door with the buoy still in her hand. She began using the key on the locks, but came up short on all three of them. Frustrated, she tossed it to the side. "Okay, that was worthless."

She started testing out the other six keys that were there on the floor, with Belladonna looking on, hoping that at least one of the keys unlocked one of the locks.

The second key she used didn't unlock anything, either, so it promptly joined the first key. The third key had promise, as it actually twisted inside the first lock. However, it didn't unlock it, which frustrated her.

She let out a groan of exasperation as she then checked the other two locks with the same key. Nothing.

Belladonna sighed, holding her head as Sasha moved onto the fourth key, "Please don't tell me that none of those keys unlock the locks…"

"YES!" the Nidoqueen exclaimed in relief as the fourth key managed to unlock the first lock. Sasha removed the lock, tossing it to the side. She attempted to unlock the other locks with the same key, but came up short.

She sighed in disappointment, tossing the key to the side with the others. Belladonna sighed, "At least one of the locks is gone…"

Sasha continued methodically using the last few keys to try and unlock the last two locks. The next two keys she used didn't work, but the last one successfully unlocked the third lock. The second one was still locked, and Sasha took a deep breath. "Okay, we just need one more key."

Belladonna nodded before started swimming back toward the other buoys. As she did so, Sasha took a seat at the edge of the pool, resting her feet in the water. Watching Belladonna, Sasha couldn't help but think about how much of a threat the Golem would be if there were more challenges like this.

Sasha never really paid much attention to Belladonna, but working with her a bit closer made her realize how much of a threat the Golem really was. Not only was she sincere, she was strong-willed, and actually a bit smart and lucky. Maybe she should try and talk to Jessica about eliminating her soon.

 **000**

" **I don't know who Jessica's gonna wanna go for, nor do I know if she's gonna actually make it out in time, but I think that eliminating Belladonna soon would be the best for us," Sasha explained.**

 **000**

Outside of the rooms, the harsh weather had toned down, with a light drizzle being the only thing remaining. Mew was now wearing a raincoat of his own, though he still had an expression of annoyance on his face.

He suddenly found himself getting nudged by Victini, "So hey, did I tell you the news?"

Mew turned to him with a look. "What?" he deadpanned.

"Jirachi and I talked and she decided to give me another chance," he expressed.

Mew had to stifle a laugh. He knew for a fact that those two would fail again due to Victini's lack of empathy and absent-mindedness when it came to caring for others. However, this just meant that the New Species Pokémon still had a bit of a chance with Shaymin. So, he simply raised his brow and responded, "Alright… we'll see how long that actually lasts…"

Victini gave him a look, "Hey, at least I'm trying. Meanwhile you're still fawning over a girl who you could easily be with, but too scared to ask out…"

Mew glared back at him. "So about this challenge," he gruffly advanced. "Which pair do you think is gonna lose?"

"Hmm… probably Belladonna and Sasha," Victini opined with a shrug. "They're the least capable out of all the pairs."

Mew was inclined to agree, commenting, "I guess I can see that. The other pairs have the more capable players. Belladonna and Sasha are more like followers from what we've seen…"

Eventually, the creaking of one of the doors got their attention. They saw that it was the door to the third path, as out of the room came Jessica, Zahku, and Art. Jessica looked very annoyed, while Zahku held an indifferent expression, and Art had a cocky smirk.

"I knew that you weren't willing to risk it," Art commented, giving Jessica a look. "Thanks for the free pass to the final six."

Jessica glared at the Thorn Pod Pokémon, "Screw you…"

"Never in your life, skank," Art retorted.

"And Art, Jessica, and Zahku earn immunity," Victini announced, floating toward him. "As to be expected…"

"Yeah, but it almost wasn't the case," Art chimed in. "Fish lips over here tried to sabotage us by trying to give me an ultimatum instead of just doing the task immediately. Luckily, she came to her senses…"

Jessica's protuberance opened and her eyes glowed blue. A blue aura surrounded Art, who was lifted up and then slammed back into the ground.

"Ack! HEY!" the Ferrothorn exclaimed, with Jessica ignoring him as Zahku watched the action with a stone-faced expression.

"Okay… now we just have to wait for another pair to exit and we'll know who's vulnerable at tonight's elimination," Mew explained, watching the other two doors.

Jessica was eyeing the middle door hopefully, not wanting her only ally left to eligible for elimination. Luckily for her, the creaking of another door was heard again, and luckily…. it was the middle door.

Sasha peeped her head out of the door, and saw the hosts, as well as Jessica, Art, and Zahku. She was initially upset, but she heard Jessica exclaim, "YES!"

She and Belladonna approached the group just as a loud _THUD_ was heard behind them. Turning around, they saw that Portia had busted through the door, with Dade flying behind her.

Seeing that the other two groups were there already, she growled. "FUCK!"

"And it looks like the losers are Portia and Dade," Victini commented. "Everyone else is safe from elimination."

Jessica gained a small smile as Portia clenched her fists angrily, growling. Dade had a look of nervousness on his face, as he wasn't sure how the vote would go down. Belladonna sweatdropped, as she was now faced with a problem.

"Alright, head on back to the campgrounds and we'll call you guys down when it's time for elimination," Mew instructed, clasping his hands together.

The contestants all started heading back to the campgrounds, some more happy then others.

 **000**

" **Great… just great…. All that time we spent in those rooms, and we come out a minute too late!" Portia exclaimed. She let out a sigh, "Well, it's gonna be between me and Dade tonight, and... I'm not gonna be begging anyone to keep me in."**

" **I mean… Dade was right, I've been playing more aggressively and I'm a strong competitor, so I doubt that they'll be keeping me in. Especially after I kinda blew up last night…"**

" **Well, like I said, I won't try to campaign or anything. If Belladonna does, then okay, but ...maybe leaving will be good for me, it'll give me a chance to calm down and regain my bearings."**

 **000**

In the mess hall, Portia was sitting at one of the tables, resting her head against her arm. She wanted to be alone. As she looked back at how she's been acting, she couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. She explained to Dade why she was acting the way she was, but… as she thought about it more, she realized how dumb it was.

She was generally a nice and chill person, albeit a bit soft spoken. However, after the whole thing with her past being brought up and after talking to Chip, she felt more confidence and started being more serious. There wasn't anything wrong with that, but she could see how others would call her aggro and bitchy from it. She let out a sigh, putting her head down.

Belladonna peeked inside of the mess hall and saw that Portia was sitting at a table with her head down. Belladonna had been thinking about her options. She could either use her newly found statue to save Portia and strengthen their bond, or she could let her be eliminated and try to work with Dade and Art again.

She didn't know which way to go. Portia was a huge threat, but she was also her best friend. And she didn't really trust Dade, but she felt that if he had Zahku helping him, they had the numbers. She approached the sullen Rhyperior, taking a seat across from her.

"Hey Porsche… you okay?" she asked softly.

Hearing her friend's voice, Portia sighed as she slightly sat up. "Hey, Bella…" she replied. "And… I'm alright. Just… thinking."

"Worried about tonight?" Belladonna inquired.

The Rhyperior let out a breath, "Yes and no. On one hand, I don't want to leave the game. I still wanna try and win this thing. But, on the other hand, I _have_ been pretty mean and unpleasant lately and I don't like it, so I think it'd be good for me. It's just… it's so conflicting."

"Well, why don't you just change, then?" Belladonna suggested. "We're at the final seven. Almost final six. Sure, you have to play hard, but if you think you're being too intense, just calm yourself down."

"But if I do that, I'll be an easier target," Portia explained. "And with Zahku still in the game, I'll be screwed. You're the only one that I have here since I know that the others want me gone, except maybe Sasha."

"How are you so sure that you'll be the one to go when, if Dade goes tonight, Art is still here?" Belladonna questioned. "And there's always a chance that Zahku could screw up and lose immunity. Come on, Porsche, keep your head up."

Portia put her head back down, causing Belladonna to sigh. The Golem got up and started leaving the mess hall, leaving Portia alone.

 **000**

" **Okay… I have the immunity statue. I'll have to take to Sasha and make sure that she convinces Jessica to vote for Dade instead of Portia," Belladonna explained. "If we do that, then the guys' votes don't matter and Dade's gone."**

 **000**

"Done," Jessica stated, lying in her bed.

Belladonna, who was standing inside of the Gnash Teeth and Drill Pokémon's room, "Oh… uh… alright, then."

"After dealing with Art all day, I feel the pain that you guys probably felt when he was still on your team. And since I didn't want to risk putting myself on the chopping block, Dade is the next best thing," Jessica explained. "I want Art gone as soon as possible."

A smile formed on Belladonna's face. "Thanks," she replied.

Sasha chimed in, "Hopefully Zahku doesn't find another immunity statue in time and saves him."

"He'd better not," Jessica snapped, her disdain for the Makuhita still partially prevalent. "Zahku's still on my list, too. He's just less of an overall annoyance."

Belladonna was tempted to bring up the fact that she had the statue in her shell, but she remembered that there were two statues, so the chance was there. She really hoped that that wasn't the case.

 **000**

Dade and Art were back out in the forest, looking for the statue. The fact that neither Belladonna nor Zahku had said anything to him again caused Dade to become suspicious and nervous. As he searched feverishly around the stream, Art followed behind him, growing bored. They had searched this place so often that he had already checked out, believing that that there was probably another area that housed the statue.

"Come on, where is it!?" Dade cried, looking closely around the water. "It has to be here, somewhere!"

Art rolled his eyes as he followed the desperate Mothim. "Give it up already, the statue ain't here. We've searched this place over and over and found nothing. The clue you got was probably shitty."

"It can't be!" Dade exclaimed.

"You'd better hope that the rock bitch decides to help you after all," Art chuckled.

The Moth Pokémon huffed, "You know, you could be a bit more helpful!"

"Like I said, you better talk to the round rock bitch," Art said, starting to walk away.

"CONTESTANTS! PLEASE REPORT TO THE ELIMINATION CEREMONY! TIME TO VOTE SOMEONE OUT!"

Art stifled a laugh. "You'd better hurry, too."

Dade let out a groan of annoyance before following the Ferrothorn back. Why did they have to call them when they were searching!?

 **000**

Everyone reported to the elimination ceremony, taking their seats on the wet, and leaf covered, benches.

Victini and Mew approached the group, the latter holding the box of chip with an indifferent expression. "Well, I'm sure you all remember how today's challenge went," the Victory Pokémon stated. "Everyone's got immunity except for Portia… and Dade."

Everyone besides the bottom two had their chip bags thrown to them. They both had nervous expressions on their faces.

"Portia," Victini began. "You've been a bit of a power player, which makes you a big threat to win, besides Zahku. That's a good reason to get rid of you."

Portia let out a sigh, looking down.

"And Dade… you and Art have had a pretty obvious partnership for a good portion of this game. And, you're in a prime place to just slide your way to the end if you make it further. Plus, you're pretty intelligent. Another good reason to get rid of _you."_

Dade swallowed in fear.

"It all came down to a one vote difference…" Victini stated. "The one going home is…

...

…

…

…

…

…

...Portia. Dade, you're safe."

Dade let out a sigh of relief as Mew tossed the Mothim his bag of chips. Belladonna and Sasha both gasped, while Portia simply looked down in disappointment.

"What happened?!" Belladonna asked, turning to Jessica and Sasha.

"I don't know. I voted for Dade!" Sasha explained. It was then that the Nidoqueen realized what happened. She turned to Jessica, who had let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry, but… she's a bigger threat than Dade is…" the Bruxish explained. "It was really tough decision for me."

"B-but you said…" the clearly saddened Golem began.

Knowing that this would upset her, the Bruxish explained, "I know, and I still hate Art-"

"I'm flattered," the Ferrothorn deadpanned.

Shooting him a death glare, Jessica continued, " -but… it'll be much easier to beat him and Dade and take _them_ out than to eliminate Portia."

The Golem understood her situation, but with how this went down, she knew what she had to do. Belladonna huffed, "Well… sorry, but… the game is continue to be tougher for you." Belladonna withdrew into her shell before coming out a few seconds later with the immunity statue. "I'm gonna give this to Portia," she stated.

Everyone gasped, their eyes wide in astonishment. Portia was the most shocked, as she never knew that Belladonna had the statue.

"Wow. Two statue plays in a row! This is going great," Victini laughed. Belladonna handed the statue to Victini, who chuckled. "Yep… this sexy statue is legit. Therefore, with this being used for Portia. Dade… you're out, bud."

Dade let out a groan of dismay. "Well, I'll admit, that's a pretty good play."

"So long, scaredy moth," Art commented, waving a vine, while Zahku simply waved a few times before folding his arms again,

Dade gave Art a look, "I hope you realize that you're next."

Art scoffed. "I doubt it."

"Dade… it's time for you to go," Mew stated as the Lapras arrived at the beach.

Dade sighed as he flew over to the Lapras, while the others took in what all just occured. Portia picked up Belladonna and embraced her in a hug, whispering, "Thank you," to her.

Sasha had her arms folded, unable to believe that Jessica would do that without consulting her. She was definitely going to have a talk with her about this. Zahku remained indifferent, despite his main friend having just been eliminated. Art just remained his normal self, not really bothered at all.

As Dade went away on the Lapras, the hosts turned back to the remaining six competitors.

"Alright, you six head back to the campgrounds, we'll see you tomorrow," said Mew.

The final six players began their trek back to the campgrounds, with Portia putting Belladonna back down.

"Well, we had yet another statue play, and Dade is the one gone," Victini commented. "We're down to the final six, and they're all pretty capable of winning now. Who woulda thought that Sasha and Belladonna would make it out second?"

"Well, it was a minute difference, but I see what you mean. Six players remain, and his statue is going back into play," Mew stated.

"Will we have _another_ statue play? Will Zahku ever be voted out? Are we headed to an all female final four in the future? Find out next time on our Island Challenge!" Victini cheered.

 **000**

" **Portia's an annoying bitch, so… she can go," Art stated.**

 **000**

" **I'm voting out Dade. Portia deserves to stay more," Belladonna stated, folding her arms. "Hopefully the others vote the same."**

 **000**

" **Portia's my only option," Dade said with a shrug.**

 **000**

 **Jessica let out a sigh, "I… I know i said that I'd vote for Dade, but… thinking about it… Portia is** _ **still**_ **a bigger threat. I think I can handle being annoyed just a bit more. Sorry Portia."**

 **000**

" **Dade…" Portia drawled.**

 **000**

" **Dade," Sasha said with a firm nod.**

 **000**

" **Zahku vote for big rock lady. He want vote for bug friend, but… can't bring self to," Zahku explained.**

 **000**

 _ **Votes:**_

 _ **Portia - 4 votes (Art, Dade, Jessica, Zahku) - Do not count**_

 _ **Dade - 3 votes (Belladonna, Portia, Sasha)**_

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 _ **Merged - (Art, Belladonna, Jessica, Sasha, Portia, Zahku)**_

 _ **000**_

 _ **Elimination Order:**_

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)**_

 _ **19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)  
**_

 _ **18th - Marley Banner (The Pranking Prodigy)  
**_

 _ **17th - Lawrence "Lucky" Addams (The Unlucky Charm)**_

 _ **16th - Lynn Jamison (The Calm Leader)**_

 _ **15th - Christopher "Chip" Torwood (The Buff Brain)**_

 _ **14th - Christine Reynolds (The Composed Musician)**_

 _ **13th - Richard "R.J." James Mitchell (The Flustered Hothead)**_

 _ **12th - Honey Winchester (The Royal Pain)**_

 _ **11th - Timothy "Tim" Lester (The Affable Introvert)**_

 _ **10th - Tonya Newman (The Inquisitive Speedster)**_

 _ **9th - Kane Mitchell (The "Daddy Bear")**_

 _ **8th - Maximus "Max" Nichols (The Cool Companion)**_

 _ **7th - Dade Lawson (The Surprise Schemer)**_


	16. Legends Awakened

**000**

"Ha! I was the only one to bet right! Suck it!" Zapdos crowed haughtily, sitting at a long, makeshift table with a few of the other Legendaries.

They were all stationed in the living room in front of the television, watching as Mew and Victini's show took place and Dade was eliminated. He was the only one out of his fellow Legendary Pokémon to bet that the Mothim would be the next one to be voted out, so the others at the table were obviously aggravated.

A scowling Thundurus, who was sitting next to him, let out a groan of dismay. "Alright, Zapdos, we get it. Just choose who you want to do your chores so we can move on."

The Electric Pokémon gave them all a smug look, gazing at each of his fellow Legendaries like he was browsing from a catalog. Eventually, he made a decision, stating, "Well, Latios, looks like you'll be handling all of my chores this week."

Latios gaped in shock at being chosen, "You're kidding... Why choose me!?"

"Because you're probably the cleanest guy here and I don't want any of the girls in my room," the thunderbird explained.

"I wonder why," Articuno chimed in accusingly, giving the Electric Pokémon a knowing glare.

Zapdos glared back, a faint blush forming on his face. "Be quiet," he responded.

The Freeze Pokémon rolled her eyes as Latios spoke up again, still annoyed by being chosen. "Seriously, though! I still think it's bullshit that out of all of us, you choose me. Why couldn't-"

Celebi finally spoke up, interrupting the male Eon Pokemon. "Alright, alright, the decision's already been made. Latios, you got chosen… deal with it. Don't be such a drama queen."

Knowing that his complaints were going to fall on deaf ears if he continued, Latios just folded his arms in irritation. Celebi cleared her throat as she floated over to a whiteboard with the names of all of the Legendaries and Mythicals that were participating. "Alright, those two are at the final six now, so who's everyone betting on now and what are we wagering?"

As the participants, which included the Legendary birds, Legendary beasts, Tornadus, Thundurus, Latios, Jirachi, Celebi, Darkrai, and Cresselia, thus far, began placing their bets, Victini entered the living room with Mew in tow.

Seeing what they were discussing, Victini scoffed, "Seriously, you guys started without me?"

"Hey, you gotta learn to get here quicker," Jirachi teased as he floated over to the table, pecking her on the cheek.

Regaining focus, Victini queried, "Alright, Dade's gone and you guys are already onto the next bet. Who all bet on him and who did they choose?"

Zapdos cleared his throat, "Well-"

Moltres interrupted him, tonelessly explaining, "Zapdos is the only one who bet on Dade and he chose Latios because he's a homosexual and wouldn't care about his collection of erotica…"

"MOLTRES!" Zapdos squawked angrily.

"No one cares," Darkrai deadpanned. "So you have a porn stash. Most guys like you, do."

"Oh… wait, what does that-"

"Hey!" Entei roared, getting their attention. "How about we focus on the bets and not on what gets Zapdos' tip wet?"

Celebi let out a sigh of frustration, as she now had that image in her head. "Aside from that disgusting mental image, Entei is right. Let's just focus and get this done so we can all either go to bed or… do whatever you guys are planning to do tonight."

Victini turned back and saw that Mew was still floating at the doorway, an unamused expression on his face. "Mew, you sure you don't want to get in on this? You wouldn't have to worry about your chores. You know you hate doing them."

"Yes, but I'm also a Psychic-type, and I overheard someone mention that Psychic-types would have to do their chores manually if they get chosen. So… I'm good with sitting this whole… betting on our show thing out," the pink feline explained. "You guys have fun, though, I guess…"

Latios' eyes had widened once he heard what Mew said. "Who in the Distortion World made that bullshit rule?!"

"It had already been established, you just went to the bathroom when we discussed it," Raikou explained to the Psychic and Dragon-type.

"FUCK!"

 **000**

Mew let out a deep breath as he made his way through the kitchen and down one of the halls of the Hall of Origin. He and Victini were almost done with their trial, and so far their show as the most popular. Now, while that was a great accomplishment, Mew still felt a bit down.

He really wanted to talk to Shaymin and maybe ask her out, but he just couldn't bring himself to, and he didn't know why. He and Celebi got together a few years back just to see where things went, but after an 'incident' with Cresselia, they broke up and Celebi started disliking him. He couldn't even blame her.

Now he was having feelings for Shaymin, who probably has feelings for Victini, who is currently back together with Jirachi. Why couldn't things just be simple around the Hall of Origin? Sure, they were all Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, but jeez.

Just as he reached the door to his room, he heard another door close and saw Zekrom exiting his and Reshiram's room. Given that his and Reshiram's relationship was one of the strongest, having lasted for centuries alongside Arceus and Giratina's, Mew decided that he was going to ask the Deep Black Pokémon for advice.

He expeditiously floated after the Dragon of Ideals, who was heading to the bathroom. He managed to get beside him and asked, "Hey, Zekrom… uh… can I ask you something?"

Zekrom, who was visibly weary, finally took notice to the New Species Pokémon floating alongside him. He chuckled softly before jokingly replying, "You just did, but… what is it?"

"Do you think you could give me advice on how to ask out Shaymin?" Mew queried. "It's… been a while since I last went out with anyone, especially after my situation with Cresselia a few years ago…"

Zekrom yawned as they reached the bathroom. "Well, I can, and I'm sure Reshi can give her input, too, but it's late and we're both pretty tired. So, come talk to us sometime tomorrow or… whenever, I suppose. Good to see you finally trying to be open again."

Mew sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Uh… thanks," he replied. "Well, I'll see about coming to you guys tomorrow, then. It may be at night again, though."

Zekrom nodded in understanding, "Okay, we'll try to stay up. G'nite." He waved to goodbye to Mew as he entered the bathroom. The New Species Pokémon took another deep breath before heading back to his room.

 **000**

The four girls all met up inside of the Red Team's cabin. Following the events at the elimination ceremony, Belladonna decided that she'd had enough of the rivalry between Jessica and Portia. This was the second time in a row that Jessica tried to get Portia eliminated in a sneaky way and it was just idiotic in her opinion.

It really frustrated her that Jessica was trying so hard to get rid of Portia for being a threat and Portia wanted to try and make Jessica lose all of her allies before taking her out herself. There was no point to it when all they had to do was _work together_. There were only two other guys left in the game. All they had to do was team up, take out both of them when given the chance, and move forward.

Belladonna held her head in exasperation as she sat next to Sasha on her bunk. Portia sat on the empty bottom bunk across from Sasha's bed, while Jessica simply floated above her bed for the time being. "Look," she began. "I've repeated myself multiple times, and frankly, I'm getting sick of being ignored. We need to work TOGETHER, not against each other! We are four strong females and we outnumber the guys left in the game. Why the hell is it so difficult for you guys to just go with the obvious, easy votes!?"

Portia was a bit confused, asking, "Hey, why are you mad at me? _She_ 's the one who can't get anything right. This is the second time she's tried and failed to eliminate me. Only this time, she tried to do it while lying to _you_."

"Portia, you're not innocent," Belladonna stated. "You wanted to vote out Sasha and leave Jessica all alone for what she tried to do to you…"

Both Jessica and Sasha's eyes widened a bit upon hearing that. Jessica didn't comment, while Sasha could only squeak out, "Wait… w-what?"

Portia let out a huff, folding her arms, "Look, that plan isn't even in the works anymore. I said that I'm gonna try to ease back and that's what I'm gonna try to do. I'm still gonna play to win, but it just won't be as 'hardcore', I guess."

Jessica decided to finally chime in, "Well, like I said, I made the choice I did because it'd be easier to beat Art and Dade going forward than you, Portia. You can't even say that I'd be wrong."

Portia let out a sigh, as the Bruxish was correct. Art and Dade were newly-born Sunkern compared to her when it came to challenges. Well, _some_ of them, as Dade was proving himself to be useful when she was paired with him.

"Well, now that we're all together and actually talking, maybe we can _actually_ work together this time," Sasha chimed in. "No lies, no backstabbing, no trying to work with the other guys…"

Just then, Jessica's eyes widened in realization. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, I just realized something," the Gnash Teeth Pokémon stated. " _Zahku_ is still in the game and there are two immunity statues out there. If Zahku wins the immunity challenges and Art manages to find a statue…"

Belladonna hadn't thought about that at all, he face turning pale. "Oh no… that _is_ a problem. B-But that doesn't mean that we can't still work together."

"You sure about that?" Jessica queried, raising a brow. "I mean, there's six of us left, and the four of us are two pairs, so we're not gonna vote out our partners. We'd each have to try and convince both Art and Zahku to vote with our pair, and I don't think that's really something we can work out together. We _all_ wanna win this game."

The Golem stared down at the wooden floor dejectedly, having hoped her plan would work great. "I… I guess you're right."

"Hey, how do we even know that either of them have found it or if they will we do?" Portia queried, trying to think positively. "It's not over until it's over. So, I say that we _do_ work together, and if the worst case scenario happens… we just do whatever we need to do and hope for the best."

Despite her reservations about the plan, a small smile formed on Jessica's face. It didn't sound _that_ bad to just work with them and then just deal with the issue when it was brought up. They didn't even know for sure that Zahku was going to win, nor did they know if Art had a statue. "I… guess I can live with that…"

"Wait… r-really?" Belladonna queried, perking up a bit.

"Yeah, we'll never know unless we try, right?" Portia replied. "You helped me stay in this game even though I gained indifference about leaving. I kinda owe it to you."

Belladonna smiled. "Well, then let's destroy these guys," the Golem stated, her determination at an all-time high."

 **000**

"Zahku and iron plant man in trouble," Zahku stated, sitting in his old bed. "Girls all going to work together to try and eliminate."

Sitting in his own bed, Art scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Oh please. Were you not paying attention to that shit show? Those dumb girls are split. If anything, _we_ have the power because they'd have to come to us for voting help," Art stated.

Zahku could only shake his head. He had watched all four girls enter into the Red Team's cabin before he came back to this one, so his suspicions were valid in his mind. "Zahku not sure about that. Zahku think they plotting. They all in same cabin."

A surprised expression formed on Art's face. He hadn't paid the girls any attention since they got back to the campgrounds, but if what Zahku said was true, then they really _were_ in trouble.

He let out a soft breath of irritation. "Well, looks like I'm hoping for another stupid group immunity challenge," he deadpanned.

 **000**

 **Art groused, "You'd think that Portia and her lackey would realize that Jessica isn't on their fucking side and just try to pull us in or something. Granted, I'd just vote one of them out instead, but still."**

" **But, now that there's a possibility that they're** _ **actually**_ **working together this time, I'm in a bit of a bind. I doubt that their little group will last, but I'm gonna have to actually try in these merge challenges now to even have a shot," he stated. He chuckled to himself. "They'll be in for a shock."**

 **000**

The next day, all of the contestants entered the mess hall and, rather than the hosts being there, they were greeted by their breakfast boxes, as well as a note.

Approaching the table housing the food and info, Portia grabbed the note and started reading it while the others grabbed their breakfast boxes. "Hello final six. Once you finish your breakfast, head to the glade for today's challenge," she read before putting the note down.

"Hey, we don't have to see their ugly mugs so early this time," Art commented. "Great. Only downside now is this shitty breakfast…"

"Art, you hardly ever eat, anyway. What's the point of you complaining?" Belladonna commented, giving him a look.

"You should be used to it by now," Art deadpanned in response as he walked to his usual table and sat down. Even though he'd be sitting alone, and he wasn't going to be eating anything, Art sure wasn't going to go the the glade early and deal with the hosts.

Zahku simply decided to leave with his breakfast box, as he didn't have anything to say and he didn't really care to be in the mess hall with them. Seeing the Makuhita leave, Belladonna hummed to herself.

"We really need to figure out what we're gonna do about Zahku," the Golem stated as she opened her breakfast box. Their breakfast this time consisted of a medium-rare steak, scrambled eggs, and hashbrowns. "Whoa… fancy breakfast this time," she commented with a giggle before getting back on topic. "But yeah… what are we gonna do?"

"Obviously we have to beat him in the next challenges," Portia commented. "Well, at least _try_ to beat him. We need to get rid of him as soon as possible. Art may be the bigger annoyance, but I'm less worried about _him_ getting immunity than Zahku."

"My same thought process from last night," Jessica chimed in. "Art is the easiest player to beat. Aside from… maybe Sasha, no offense."

"None taken," Sasha shrugged.

Belladonna let out a sigh, thinking about the possibility of Art having an immunity statue. "Well, if Zahku gets immunity, we're gonna have to get rid of Art, and then just deal with what comes our way next. Let's just hope that isn't the case today," Belladonna commented, eating a few of the hashbrowns in her box.

 **000**

Finishing their breakfast, or lack thereof, the final six contestants made their way to their usual challenge briefing location, the glade. Awaiting them were the hosts, of course, as well as a large wheel that towered over even the tallest of trees in the vicinity.

Approaching the hosts, Sasha was the first to acknowledge the large wheel. "Uh… what's with the wheel?"

Closer inspection revealed that the wheel had the names of all of the Legendary and Mythical Pokémon inscribed on it.

Noticing this, Art gained an expression of annoyance, commenting, "This had better not be a trivia challenge about your lame-o friends."

Victini huffed, "Well, hello to you, too. Aren't even gonna give us any time to explain."

Everyone remained silent following his comment, waiting for them to explain what they would be doing. Victini let out a breath before regaining a smile, "Alright, welcome to your next challenge. However, _we_ will not be the ones giving you your challenge."

"Lemme guess, that's what the wheel is for?" Jessica inquired, raising a brow.

"As you can see, this wh- Dang it!" Victini exclaimed, glaring at the group of six. "You know what? Fine. Mew, give 'em the CliffsNotes version."

Mew rolled his eyes before explaining, "Each of you will spin this wheel, which has the names of all of the Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, aside from us, and they will be called. You will then have to spend time with them as they give you three challenges. The first player to complete all of their challenges will win immunity at tonight's vote."

"Wait… so we really get to meet other Legendary Pokémon and they'll give us challenges!?" Belladonna excitedly inquired.

"That's what he just said," Art deadpanned, giving her a look.

"Art, you don't have to be such an ass all the time, y'know?" Portia commented, giving him a look.

"I know," Art responded. "But the real question is… why should I care?" Art retorted. "You're all just gonna vote me out if Rain Man here wins again," he said, gesturing to Zahku. "So, why would I care about being an ass to you, especially since you should be used to it by now?"

Nobody responded to him, having nothing more to say. If he was fine with being a jerk, then there wasn't anything they could do about it.

"Moving on from that miniature tirade, let's get this challenge started," Victini commented, clasping his hands together. "Step right up and get your Legendary. Let's see who you get."

Belladonna eagerly rolled forward and grabbed the lever attached to the wheel. With a powerful yank, the wheel began to spin rapidly. After a few seconds, the wheel began slowing down, eventually landing on Manaphy.

"Ooh, Manaphy the busy body. That'll be interesting…" Victini commented. "Next."

One-by-one, the other contestants took turns spinning the wheel, landing on the Legendary, or Mythical, that would be accompanying them throughout the day. While Belladonna got Manaphy, Portia, who had gone after her, got Moltres. They were followed by Jessica, who landed on Landorus, Sasha, who ended up with Lugia, Zahku, who got Regice, and finally Art, who landed on Dialga.

He rolled his eyes. "Tch… great…" he sarcastically commented.

"Alright, all of your choices have been made," Victini continued. "Let's get them all down here, we'll explain a little bit more, and then you guys will be off."

 **-000-**

After a while, the six chosen Legendary and Mythical Pokémon arrived on the island. They stood alongside Mew and Victini, as the wheel behind them disappeared.

Victini cleared his throat, "Alright, final six, meet your Legendary, or Mythical, partners."

"Uh… h-hi," Sasha sheepishly greeted with a wave, while the others simply stood there in awe, aside from Art, who simply huffed and rolled his eyes in disinterest.

Victini, seeing how they were responding, sweatdropped. He turned to his fellow rare and powerful Pokémon. "Okay, uh… guys, meet the contestants that you'll be instructing today," the Victory Pokémon stated.

The six of them turned their attention back to the contestants before beginning their individual introductions.

"Hello, heh-heh" a blue sea angel greeted back with his own wave, his voice trembling a bit in anxiousness. "I'm Manaphy, Prince of the Sea… _just hoping that things are going well without me… heh_ ," he whispered the latter half of his sentence to himself.

"Salutations," the large flaming bird greeted, her tone rather monotonous, as she bowed her head. "I'm Moltres."

The white and blue dinosaur-esque creature to Moltres' left waved in greetings, introducing herself. "Lugia," she said , her voice soft and soothing.

An orange, pink, and white tiger-esque beast with clouds around its legs sat down. "I am Landorus," he introduced, his voice deep and husky. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Jessica purred to herself, admiring the Abundance Pokémon's physique.

Next to Landorus was an iceberg-crystal golem with yellow dots in the shape of a "+" on its face. No words were spoken, instead a series of beeps and boops came from it, causing a bit of confusion among the competitors.

"Uh… were we supposed to understand that?" Art deadpanned, raising a brow.

A belch was suddenly heard before a croaky voice explained, "No, uh… only other Regis can really understand him. And since -rock, -steel, and -gigas ain't here, yeah, I doubt anyone'll understand a word he says. Or… _tries_ to say," the final Legendary Pokémon stated. She was a large, blue, quadrupedal beast covered in steel in different areas of her body. "Name's Dialga, B.T. Dubs…" she greeted, following it with a sigh.

The Temporal Pokémon turned to the hosts. "So, we gonna do this or what?"

"We've gotta explain a bit more," Mew responded as he turned his attention back to the contestants. "Now, you've each chosen your substitute 'host' from the wheel, and they're going to give you each three challenges. The difficulty of the challenges will vary, _but_ at the end of the day, these guys are free to do whatever they please. _Within reason_."

"Yeah, they aren't allowed to purposely hinder you and make it so you can't win at all," Victini added. "And given who we have here, we don't really have to worry about that anyway."

"Exactly," Mew commented. "Now, pair up and let's get this show on the road."

 **000**

" **Perfect! Zahku managed to get the one Legendary that can't even speak English!" Belladonna cheered. "Maybe we** _ **will**_ **actually stand a chance."**

 **000**

Belladonna and Manaphy began walking back toward the campgrounds, the main beach being their destination. Lugia had flown overhead, Sasha on her back, while Jessica followed Landorus' lead as they headed back to the campgrounds as well.

"Good luck, Jessica," Belladonna spoke.

The Bruxish, fixated on Landorus' rear, only giggled in response, "Thanks, hon. But… I don't think luck will have anything to do with it~."

Landorus couldn't help but sweatdrop from Jessica's comment, while Manaphy gained an expression that was a mix of concern and amusement.

Both pairs reached the campgrounds, and as Landorus began leading Jessica into the mess hall, Manaphy teasingly commented, "G-Good luck, Lando!"

The Abundance Pokémon stopped and looked back at the Seafaring Pokémon as Jessica entered the building, winking at him as she did so. He let out a sigh as he padded inside.

Taking notice in the tiger's behavior, Belladonna inquired, "So um… what's up with him?"

Manaphy hummed in response before getting what she was talking about. "Oh, Landorus? He's the serious and composed type. Prefers the quiet and just likes working on personal projects. He doesn't really go out much unless he's doing something crop-related, so he's a bit out of his comfort zone. And with your friend there becoming a bit infatuated, he's gonna be a bit flustered… but still composed."

"...Sounds like he just needs to loosen up," Belladonna commented as they reached the water.

"Nearly all the single girls back at the hall have a small crush on him, especially Lugia, and Thundurus and Tornadus keep trying to get him to get out of his room and experiment for a change, but he's pretty resistant," Manaphy explained. "But, that's enough about Lando, let's get you started on your first challenge. The faster you finish, the faster I can get back to work and make sure everything is okay underwater."

Belladonna nodded confidently. "Let's get it on!"

"Okay," Manaphy began as he looked out to the water. There were a total of six red buoys floating a very far distance in the water. "Out there, you see six buoys. All you're gonna do is swim out, untie the rings that are underneath them, and bring them back. Once you do that, we can chill for a bit, or we can immediately go into the next challenge. I'd be happy with the second option, myself, but… y'know… up to you… heh heh…"

Belladonna rose a brow. "Right…"

"Well, go ahead and get started," Manaphy instructed. Just then he realized something, "Oh, wait! I forgot that you're a Rock and Ground-type. Uh… um…" He looked around panickedly.

Seeing this, Belladonna calmed him down, saying, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down little dude. I may be weak to water in battles, but I can still swim pretty well. Don't you watch the show?"

"I'm far too busy with business underwater to watch anyone's show. I didn't even do one, myself, because of it," Manaphy explained. "But… it's good to know that you'll be fine."

Belladonna nodded in affirmation, making Manaphy chuckle a bit. "Well, if you're all good, then get out there!" he instructed once more.

Belladonna rushed forward, running through the water before leaping forward and beginning her swim toward the buoys.

 **000**

Lugia had flown Sasha to the cliff, wanting to talk to the Nidoqueen for a bit before actually starting her off with her first challenge.

"So… as you may have already guessed, some of us Legendaries have been watching this show in our own times," she explained. "And, I honestly want to ask you something."

Knowing that her reputation in the show probably wasn't the best, due to her initial actions revolving around Kane, Sasha hesitated before offering a response. "Y-Yes?"

Instead of a insulting exclamation or verbal lashing from the Diving Pokémon, Lugia asked, "Why aren't you making more important moves in the game?"

Surprised by the inquiry, Sasha looked down, putting her hands in her lap. "Uh… w-what do you mean?"

Lugia expounded, "I mean… You were annoying to some of the other players, but you weren't voted out. You supposedly got over your crush on Kane, and ever since you've allied with Jessica, you haven't really proven your worth or anything. I just think that there's more that you could do instead of sitting on the sidelines."

Sasha let out a sigh, as Lugia continued. "And I know that you've already spoken to yourself and decided to be more confident, but… you're still gonna need to do a bit more. And don't think I'm trying to change you or anything, it's just something that I think would be good for you," Lugia explained.

Sasha nodded, "No, no, it's okay. I… was actually thinking about doing something yesterday. I'm just holding off a bit to see how things work out before I try anything."

Lugia nodded in understanding, "Okay, that's good to hear."

She let out a breath as Sasha rubbed her arm, not knowing where to go from there. She decided to ask her a question of her own, "So… what is it like being a Legendary? Do you guys do anything besides these shows?"

It was then that the Nidoqueen mentally facepalmed herself, as she realized that she should have just asked for her first challenge rather than try to delve into the mind of a Legendary and hear their experiences.

Surprisingly enough, Lugia was rather brief with her response. Beginning with a shrug, the Psychic and Flying-type explained, "There's not really much _to_ do now that humans are extinct. Nothing _too_ awful ever really happens that requires us to jump in, so some of us just spend majority of our time at the Hall of Origins. Some of us still do petty tasks here and there. Like, Cobalion and Terrakion sometimes catch thieves and put them in jail when the cops aren't doing anything, Shaymin cleans up pollution, and… then there's Manaphy, but otherwise, we don't have that much to do."

Sasha rose a brow. "What about Manaphy?"

"Manaphy's a worrywart when it comes to the sea and always tries to make sure things are calm. He wants everything to be in complete order since he's got the 'Prince of the Sea' label, and he ends up getting more anxiety when he's not sure how things are going underwater. I'm called the ' _Guardian_ of the Sea' in some places, and I only help sometimes because I know that there is never any true _order._ I try to tell him the same thing, but… he's stuck," she explained, her eyes downcast. "And I can understand that, but…"

Sasha suddenly felt a bit awkward for asking, but Lugia spoke up about it, herself. "Sorry, sorry… " she apologized with another sharp sigh. "You probably didn't need or want to hear anything like that. Let's just… get to your first challenge, huh?"

"Yeah, that'd probably be for the best," Sasha concurred with a nod.

Lugia looked over the edge of the cliff, "You see that ring down there?" Sasha approached the edge and gazed over it as well. She saw a medium, life preserver-esque ring floating in the water below.

"Yeah..." the Nidoqueen trailed, having a feeling that she knew where this was going.

"Well, since I'm the Diving Pokémon, I decided to make your first challenge one that would match my species, but also be simple," Lugia explained. "All you have to do is jump off the cliff and land in the ring. If you miss, I'll just keep sending you back up so that you can try it again."

Sasha let out sigh, as she knew that this challenge would be the most frustrating for her. Not only because she _still_ wasn't great in water, but because she was gonna have to try to guess which distance would work the best so that she could successfully land in the ring. She didn't want to fail so many times, while the others forged ahead with ease.

"You okay?" Lugia inquired in concern, having heard her sigh and seeing a look of apprehension form on the Nidoqueen's face.

"Um… it's just… I'm not that good in water," Sasha explained, sounding a bit embarrassed.

"Oh, that?" Lugia responded, knowing what she was talking about. "No worries. Like I said, as soon as you land, I'll teleport you back up if you missed."

That didn't really help Sasha's nerves. It sounded like she was still going to get dunked repeatedly from failure. She groaned, "Oh well… no way out of this, I guess…"

"I'll be at the bottom of the cliff," Lugia explained before heading down.

Sasha let out another sigh before taking a deep breath. "Okay… You can do this… It's no big deal. She's gonna keep saving you until you get it right. Just… try not to screw up so much. Simple…" she said to herself.

Having made it down quickly, Lugia exclaimed, "Ready when you are!"

Hearing that, Sasha looked out over the edge again and gulped in nervousness. She hesitated a bit, her legs trembling slightly. She growled to herself. "Come _on_!"

She took a few steps away from the cliff in order to get a running start. Once she was far enough, she rushed toward the edge before leaping off and screaming on her way down.

 **000**

A perturbed Landorus was sitting at one of the tables in the mess hall. The table in question had multiple cards scattered across it, which irritated him, as the cards played a significant part in his challenge for Jessica.

As he attempted to get things back in order, he could feel a pair of eyes burning into the back of his skull. Immediately knowing what it was, he let out a sigh, asking, "Could you please stop looking at me like that?"

Jessica, who was floating at a different table as the Abundance Pokémon got set up, only giggled. "Sorry, but… you're just so husky and attractive. Kinda hard _not_ to admire your body's nooks and crannies."

Landorus sweatdropped, not offering back a response as he continued to sort his cards. Raising a brow at his lack of a reply to her that time. She inquired, "So… with your looks, I'm sure that you get a lot of _advances_."

The Ground and Flying-type gave her a look. He really didn't want to talk, he just wanted to get the challenges out of the way so that he could return to the hall. However, he could feel that, with her, not replying wouldn't do him any good.

He let out a huff. "So I do. However, I don't respond to them most of the time. I'm more interested in personal activities."

Jessica rose a brow in confusion. "Wait, so… you're a handsome, powerful Legendary Pokémon, others attempt to seduce and/or talk to you, and you blow them off in favor of 'personal activities'?" Jessica queried in surprise. "I'm sorry, but I don't get it"

The tiger shrugged. "There's nothing to get," Landorus retorted. "I prefer being alone and working on my own personal activities. I write and read books and illustrate if I have the time. Other times, I'm just helping people grow food for their families, which doesn't eat away much of my time."

"And you can't have any _fun_ alongside doing that?" Jessica replied. Her eyes widened a bit as a thought entered her head. She started, "Please tell me you're not still a-"

He cut her off. "Of course I'm not!" Landorus snapped, annoyed by what she was assuming. He let out a deep breath, attempting to keep his composure. In a calmer, stern tone, he stated, "Look, I'm not here to talk about my personal life. I'm just here to give you three challenges and then go about my business. So, I would appreciate it if the questions about me were kept to a minimum."

Jessica nodded in understanding. She had dealt with guys like him before, and it only brought a small smile to her face.

 **000**

" **Guys like him who claim to be 'focusing' on other things and ignoring the people throwing themselves at them are usually the ones who are the most wild in bed," Jessica giggled. "But, they also have a temper on them at times and don't like being pestered too much. So, I'll settle myself down a bit and just go with it."**

" **I doubt a Legendary like him would go for me, anyway," the Bruxish doubted. "They're higher beings, so I'm sure they have like** _ **some**_ **standards."**

 **000**

Finally finished with his cards, Landorus let out a sigh. He had set up five stacks of cards, each one with a different category. "Note to self: Never let Victini handle your cards again…" he muttered to himself.

He looked back over to the table, but saw that the Bruxish was no longer there. He looked around, seeing her at the door, looking out in the distance.

"Hey," he barked, getting her attention. "Are you ready for your first challenge?"

"Sure, why not," Jessica replied nonchalantly as she floated over to him.

Seeing that she was about to float next to him, he immediately instructed her to sit at the table across from him, on the other side of the building. Jessica went with it, facing him from across the way.

"Okay," Landorus began. "Being part Psychic-type, I'm sure this challenge won't be that difficult for you. It is a trivia challenge, and you have to answer twenty of the questions correctly in order for us to move on to the second challenge."

Jessica smirked with a nod. "Okay."

"Right," the tiger continued. "Now, there's five categories: General Pokémon, Pokémon Moves, Pokémon Abilities, Pokémon Evolution, and Media."

Jessica gave him a look. "Uh… you mean Pokémon Media?"

Landorus shook his head, "No, just general media. It _was_ going to be Pokémon Media, but I was told that it would be too samey. Anyways, you can choose from any category, but you have to choose at least two questions from each one."

"Alright then…" Jessica replied. "I guess I'll go for General Pokémon first, then."

Landorus nodded before drawing a card from the first stack. He read, "What Pokémon can dig through the ground at 50 miles per hour?"

"Easy. Onix," Jessica answered.

The Abundance Pokémon nodded his head, the simplicity of the question making him sigh a bit. Hopefully his more difficult questions came up. "That's one correct, nineteen to go. Next category."

Jessica hummed before shrugging, "Eh, you know what, you don't have to bother asking me each time. I'll take a question from each category in the row."

"Alright then…" Landorus replied, grabbing a card from the next stack. He cleared his throat before asking, "Originating in Unova, what move is currently unable to be learned by any Pokémon native to that region?"

An expression of dismay formed on Jessica's face. She thought that the move questions were going to be like 'What move does X amount of damage?' or 'What move usually gives critical hits?'. She didn't think about knowing the origins of moves.

"Uh… huh," she replied, unsure. "Um… Are there any _hints_ or-"

"No hints," Landorus replied. "Remember, you just need to answer twenty correct. No real penalty for getting one wrong… at this stage, anyway."

"Oh, then uh… can we skip this one?" Jessica queried.

Nodding, Landorus set the card aside, before taking another one from the Pokémon Abilities stack. He read, "What ability exists, and yet no Pokémon has it?"

"I think that's… Cacophony," Jessica answered.

Landorus nodded, "Correct. Now that's two. Next up we have Pokémon Evolution. What do the following Pokémon have it common? Eevee, Charjabug, Nosepass?"

Jessica sweatdropped in response, "This is gonna be really tedious…"

 **000**

Moltres and Portia were standing at the top of the volcano, a fitting place for the firebird. Not wanting to waste any time, Portia immediately asked, "Alright, what's my first challenge?"

Moltres, having not expected her to be ready immediately, simply cleared her throat. "Well, I suppose if your anticipation is that high, we can begin right away," she responded, her tone indicating a bit of disappointment.

Hearing her tone, Portia sweatdropped, rubbing the back of her head. "Uh… sorry? I just have a lot going on and I don't want to waste any time. Plus, isn't this the main thing you guys are all here for, anyway?"

Moltres simply stared at her in response before turning to the side, "Fine… let's just begin, then."

She looked back toward the island, explaining, "There are three lumps of charcoal that are on the path leading back to the island. You must find them, bring them back, and toss them into the volcano."

"Oh… that's it?" Portia inquired, still a bit underwhelmed. She turned around to leave and start her search, but a question came to her mind quickly. Turning back to Moltres, she asked, "Wait, are they hidden?"

"Somewhat…" Moltres drawled.

Portia gave her a look of slight annoyance before proceeding to walk away, heading down the volcano.

 **000**

" **Sheesh, I mean, I'm here to win a challenge, not make friends with a Legendary Pokémon that'll probably never remember me," Portia explained. "There are way more important matters to attend to…"**

 **000**

Portia made it down from the volcano and started trekking across the sandbar, scanning the ground for the lumps of charcoal that Moltres claimed were there.

"Somewhat hidden…" Portia muttered to herself as she continued walking along the sandbar. "A simple 'yes' or 'no' would have sufficed, but _no,_ she's upset that I'm not wasting my time talking with her."

Moving forward a bit further, the Rhyperior noticed numerous lumps in the ground, along with a few shovels, causing her to raise a brow. "What the hell? Is this what she meant by _somewhat_? I just have to dig them up?"

As she approached the lumps, she noticed that a few of them were starting to move. The shovels next to them stood upright, with the sand piles rising up, revealing themselves to be-

"Sandygast…" she growled to herself.

There were seven of the Sand Heap Pokémon in front of her, leaving one lump in the ground unaccounted for. Her eyes widened as she thought, " _That must be where the charcoal is…_ "

That thought was soon interrupted by a sphere of green energy, which struck her in the chest and sent her falling onto her back. She groaned in pain as she sat up, watching as the Sandygast surrounded her.

She got back to her feet, grumbling, "Lucky shot. But I'm not gonna be taken down by a bunch of sand mounds."

She proceeded to step over and past the Sandygast, heading to the final, unmoving pile, only to be struck by more Energy Balls from behind. The Rhyperior slumped to the ground, the numerous super-effective moves knocking her unconscious.

After about five minutes, Portia finally came to, holding her head as she sat up. She got to her knees, scoping out the vicinity. She saw that she was still surrounded by lumps of sand and red shovels, causing her to scowl.

"...Fucking kidding me," she cursed as she got to her feet. As she did, the Sandygast began to emerge from the sand once again. However, this time she immediately opened her mouth, firing a blue sphere down at the ground. The sphere burst upon impact, a giant wave forming in its place as Portia rode on it.

The wave crashed down, hitting all of the Sandygast and knocking majority of them out. Only two of them were left. They were weakened, but still conscious and now very angry.

Portia finally started digging up the last mound in the sand, uncovering the first lump of charcoal she needed for her challenge.

"Finally…" she groaned. "Now for two more."

She looked down, narrowly dodging an enormous, green ball of energy that came in her direction. She saw that one of the Sandygast was no longer a Sandygast. It now resembled an actual sandcastle and was much bigger than usual. The shovel in its head was now upright and spinning and what appeared to be rocks or shells were now across its face.

"A Palossand?!" she exclaimed in surprise. She then groaned to herself, realizing, "Of course one of them evolved…"

She started heading back toward the island, thinking that the Palossand and Sandygast would start coming after her, but she was surprised when she looked back and saw that they remained in the same area, even 'melting' back into the sand.

She made it back to shore, letting out a sigh of relief. "Okay," she sighed, "I made it all the way back to the island and only have one lousy lump of coal. What am I supposed to do now?"

She looked around before noticing more moving lumps in the sand. The Rhyperior let out a groan of exasperation.

 **000**

"Run around the entire island in two minutes?! Are you out of your drunken mind?!"

Art and Dialga were on the beach that had remained unexplored, being beyond where the lake was. Feeling that his challenge was absurd, Art waited for Dialga's response.

The sauropod-dragoness belched before chuckling giddily, "Maybe. Now get going, you don't wanna lose do you?"

Art glowered at her, finding the Temporal Pokémon's challenge to be impossible and ridiculous. "You Legendaries love being a pain in my ass. How do you expect me to go around this big ass island in under two minutes without some kinda jetpack or rocket or something?! You're setting me up to fail and you're not allowed to do that!"

"You'll figure it out," Dialga yawned as she began lying down in the sand. "Now, start. I'm gonna take a nap."

"Wha- How the hell are you gonna know if I do it in under two minutes, then?!" Art exclaimed, his frustration increasing.

Dialga didn't respond, her soft breathing and closed eyes indicating she had, indeed, fallen asleep. Art's right eye twitched before he let out a groan of agitation He began walking away from the dragon of time, grumbling, "All of these Legendaries are complete pieces of shit. Don't even do shit for the world anymore and just waste time being complete wastes of space."

As he rounded a corner, he noticed a large sign blocking his way. The sign read, 'Did you seriously leave? Don't be stupid.'

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean!?" he said to himself. "Was I _not_ supposed to do what she says?"

A scowl formed on Art's face as he turned back around and started walking back to where Dialga was sleeping. He approached the slumbering Legendary Pokémon and prepared to wake her up to get some clarification, but he honestly didn't feel like hearing further explanation from the challenge maker herself, as he felt that she was useless due to her obvious drunkenness.

It was then that an idea hit him. He wasn't sure if this was what the sign was referring to, but he was going to do it anyway. The Ferrothorn simply walked in the other direction briefly making sure he went around a curved corner. He was met by another sign, which had the same message as the other one.

He rolled his eyes and started walking back toward Dialga again. This time he _did_ wake her, knocking on her head with one of his spiky disks. "Wake up, I'm done. Gimme my next challenge," Art stated.

It took a while, but eventually Dialga began shifting and yawned before looking down at where the Ferrothorn was and commenting, "See? Was that so hard?"

Art gave her a look. "Just give me my next challenge," he stated, not wanting this interaction to continue.

Dialga, growing just as annoyed with him as he was with her, rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Your next challenge… is to go collect beer cans around the island. There's ten of them."

"You're kidding me…" Art droned.

The Temporal Pokémon shook her head. "Nope, I'm 100% serious. Now, get lost Groucho, you're leaving a bad taste in my mouth already."

Art scoffed, "You sure that it's me leaving the bad taste in your mouth and not the booze on your breath?"

Dialga smacked her lips momentarily. "Nope, that's still just you. Now get lost," she stated firmly. "Come back when you have all of the cans."

Art shook his head. "You Legendaries are pathetic," he deadpanned before walking away, with Dialga simply huffing in response.

The Temporal Pokémon had a bit of a drinking problem and was often very negligent, constantly making mistakes and causing issues with time-zones and just time in general out of her own laziness and ignorance, 'daylight savings time' being an example of this.

As the Ferrothorn left, Dialga prepared to lie down once again, hoping that this challenge would give her a chance to actually get a decent nap in on the island, as well as keep Art busy for a while. She didn't have anything better to do, anyway.

The first challenge was an obvious freebie, as she just wanted to throw a bone to whoever ended up with her and maybe get them to see that she was pretty lax. That way, they could get along and the challenges could be fun for both of them. But, nope, she was the stuck with Art, who'd do anything _but_ that. The Steel and Dragon-type simply let the soft, warm sand wrap around her and she slowly dozed off.

 **000**

Back at the Hall of Origins, a majority of the other Legendaries and Mythical Pokémon were watching the show live in the living room. Being that all of them had a chance to partner with one of their contestants and give them challenges, they _had_ to see what happened.

Mew and Victini were also there, having returned to the hall to see what happened on the show with their fellow legendaries taking the reins instead of them for a day.

Mew let out a groan. "Well, as expected, Art is the only one being an outright jerk. Surprise, surprise," Mew commented, folding his arms.

Groudon's gruff voice could be heard as he asked, "Seriously, what's his deal? Does he just hate us or something?"

"Probably," Zapdos chuckled. "If you replace each time he said 'Legendaries' with 'Men', he'll sound just like Articuno. And you know how she feels about us."

A few shards of ice hit him in response, sending him to the ground, moaning in pain, courtesy of Articuno. The only one who reacted to the attack was Latios, who only exclaimed, "Ha!"

Zapdos growled to himself as he got to his feet. "Learn to take a joke!" he shouted, glaring at her.

"Your jokes aren't funny," Articuno squawked in mild annoyance, giving him a side-eye in response.

"I just want to see what the hell _Regice_ wanted to do," Uxie stated. He looked to the two main hosts, asking, "You guys set up all of their challenges for them, right?"

"Duh, how else would they get anything done?" Victini responded. "And as for Regice, he was pretty fucking confusing at first, but Regirock helped us out. And you'll see what he wanted to do. Just gotta stop talking and keep watching."

 **000**

Regice and Zahku were standing in front of the lake, the only other place on the island that seemed to be free. The body of water had been mostly frozen over, except for a hole near the edge where they were standing.

A series of beeps came from Regice as he pointed to the hole. Zahku stared at the hole for a while before glancing back at Regice. Apparently, having understood him, Zahku replied, "Ten minutes only?"

His response was a couple of more beeps, at which the Fighting-type nodded along. Somehow, the Makuhita could understand the Iceberg Pokémon, while hardly anyone else could. It was very bizarre, though not completely unbelievable.

Zahku got onto the ice and hummed to himself. Despite him being a Fighting-type _and_ having abnormal abilities, even Zahku could admit that it was a bit too cold for his liking. However, knowing that his time in the game was based on how he did in the challenge, he didn't have time to be hesitant.

Regice watched as the Guts Pokémon slipped into the hole in the icy lake. Zahku shuddered as he submerged his body in the freezing water. He turned to Regice, who simply stood and watched him as he completed his challenge.

Not wanting to be in silence for most of this, Regice began communicating with Zahku for a bit, as the Makuhita could clearly understand him.

"Beep b-beep beep beep boop beep," the Iceberg Pokémon began.

"Z-Zahku was t-taught by m-mountain friend to understand a-all languages", Zahku explained, still shivering in the water. "M-Make easier t-to know people good."

Beeps of intrigue came from Regice in response, followed by more inquisitive ones. The conversation between the two carried on as Zahku made sure his sperm had good longevity for the future.

The conversation was eventually put on hold as Zahku's time ran out and he pulled himself out of the hole. Regice moved out of the way as Zahku got back on the grass, still shivering, "Zahku feels like lower half is dead."

More beeps from Regice were heard shortly after, most likely translating to 'Yeah, that'll happen'. Regice beeped a bit more before gesturing for Zahku to follow him, presumably to his next challenge.

 **000**

Belladonna panted as she came back with her fourth ring. She was growing very tired from the constant back and forth. The challenge was so simple, yet so tedious. She could understand it, as they were nearing the end of the competition. That meant that the challenges were going to require more work, but that didn't mean that she couldn't feel tired.

As she tossed her current ring onto the pile of others before turning to the Seafaring Pokémon. Breathing slowly, "Manaphy… I know that you're a bit anxious about getting back underwater… but can I take a bit of a break?"

Manaphy twitched slightly, as he really wanted this challenge to finish quickly so that he could get back to the sea. "Oh, uh… s-sure, catch your breath. It _is_ a pretty long distance to swim," he replied, chuckling in a bit in discomfort.

Belladonna let out a breath as she sat in the sand, catching her breath. Manaphy decided to do the same, not entirely knowing what else to do. He wasn't going to rush her, but he was pretty uncomfortable just sitting there doing nothing as the Golem recuperated.

Luckily for him, Belladonna tossed another inquiry his way. "So, what do the other Legendaries usually do back at the hall?" she asked. "Or are you not there that much because of your whole thing with worrying about things going on under the sea?"

"No, no, I'm there quite a bit. For about… maybe five... six hours a day?" he admitted.

Belladonna's eyes widened. "Jeez, and I thought that _Landorus_ needed to loosen up."

"Hey! I'm perfectly loose, thank you very much…" Manaphy replied, folding his arms.

Belladonna gave him a look, as Manaphy realized what he had just said. "Okay, that came out wrong. But… you know what I mean!"

"Okay… so what do you do when you're at the hall, then?"

"I mean, I have to spend time with my daughter..." Manaphy explained. "Other than that… not much. But I'm still perfectly fine!"

"Daughter…? Oh, right, Phione," Belladonna recalled, . Just then, another thought came to her mind. She asked, "Uh… how did _that_ happen anyway?"

Manaphy's eyes widened. "I-I-I plead the fifth!" he exclaimed. He didn't want to talk about that _incident_ with anyone; he just wanted to forget it ever happened.

"Uh… okay?" Belladonna replied before clearing her throat. "So, uh… anyone you like or friends with?"

The Seafaring Pokemon let out a soft sigh as he responded, "Well, I'm well acquainted with everyone, but I think I'm bonding the most with some of the girls since some of them help me with Phione sometimes."

"Oh… any of _them_ caught your eye?" Belladonna teased.

Manaphy's cheeks began to burn a bright crimson out of embarrassment as he chuckled nervously, knowing that the other Legendaries were likely watching. "Once again, I plead the fifth," he responded.

Belladonna playfully smacked her lips. "Aww, so that's a yes. You like one of your 'acquaintances'."

Manaphy groaned, "I said, I plead the fifth. And it's not my fault a majority of them are attractive." Not wanting the conversation to continue, he asked, "Are you all better to keep going now?"

"Hmm… well, I've been asking about you and the other Legendaries, so I think it'd be fair if you asked me something. When you do, I'm guaranteed to answer it and then I'll finish up this challenge," Belladonna proposed. "Whaddya say?"

Manaphy nodded, immediately starting to brainstorm a question. Instead of a simple one, which is what Belladonna expected, the Mythical Pokémon asked, "What would you say your experience has been on the show thus far?"

Surprised, Belladonna giggled, "Well, this experience so far has been pretty great. I met some cool new people, I'm taking part in some cool challenges, and… just being a part of something like this is just one of the best experiences I've had in my life thus far, regardless of if I win or not."

Manaphy nodded with a smile as Belladonna let out a sigh. "Well, a deal's a deal," she said as she got back to her feet. She ran toward the water and dove in, swimming out to the buoys.

The Seafaring Pokémon chuckled, "These guys are pretty cool…"

 **000**

Sasha was panting heavily as she sat at the edge of the cliff, water dripping from her soaked body. Her repeated efforts to get into the ring were all failures and she was growing exhausted.

Due to her not jumping again, Lugia flew back up to check on her. "You alright up here?"

"Yeah…" Sasha replied. "I'm just… a bit spent… and a bit annoyed..."

"Well… you've jumped about seventeen times in a row and missed each time, so I can understand,"Lugia replied.

Sasha gave the Diving Pokémon a disgruntled look, causing her to sweatdrop. "Sorry..."

The Nidoqueen just sighed in response, "No, you don't have to apologize. I'm the one who sucks at this."

Lugia scoffed, "Sasha, you don't _suck_ at this. You just… have issues with aiming. That's all. I can easily make the ring a little bigger if you want."

Sasha shook her head in response. "You don't have to make excuses or make it easier for me," Sasha replied, getting back to her feet. "I'll just… keep going until I get it right."

Lugia nodded in understanding, admiring her persistence, "If you insist." The Diving Pokémon returned to the bottom of the cliff, ready to send the Nidoqueen back to the top if she missed.

Sasha took a deep breath before taking a couple of steps back and lightly jogging toward the edge before springing off and heading down. She actually looked like she was going to make it in the ring this time, but as she got closer to the water, she realized that she was going to be a few feet short once again. As soon as she smacked the water, she found herself right back at the top of the cliff with a groan of annoyance.

She had gotten close once again, so she would need to do a bit of a shorter jump if she wanted to make it into the ring. She jumped off of the edge once again and, this time, as she got closer and closer to the water, it appeared that she was actually going to make it into the ring. And she did!

Lugia gained a smile as she flew back up to the top of the cliff. Sasha had already been teleported back to the top, lying on her back in order to catch her breath.

"You did it!" Lugia congratulated. "Nice job!"

"Th-Thanks…" Sasha replied, still panting heavily. "Oh, mother of Arceus, I'm tired…"

Lugia giggled, "Well, Mew and Victini told us that there were some refreshments in the mess hall kitchen, enough for everyone."

Sasha sat up. "Well, that's a pretty nice change of pace…"

"Well, they know by now that when we're in the picture, they better have _something_ for us to eat in our downtime," Lugia playfully explained as she turned around. "Hop on…"

Sasha got up before climbing onto the Diving Pokémon's back. Lugia flew her toward the mess hall so that they could take a bit of a break.

Landing outside of the building, the two of them entered, only to freeze upon seeing Landorus and Jessica were there. Eyeing the Abundance Pokémon a faint blush formed on Lugia's face. "Uh… hey there Lando. Didn't think you'd be in here for your challenge."

Landorus shrugged, responding, "Well, you all know that I mostly deal with knowledge, puzzles, and the arts, so this environment seemed to be the best fit for those types of challenges."

Lugia nodded, "Yeah… Well, don't mind us. We're just going to the kitchen to get a few snacks."

"Snacks?" Jessica chimed in. "Since when do they offer snacks during challenges?"

"Since _we_ have taken over for the day," Landorus explained, going through his cards as Lugia and Sasha passed them by. Lugia's tail sensually swept underneath Landorus' chin during this, which caught Jessica's attention.

As the sounds of faint conversation from the kitchen began, Landorus cleared his throat as he prepared to ask Jessica another question. "What three moves do nothing in battle?"

Having been watching the door, and noticing Lugia's actions when she came in, Jessica posed a question of her own. "You think we should take a break for a bit?"

Landorus gave her a look. "You've answered sixteen questions correctly. Answer four more and we may participate in a break."

Jessica gave him a deadpan look in return. "Fine. What's the question again?"

 **-000-**

Inside the kitchen, there was a large plate of doughnuts, as well as a few bags of chips, hot dogs, water bottles, and soft drinks. As Lugia nommed on a doughnut, Sasha couldn't help but think about what she'd just witnessed. She asked, "So, Lugia… do you like… _like_ Landorus?"

Lugia paled, her blush starting to return. "Uh… I-I… Well..." she stammered.

Sasha simply nodded, piecing together what her stammering truly meant. "Have you ever considered … asking him out?"

Lugia swallowed what was in her mouth and let out a sigh. "It's a bit complicated," she softly explained, sitting against the wall. "Landorus is… He's a tough nut to crack. He barely lets anyone in and hardly ever comes out unless he's leaving to help someone. Not only that, but it's like he just doesn't pick up on certain social cues; or he just ignores them."

"Well… maybe you just have to be persistent," Sasha explained. "I mean, I know that I'm probably not the best person to talk to, but… maybe you can crack the nut if you're on it hard enough."

Lugia hummed, "I guess you're right, but-"

"No buts," Sasha replied. "You like him, so do something about it. You told me that I need to do more in the game, now I'm telling you to do more for your crush."

Lugia sighed once again, knowing that the Drill Pokémon was right.

 **000**

 **Sasha opined, "It's kinda hard to believe that some of the Legendaries act just like we do. I expected them to be more uppity, regal… maybe even egotistical and extremely stern. But… they actually have some of the same hangups, personality types, and thought processes as the rest of us."**

" **It's… kinda weird," the Nidoqueen stated.**

 **000**

Portia walked past a few soaked Sandygast on the island before digging up the remaining mound. She grumbled to herself as she got enough sand out of the way to pull out another lump of coal.

She sighed as she put the second lump in her other hand. "Well, I have a feeling that I'm gonna have to deal with another damn bunch of Sandygast to get the last one."

"Hey, it's probably better than the bullshit _my_ idiot has me doing," she heard a voice say from behind her. A look of apathy formed on her face as she turned around to see Art approaching her.

"Of course you're complaining," Portia scoffed. "You can't seem to do anything without whining, even when your life in the game depends on it."

"Hey, free speech is a thing. Don't like it? I don't care," Art countered. "On another note, have you seen any beer cans around here?"

Portia rose a brow. "No, why?"

"Because that's my challenge," Art deadpanned. "The drunk bitch has me going around collecting beers for her…"

Portia stifled a laugh, "Well, I guess you're gonna be busy for a while, then…"

"Yeah, no shit," Art responded. "She seriously expects me to be able to check this entire island for ten lousy beer cans. What sense does that make!?"

"Uh… a lot of sense since we've had to look for things around the island for challenges anyway," Portia replied. "Hell, _I_ have to search for lumps of charcoal around here. So, again, as usual, you're complaining for nothing."

"Hey, _you_ dolts may enjoy repetitive, lame challenges, but I don't," Art replied, beginning to pass her in order to continue his own search. Before leaving her to her own devices, Art decided to go ahead and cause a bit of paranoia, or at least try to, stating, "Oh, and… since you girls are supposedly planning on getting rid of either myself or Rain Man, I suggest that you try your best to find and keep up with him if you actually want to have a chance."

And with that, he left the Rhyperior alone, batting away a few Sandygast that approached him along the way. Portia huffed before turning back around and starting to search around the rest of the beach on that side of the island.

Art had a point. If they wanted their plan to go off without a hitch, the best course of action would be for one of the girls to run interference on Zahku and Regice to make sure the Fighting-type failed his challenges, or at least took a long while to complete them.

She was unsure if _she_ wanted to be the one to do so, as she wasn't entirely sure how far along the other girls were. Then again, she _was_ still on her first challenge. She groaned to herself, unsure of what she wanted to do.

"Screw it," she eventually concluded, walking along the beach. "I'll just finish up this challenge, and then when I start my second one, I'll go out and look for them."

As the Rhyperior scoured the beach, looking for more charcoal, she actually began to think about her options once again. She had said that she was fine with the plan of the girls sticking together, and she even tried to think positively and reassure the others that it'd be okay, but the fact of the matter was that Jessica was right. Keeping Art in longer makes it easier for her to win challenges. If Zahku won immunity, she didn't want to vote for Art. She was going to vote for Jessica, and apologize to Belladonna later.

 **000**

" **I know I said that I'd give the plan a chance, but there's too many possibilities and I don't wanna risk it!" Portia exclaimed. "If we vote out Art after this, and Zahku wins immunity again, we're hosed! And I'm pretty sure Jessica would get Sasha and Zahku to vote with her and get rid of me."**

 **She continued, "Bella** _ **really**_ **wants us to work together and take out the guys, but if the guys end up being safe, where does that leave us? I've gotta do what's best for** _ **my**_ **game."**

 **000**

Art continued to grumble to himself as he made his way back to the campgrounds. He saw that Manaphy and Belladonna were heading toward the mess hall, Belladonna having finished her challenge. He noticed that the rings that were collected by the Golem were still sitting on the sand, perhaps due to them planning to come back.

"Chumps…" he muttered to himself as he watched them enter the mess hall. Once they were out of sight, he made his move. He quickly went toward the rings and whipped one of his vines at them, sending some of them back in the water, and some further down the beach. "That should give me and Zahku more time…"

He turned his attention back to the mess hall, noticing that there seemed to be other people inside besides the two that just went in. "What the heck is going on in _there_?" he asked, walking toward the building.

Peering inside, he saw that, along with Manaphy and Belladonna, Jessica, Landorus, Sasha, and Lugia were inside of the mess hall as well. He noticed that some of them were eating hot dogs and chips, and there were soft drinks and water bottles sitting on a few of the tables.

He huffed, unimpressed, but happy to see them wasting their time. Upon seeing the soft drinks, he knew that there was a possibility of there being at least one or two beers around as well. Seeing Sasha go into the kitchen, he figured that that was where they were getting the snacks.

Art made his way toward the back, ignoring the others, who simply glanced at him momentarily before getting back to their own conversations. He entered the kitchen, watching as Sasha put a chocolate eclair on her plate. Noticing him, Sasha greeted him nonchalantly, before putting another doughnut on her plate. "Hey Art."

"Hey, ex-homewrecker," he retorted, getting her attention. "You know if there's any beer in this shit-hole?"

Sasha rose a brow in surprise. "You drink?"

"Just answer the question, please," he deadpanned in response.

Expecting that kind of response, Sasha simply sighed, "Lugia said something about there being a six-pack of beers in the fridge with a sign that said 'Keep Dialga away' on top of it.

Art stifled a laugh, "Wow. That's _really_ pathetic." He approached the fridge as Sasha exited the kitchen. He saw that not only was there _one_ six pack, there were _two_.

Art chuckled to himself. "Well, whaddya know. Instead of ten, I've got twelve for the bitch."

He used his vine to grab a hold of the six-pack rings, putting them on the spike on his head. He started heading back out, ignoring the other snacks. As he headed out, Jessica noticed what he was carrying and immediately grew suspicious.

Floating in front of him, she asked, "What exactly are you doing?"

"Outta my way," he deadpanned, not interested in talking to any of them. "I don't have time for your shit."

"Explain to me why you're stealing beers and we _may_ let you pass," Jessica replied, not wanting the Ferrothorn to ruin anything. They were all having fun, after all.

"Or, I can just Power Whip you out of my way and leave anyway," Art responded tonelessly. "So again, I say, outta my way."

"Art, just answer the question. Is it really that hard?" Belladonna chimed in, the situation causing a bit of a disruption.

"No, but it's certainly none of your business…" Art countered.

Landorus, Lugia, and Manaphy exchanged looks as the three of them argued, with Sasha doing her best to ignore the situation. The Seafaring Pokémon commented, "This reminds me of Darkrai and Cresselia, so much..."

"More like Kyurem and well… _everyone_ ," Lugia commented with a giggle. "Right Lando?"

Landorus gave them a look before shrugging his shoulders and taking a sip out of a water bottle. Lugia's tail slowly snaked around the Abundance Pokémon's side, causing him a bit of unease. He swallowed slightly as a faint blush began to form on his face. He cleared his throat, "Right, right…"

Lugia smiled to herself, scooting a bit closer to the Ground and Flying-type.

"Okay, you know what? Fine, you annoying bitches," Art started. "I'm on my second challenge now, while you're all in here have a party or whatever since you're so damn cocky and think that no matter what happens, you'll be safe. So, I'm taking the beers for my challenge and then I'm going to try and do my third one…"

The Ferrothorn pushed past Jessica and Belladonna, heading out to return to Dialga. Jessica and Belladonna exchanged looks of concern and skepticism as they returned to the table with the Legendaries and Sasha.

"H-He had to be lying, right?" Sasha inquired. "I mean, there's no way that he's only got one challenge left after he gets back to Dialga…"

"None of _us_ are even on our second challenge yet! It's a bit too early. So, I think he was lying just to freak us out," Jessica commented.

"You guys underestimate Dialga when it comes to things like this," Manaphy chimed in.

The girls looked inquisitively toward the sea angel, with Belladonna asking, "What do you mean?"

Lugia and Manaphy both turned to Landorus, as he was the one who was best at describing people's behavior. Seeing the eyes on him, Landorus let out a sigh. "Simply put, Dialga is very lackadaisical, especially when she is drunk, so when put in situations in which she has power, she tends to try her best to finish them quickly so that she is free to do whatever she wants, which typically consists of more drinking, sleeping, and time with Palkia, if she's sober enough."

"But, if she is actually having fun while in her power position, she usually makes time slow a bit so that she can enjoy it a bit longer," Lugia chimed in. "I'd think that she'd be fine with this, though."

"Well, you said she had to have fun, right?" Jessica responded. "With Art? Yeah… there's won't be any fun to be had. So, if she's just giving him challenges to get this over with…"

"That means that we need to get back to the challenges, _now_ ," Belladonna stated.

 **000**

"About time they start picking up the pace," Darkrai commented. "Sheesh, I can actually relate to the Ferrothorn guy. Those people are idiots…"

No one paid him any mind, expecting that type of commentary from the Pitch Black Pokémon.

"Well, I guess you guys' little 'experiment' is gonna be over pretty darn quick, since Dialga is probably just gonna give Art another shitty, simple challenge just to be done," Celebi chuckled.

Victini shrugged, "Hey, we can always pull another six of you inside for a penultimate challenge to decide the winner if that happens."

"Oh yes, padding… because that's what _all_ audiences want in their TV shows," Suicune deadpanned while rolling her eyes.

"Hey, if we decide to do that and it gets more of you guys involved, the episode may get even _more_ views regardless," Victini responded. "So, that'll be great. You guys start thinking of challenges. And actually make them _difficult_ , if you don't mind?"

The other Legendaries in the vicinity simply exchanged looks before starting to brainstorm more ideas. Mew just shook his head. He didn't think they should just stretch the challenge further because of Dialga. If the challenge ended quickly, he'd say let it. It wasn't that big of a deal.

Having been sitting near him, Shaymin nudged Mew with her nose, getting his attention. "What type of challenge do you think would be fun, but hard at the same time?"

Mew chuckled to himself, "Well, anything that doesn't have to do with finding things, obviously. But, uh… maybe like a course or something like that."

Shaymin nodded in understanding.

"All I'm gonna say is that if _Lugia_ somehow manages to bed Landorus, I'm going to be pissed," Latios commented.

"Landorus ain't gay," Thundurus declared, knowing that Latios was into him.

"And how would _you_ know? He barely comes out of his room and no one can manage to hold a conversation with him longer than five minutes…" the male Eon Pokémon countered.

"I still don't even seen what most of you girls even see in him," Zapdos opined. "He's one of the most conservative and boring guys here, in my opinion."

"And that's why no one, besides Articuno, has ever dated you," Jirachi stated, with Articuno giving her a look. The Wish Pokémon continued, "The most respectful and attractive guys here are Giratina, Ray, Zekrom, Lando, Manaphy, and Terrakion, but they're all taken except for Lando and Manaphy, so-"

"Manaphy isn't gonna be bedding down any of you any time soon," Entei interrupted with a chuckle. "He's too… soft and overly anxious. And sure Landorus is a pretty…" He cleared his throat, " _Attractive_ guy, but I doubt any of you will get in there, either."

"Oh, of course _you_ doubt that," Latios chided. "You're don't even know your own sexuality…"

"HEY!" Entei snapped, growling at the jet dragon.

Mesprit soon chimed in, asking, "Why do you guys insist on being dicks to each other so much? Shouldn't we all just be getting along or at least being respectful to one another? We _are_ some of the most powerful Pokémon in the world."

Darkrai gave her a look. "Woman, we all have different personalities, different opinions, some of us have had relationships with each other that either ended sour or decently at best, and we all have our own interests. So, you asking for some kind of 'peace', despite all of that, just because we're all powerful is unrealistic. No matter what, _someone_ is gonna be pissed off at _someone_ for the shit that they do. That's life. Peace is never gonna be a real thing. So, you either deal with what you have, or keep your nose out of it."

Everyone remained silent, exchanging looks with each other. Mesprit let out a sigh, rolling her eyes. "Figures you defend the chaos…"

"My point exactly," Darkrai retorted. "Now, let's see who's gonna win this shitshow…"

"HEY!" Victini exclaimed.

 **000**

Zahku was sitting outside of the mountain on a blanket of snow. A finished snow sculpture of Regice stood next to him as he slowly lied down on his back, panting. "Zahku… tired…" he said to himself.

Regice emitted more beeps, sliding towards him. Zahku listened to the Iceberg Pokémon's final instructions before letting out a sigh. "You marked rocks, snowballs, and iron?"

Regice beeped affirmatively before a pattern of beeps seemingly explained his task further. Zahku sat up and got to his feet once Regice finished elucidating the situation.

"Hint to where might be?" Zahku queried.

Regice beeped again before pointing toward the stream, at the snow, and then inside of the mountain. Zahku sighed in annoyance

Zahku started walking toward the stream, a bit annoyed at the fact that he had to find things for his final challenge. He was hoping to _battle_ Regice or do something just a bit more… unique.

As he approached the stream, he noticed that there were not one, but two Torterra there, drinking water from the stream. He was surprised by this, but also a bit delighted. There was a chance that he'd get to beat up a couple of Continent Pokémon. He approached the two Torterra, who immediately turned their heads toward him upon sensing his presence.

"Where marked rock?" Zahku inquired.

In response, the tortoises' trees on their backs glowed and a whirlwind of leaves flew towards him. The Makuhita swiftly dodged out of the way before rushing toward the first Torterra, his right arm becoming surrounded by a blue aura.

He socked the Torterra with an Ice Punch, sending it onto its back. The other Torterra slammed one of its legs on the ground, sending shockwaves in Zahku's direction. The Guts Pokémon hopped onto the unconscious Torterra next to him to avoid the attack before leaping toward the other tortoise.

The Torterra used Leaf Storm once again, which hit Zahku and sent him to the ground. The Torterra slammed one its legs onto the ground again, the shock waves from the attack hitting Zahku once again. Zahku got back up and rushed toward the Torterra, his arms shrouded in a purple aura. Just as he was about to hit the Torterra, he was struck from the side by a green orb of energy, sending him into a tree and snapping it in two.

Holding his head as he got back up, Zahku saw that the first Torterra he fought had somehow recovered from the Ice Punch and came toward him.

He groaned to himself out of annoyance at being caught off guard, but was still glad that the Torterra were putting up more of a fight. Another Energy Ball was launched in his direction, which he countered by throwing a nearby branch at it, causing it to explode in a cloud of smoke.

Zahku ran back across the stream, which wasn't unnoticed at all. The Torterra fired multiple Energy Balls in Zahku's direction as he took cover behind a tree. The Makuhita looked around the vicinity, wanting to at least know the location of where the rock he was searching for was.

As he looked around the right side of the stream, the Torterra began closing in on him. He continued looking behind trees and in bushes until he eventually noticed something in the knot of a tree. It was a grayish-brown rock with seven orangish-brown dots in the shape of an 'H' on it.

Figuring that the rock before him was the one he was looking for, Zahku grabbed it and started running deeper in the forest, knowing that he would probably need to go around the long way to avoid the Torterra again.

 **000**

" **Zahku normally don't run from battle, but he need to win and battle take up time," he explained. "Need finish last challenge fast."**

 **000**

Portia returned to the top of the volcano with her three pieces of charcoal, a bit annoyed by the long process, especially since she ended up finding the final piece at the base of the volcano next to a few rocks.

"Alright, I got the charcoal, what's my next challenge?" Portia inquired, dropping the black rocks on the ground.

"You realize that if you just talk to me and we get along, your challenges could be easier," Moltres reminded her.

Portia gave her a look. She really didn't have time for this, but if talking to her meant that she got easier challenges, then maybe it would be worth it. "Okay… fine. What do you want to talk about?"

"Feel free to ask me anything or just talk about whatever…" Moltres explained in her same monotonous tone.

Portia let out a sigh. "Okay… uh… what do you Legendaries do? I mean, there's gotta be something you all do beside these shows, right?"

Moltres chuckled before giving her answer, "Well, we've helped shape the world and kept things in order for the most part. However, with the eradication of humans and the evolution of Pokémon into acting _similarly_ to humans, our services haven't really been required as often as I'd like."

"Wait… what?" Portia inquired, a bit confused by what she was talking about.

"When humans were still around, we Legendaries had numerous responsibilities and traveled the world fixing issues that were mostly caused by humans. Some of us were even being captured and used for humans' nefarious purposes, but we were later rescued by other humans or with backup," Moltres explained. "Arceus eventually got fed up with us being put in danger and some humans causing nothing but trouble throughout the world, so… she did away with all of them, even the ones that did no harm. It was tragic, but… we had to move on."

"Right… I remember my grandfather mentioning something about that," Portia replied, now listening intently.

Moltres nodded. "So, as Pokémon grew to act like humans, they gained their own jobs, opened their own businesses or took over pre-existing ones, and everything seemed to be the same for the most part, only with Pokémon being the main species. So, with that… the need for us Legendaries to come in dwindled," she explained. "Some police stations started hiring Psychic-types to figure out crimes before they happen and find the ones responsible, activist groups were formed to keep the ocean clean, things began to look… decent for the world. Sure, there are still issues and responsibilities that we can jump on, and some of us do, but most of the time there's not much for us to do besides small things. Arceus and Giratina are the main ones keeping watch and making sure that everything remains in order. If they don't tell us to do anything specific, we just remain at the hall. Well, until they suggested that we do these shows, of course. "

"So, you guys don't really do anything besides hang out and do these shows," Portia reasoned. "Jeez, being a Legendary doesn't really sound so legendary…"

"No, no it does not," Moltres affirmed. "But, we do our best to occupy ourselves."

Portia nodded, "Well, I gotta say… that's actually pretty insightful, knowing what goes on with you guys… but can I get my next challenge, now? I don't have much time…."

Moltres sighed, "If you wish."

The Flame Pokémon moved to the side, revealing a wooden table with a cup on it. The cup was filled with a reddish-orange substance and was surrounded by peppers, a bottle of hot sauce, and a few Tamato Berries. "Your next challenge is pretty simple one. You must drink this entire glass of blended Tamato Berries, jalapenos, and 'Hellbent Hot Sauce', and last five minutes without touching the water bottle or milk jug behind you."

Curious, Portia turned around and saw both a water bottle and a large jug of milk sitting in a bucket filled with Never Melt Ice.

"That's it?" Portia inquired. "Wow, that _is_ pretty easy."

She approached the hot beverage, picking up the cup in order to drink it. She began chugging it, the mixture slipping down her gullet with ease. Once the cup was pretty much empty, she tossed it into the volcano. "So...now I just have to wait five minutes?" she inquired.

"That would be the main challenge, yes," Moltres responded.

"Well, might as well not waste that time. So, why don't you just go ahead and give me my last challenge, too?" Portia queried, feeling more confident.

Moltres gave the Rhyperior a look just before she began to sweat. Portia slowly put a hand on her stomach, which started to rumble and cause her to pant softly. A small smile formed on her face, "Are you sure that you want to do that?"

Portia began tapping her foot repeatedly, wiping a few beads of sweat off of her face. The Drill Pokémon didn't think that she'd be affected that fast. "Uh… m-maybe not so much anymore. Um… how long do I have now?"

"Oh, probably just-"

Portia suddenly screamed with her mouth closed, falling on her butt while holding her stomach and panting heavily. She started taking in deep breaths, allowing cold air to enter through her mouth.

"I hate it… I hate it so much," Portia said between pants and groans.

"Well, after about three and half more minutes, you'll be able to get the water and milk," Moltres explained. "Just hang in there…"

The Rhyperior let out another closed mouth scream as Moltres just shook her head.

 **000**

After collecting all of the rings that were scattered by Art, Manaphy began explaining Belladonna's next challenge.

"Alright, now that you have the rings again, you're going to play some ring toss," Manaphy explained before whistling.

Numerous water-type Pokémon popped their heads out of the water: a Seel, a Dewgong, a Corsola, a Seaking, a Kingdra, and a Staryu.

"You just have to toss the rings onto their horns and you'll move onto your third challenge," Manaphy explained.

"That really _does_ sound easy," Belladonna said, watching the numerous Water-types.

"Yep, the faster we finish this, the faster I can get back to work," the Seafaring Pokémon stated. He turned back to the Water-types he had asked to assist him. "Okay, uh… Jim, Lionel, you two swim back a little bit and stay across from each other," he instructed.

The Seaking and Kingdra nodded before swimming back and staying put across from each other.

"Okay, and Les, Kim, and Desmond, you guys swim further back, behind them, and get in a line," he instructed once more.

The Corsola, Staryu, and Dewgong began swimming back as they were instructed, leaving the Seel alone.

"Alright, and Darren, you can just stay here," Manaphy stated as the Seel, presumably a young one, just clapped in response.

Manaphy turned to Belladonna, who let out a sigh while holding the rings. "Alright, go ahead and start. If you miss, they'll try to knock them back to you. You have to get a ring on each of their horns."

Belladonna nodded as she wasted no time, tossing rings toward the Pokémon. She easily got the ring around the Seel's horn, as he was the closest, but the ones further back were going to prove to be an issue.

She tossed a ring at the Seaking, but missed his horn and hit him on the side of his face. She decided to implement the strategy of focusing on one Pokémon at a time. So, she started tossing the rest of the rings at the Seaking, Jim.

The rings continuously smacking the Goldfish Pokémon's face causing him a bit of irritation. Once the last one hit him, he began knocking them back toward the shore for her.

Belladonna collected them all again and started tossing them at the Seaking again. He braced himself for the rings as they began hitting him and bouncing off of his body. With two more left in her hands, Belladonna threw another one at the Seaking. This ring managed to land on his horn, much to his relief.

Belladonna immediately turned her attention to the Kingdra, Lionel, tossing her final ring at him. The ring ended up landing on his snout rather than one of his horns, though. Causing him to raise a brow.

Seeing this, Belladonna groaned, turning to Manaphy, "Can't that count for something?"

As much as Manaphy wanted to say 'Yes' just to get it over with, he had to play it fair and abide by his own rules. "Sorry, but it has to be the _horns_ ," he strained, hating that he had to say that.

Belladonna sighed as the Dragon Pokemon shook the ring off of its snout and blasted water at it, sending it back to the shore. Because his horn already had a ring in it, Jim decided to swim forward with the other rings that were floating by him.

The Golem picked up all of the rings, preparing to toss them once again.

 **000**

Lugia, Sasha, Landorus, and Jessica were all around the beach where the elimination area was located. Jessica was sitting in front of a whiteboard with numerous misspelled, or scrambled, words on them, with Landorus standing nearby. A few yards away, Lugia and Sasha were situated with what looked like a huge tablet in front of them.

While Jessica unscrambled words on her board under Landorus' supervision, Lugia couldn't help but stare at the Abundance Pokémon. Eventually, Sasha had to snap her out of it, nudging her. "Lugia?"

The Diving Pokémon finally blinked a few times, regaining her focus. She looked down at her, "Oh, right, right… uh, so… your second challenge is equal parts easy… but also a bit _uncomfortable_."

Sasha rose a brow. "What do you mean?"

Lugia tapped on the tablet and pulled up a pre-opened window, which made Sasha's eyes widen and caused her to blush. Lugia explained, "You just have to watch five minutes of this forty minute XXX Compilation video."

Sasha swallowed a bit out of embarrassment, "W-Why did you choose this as a challenge?"

Lugia blushed as well. "Well, it's just one of the first things that I thought of for a 'middle challenge' that may be difficult or easy depending on the type of person I was paired with," she explained before glancing over at Landorus and biting her lip slightly.

"S-So, I just have to watch five minutes and I'll be okay?" Sasha inquired, not completely comfortable with the choice in challenge.

Lugia nodded, "Yeah,so, go ahead and choose your starting point and… uh… keep track." She immediately turned her attention back to Landorus and Jessica.

 **-000-**

So far, Jessica had managed to decipher eleven of the twenty words. Landorus continued watching, nodding at her progress. He could feel another pair of eyes digging into him, but he paid it no mind. He knew that Lugia was infatuated with him, and yes, he also found her attractive, but he wasn't interested in pursuing anything, especially not during this challenge.

Noticing what was going on from the corner of her eye, Jessica couldn't help but sigh to herself. It just didn't make any sense to her. "Y'know… you _could_ just try a relationship for a change instead of just being secluded all the time," she commented, still scanning over the remaining letters on the board.

Landorus huffed in response, "We've already discussed this. I am more interested in my personal work and responsibilities, as minor as they are. Being in a relationship, or just pursuing them, would just distract me."

"Distract you from what?" Jessica inquired. "Most of you Legendaries have already helped shape the world, Arceus got rid of all the humans, and we hardly ever really hear from or need some of you to do anything anymore unless it's super urgent. When's the last time any of you were called for something life-threatening for a huge population... or just major in general?"

"That's not the point," Landorus countered. "We-"

"How long?" Jessica persisted, cutting him off.

Landorus gave her a look, knowing that she wouldn't leave it be unless he answered. He gruffly responded, "A few decades…"

"Exactly…" the Bruxish nodded. "Nothing has been happening, and even then, we have police, vigilantes, detectives... If you guys were actually needed a lot, none of these shows would even be happening. Am I right?"

Landorus began to grumble to himself, making Jessica giggle to herself. "Right… so what's the _real_ reason you're not trying to get into anything?"

"I'm _not_ getting into it," he stated firmly, growing annoyed by her persistence.

Jessica just shook her head, as Landorus glanced back at Lugia and Sasha, whose faces were as red as Tamato Berries as they continued to watch the video.

 **000**

" **These Legendaries** _ **really**_ **have issues," Jessica opined. "Like… I could understand Landorus' point if they were all actually doing major things for the world like saving lives and offering protection, but most of them aren't doing that."**

" **But, I don't know what's going on behind the scenes, so I'll drop it for now and try to focus on getting this challenge done. Hopefully neither Art or Zahku are almost done."**

 **000**

"Alright, now what do you want?" Art drawled, dropping the six-packs on the ground in front of a dumbfounded DIalga.

Seeing the beers, Dialga's eyes widened in astonishment. "Wha- I told you to collect cans… _empty_ cans! Not six-packs! But… I'm not complaining at all!" she exclaimed excited as she lied down.

She immediately hugged the six-packs and inhaled sharply, with Art clearing his throat to get the Temporal Pokémon's attention once again. Once she looked at him, he asked, "Again, what do you want me to do now? What's my last challenge so I don't have to deal with you anymore?"

Dialga answered his rude inquiry with a question of her own, asking "Where did you get these?"

"The mess hall," he deadpanned. "They got snacks and stuff in there for whatever reason."

Dialga nodded. "Okay, your final challenge will be to bring me whatever snacks they have in there," she explained. "One of each thing."

"Wh- Can't you get off your lazy ass and do it yourself!?" Art exclaimed, feeling that he was being treated as an errand boy rather than an actual competitor.

"I mean, if you want me to give you a harder challenge instead of just having you get something from the mess hall and bring it back to me…" Dialga teased, knowing that he wouldn't be able to resist.

Art stared her for a few seconds. "Fuck you…" he stated before walking away, heading back to the mess hall, presumably.

However, his trip would be short lived, as Victini's voice suddenly blared over the intercom. "THE CHALLENGE IS NOW OVER! ZAHKU AS SECURED HIMSELF IMMUNITY AT TONIGHT'S VOTE!"

Art groaned, "Of course the bastard, did…"

 **000**

 **Portia twitched, a few burn marks on her body, "How…"**

 **000**

" **Okay, at this point, I'm starting to think this is a bit rigged, how the** _ **hell**_ **did he manage to understand ANYTHING Regice said?!" Jessica exclaimed.**

 **000**

" **We shouldn't even be surprised anymore, should we?" Sasha sighed.**

 **000**

Everyone returned to the glade, where an exhausted and bruised Zahku was seen panting heavily among his fellow contestants. A few of the Legendaries were even surprised by this, as they would thing that Regice's challenges would just be wacky or stupid.

"Jeez Regice, what did you do to him?" Dialga inquired.

Regice only beeped in response.

 **-000-**

 _Zahku was standing before an Avalugg, two Froslass, and an Abomasnow, with the marked snowball he needed being in behind them all. Then, in the cave, he was faced with a Garchomp, a Haxorus, two Druddigon, and a Steelix, with the marked iron being down one of the two forked paths._

 _Zahku sweatdropped, "Zahku hates his life…"_

 **-000-**

"Well, what he did doesn't matter. Zahku managed to pull through and has earned himself immunity tonight," Victini said. He turned to his fellow Legendaries. "Thank you guys for your services, Manaphy, you can frolic back to the sea when we get back…"

Manaphy let out a sigh of relief. "Nothing bad happened, right?"

"...Depends on what you mean by bad," Victini responded.

Manaphy immediately paled, as Mew cleared his throat in order to change the subject. "Anyways, any final words or comments before we all head back?"

"Nope. Goodbye and good riddance," Art commented as he started walking away, looks of annoyance forming on nearly everyone's faces.

"Besides from him?" Mew added.

"It was really fun to see you guys," Belladonna commented. "And I gotta say, it's really cool that you guys are actually a lot like us… 'inferior' Pokémon, I guess."

Moltres chuckled, "No one is inferior. We're all equals, the only difference between us is that we have more history with the world."

"The only thing I have to say is… Lugia… crack the nut," Sasha stated, with the Diving Pokémon softly smiling and nodding back.

"Landorus… open up more," Jessica stated.

"Yeah," Belladonna chimed in. "Loosen up a bit, dude. Some of you guys may be mostly immortal, but life is gonna continue to pass you by and opportunities are going to come and go. You gotta take 'em before it's too late."

"Actually, I can slow down time and stuff, so-" Dialga chimed in.

"When you're not completely drunk, that is…" Moltres retorted.

"Hey, at least I have a personality…" Dialga shot back. "You're just boring and monotone all the time."

Moltres simply rolled her eyes, not going to engage in an argument as petty as this.

"Okay, we'll call you guys back down when we're ready," Victini said. "We're heading back to the hall, now."

"See you guys," Belladonna said as she and the other contestants waved goodbye, aside from Zahku, who simply watched them as they disappeared.

Once they were gone, the girls exchanged looks, knowing what had to be done tonight. The Makuhita among them walked away, heading back towards the campgrounds.

 **000**

Once everyone made it back to the campgrounds, Sasha and Jessica went back into their cabin in order to talk, as per Sasha's request. Once they were inside, Jessica floated up to her bed with a sigh as Sasha closed the door.

She turned back toward the Bruxish, who asked, "Okay, so what did you want to talk to me about?"

The Nidoqueen sighed, "I think that we should vote out Belladonna tonight instead of Art."

Jessica rose a brow, her interest piqued a bit. "Oh, really?"

Sasha nodded, "Sure, Portia's a bigger threat and Art's annoying, but Belladonna's really neutral and has a high chance of making it to the end and probably winning. Plus, _she's_ the one mainly trying to push this all girls thing. I agreed with her that we should work together, but… I started thinking when we were paired up for the escape room challenge. _She's_ a big threat, too."

Jessica nodded in understanding. "Okay. And with Belladonna gone, Portia will be alone, and then it'll be a face off between her and Zahku for the immunities, and whoever _doesn't_ win could be easily voted for. That's perfect!"

"Look at you… planning good moves," the Bruxish commended. "Good job."

Sasha chuckled sheepishly. "Thanks. We may have to talk to Zahku and Art about it, too. Just two votes won't do anything."

Jessica nodded, "Right." She let out a sigh. "And since we don't need to alert Belladonna or Portia… I can just teleport us to them."

They were both surrounded by blue auras as they vanished from view.

 **-000-**

Jessica and Sasha appeared in the guys' side of their cabin, surprising them.

"What the hell do you bitches want?" Art immediately queried upon seeing them. "You're planning on voting me out, tonight, aren't you?"

Sasha and Jessica exchanged looks. "Change of plans, asshole," Jessica retorted. "We're planning to vote out Belladonna, instead."

Art stifled a laugh in response. "Really? Instead of the big bitch, you're voting for her lackey? I mean, I don't care, either way, but it's interesting…"

"CONTESTANTS! REPORT TO THE ELIMINATION AREA! TIME FOR SOMEONE TO SAY GOODBYE!" Victini's voice echoed from the loudspeaker.

"I'll fill you in a bit more on the way," Jessica explained as they proceeded to exit the cabin. "But, I will say now that it's in our best interest to do this."

Art just rolled his eyes in response as they walked to their destination.

 **000**

The final six returned to the elimination area, taking their usual seats. The girls all exchanged looks, with Belladonna nodding to Jessica and Sasha to make sure that they were still onboard.

Jessica nodded back, while Sasha just folded her arms. Both Art and Zahku looked unbothered.

Mew and Victini reappeared, this time with Mew holding a plate of doughnuts rather than a box of chips.

"Well," Victini began. "Today was pretty eventful, wasn't it? You guys got to meet some of the other Legendaries and spend some time with them while also doing challenges."

"If by eventful, you mean annoying and stupid, then you're right," Art commented.

"Your opinion doesn't matter, Art," Victini responded before focusing on the others. "Zahku, I'm really surprised, but not entirely, that you managed to get immunity once again."

"Seriously, how the _hell_ did you understand his beeping" Jessica inquired. "Because, I'm still a bit pissed off at that."

"Taught," Zahku responded with shrug. "Zahku understand all language."

"Bullshit. Beeping isn't a language," Jessica argued.

"Apparently it is if some people was able to understand it," Art retorted. "Just face the fact that you lost and deal with it."

The Bruxish faced him with an expression of irritation. The temptation to vote him out was still there, but she had fought it once again, knowing that getting rid of him wouldn't help anything.

"Well, Zahku's got immunity, so he can't be voted out," Victini said as Mew tossed the Makuhita a doughnut, which he caught easily.

"Now, let's see who else is joining him in the final five," Victini continued. "The next one safe is… Sasha."

Sasha caught her doughnut and sighed in relief.

"Jessica and Portia, you two are also safe," the Victory Pokémon continued, as Mew tossed the two girls their doughnuts.

"Alright, that leaves Art the annoying and Bella the ball," Victini joked in a serious tone.

Art scoffed, " _Wow, so original_. How long it take you to come up with that?"

Victini sighed, "As much as I hate to say this… the last person safe is… Art. Belladonna, you're out."

"W-Wait, what?" Belladonna queried, confused.

Portia's eyes widened. "WHAT!?" she exclaimed. She turned to Jessica and Sasha. "What happened to our alliance!?"

"Change of plans," Jessica said.

Sasha explained, "It wasn't anything personal, Bella. You were just a big threat to win this whole thing in the end."

Belladonna let out a sigh, "I guess I understand. But, why couldn't you just vote out Art instead, first?"

"Because even _if_ you bunch of bitches voted for me, I have _this_ ," Art chimed in, digging into the ground below where he was sitting. He pulled out a wooden statue of Victini, much to everyone's surprise. "I found it the morning of the day that fish lips' boyfriend got eliminated, and hid it back here for safe keeping. So, even _if_ you voted me out, one of _you_ would be gone."

"You motherfucker!" Portia snapped.

"Well… this is interesting," Mew commented. "Now we have a guarantee that Art is in the final four… which is pretty sad."

Art glared at him. "As if I care what you think…"

Victini shook his head. "Belladonna, it's time to go."

The Golem sighed, but found herself being lifted up in a hug by Portia. "Thanks for everything…" the Rhyperior stated before putting her back down.

Sasha and Portia waved to her as she headed to the Lapras, which was waiting on the shore. As the Lapras swam off with her, Portia immediately left the elimination area, fuming a bit.

Taking this as a cue to leave, the others followed suit, with Art burying his statue back in the hole before trailing behind everyone.

The hosts turned to the cameras, with the Victory Pokémon stating, "And there you have it. Our final five is here and… well, it's pretty weird and very, very tense. Art's already in the final four thanks to an immunity statue, Portia is now alone, and Zahku is proving every episode that he is a complete beast."

Mew finished, "Will the other statue come into light? Did the contestants have any effect on the Legendary guests? And most importantly, who will be voted out next? Find out next time on our Island Challenge!"

 **000**

 **Art shrugged, "I guess I'll go along with fish face and house strife and vote for Belladonna. I don't** _ **need**_ **to, but it'll be funny seeing how drill face reacts."**

 **000**

" **As you said before, Art, goodbye and good riddance…" Belladonna stated.**

 **000**

" **Let's see if this Belladonna vote works out in our favor," Jessica said, a bit of worry in her voice.**

 **000**

 **Portia sighed heavily, "As much as I wanna vote for her… I guess I'll stick with the plan and go for Art. Hopefully Jessica doesn't try to screw me over again."**

 **000**

" **Bella… it's nothing personal," Sasha commented.**

 **000**

" **Party rock lady," Zahku said tonelessly.**

 **000**

 _ **Votes:**_

 _ **Belladonna - 4 votes (Art, Jessica, Sasha, Zahku)**_

 _ **Art - 2 votes (Belladonna, Portia)**_

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 _ **Merged - (Art, Jessica, Portia, Sasha, Zahku)**_

 **000**

 _ **Elimination Order:**_

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)**_

 _ **19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)  
**_

 _ **18th - Marley Banner (The Pranking Prodigy)  
**_

 _ **17th - Lawrence "Lucky" Addams (The Unlucky Charm)**_

 _ **16th - Lynn Jamison (The Calm Leader)**_

 _ **15th - Christopher "Chip" Torwood (The Buff Brain)**_

 _ **14th - Christine Reynolds (The Composed Musician)**_

 _ **13th - Richard "R.J." James Mitchell (The Flustered Hothead)**_

 _ **12th - Honey Winchester (The Royal Pain)**_

 _ **11th - Timothy "Tim" Lester (The Affable Introvert)**_

 _ **10th - Tonya Newman (The Inquisitive Speedster)**_

 _ **9th - Kane Mitchell (The "Daddy Bear")**_

 _ **8th - Maximus "Max" Nichols (The Cool Companion)**_

 _ **7th - Dade Lawson (The Surprise Schemer)**_

 _ **6th - Belladonna Jennings (The Party Girl)**_


	17. Is It a Deal Breaker?

**000**

Following the conclusion of their latest episode, Victini and Mew once again returned to the Hall of Origins. They were at the final five now, so they only had four more episodes to go before they evaluated their success as a whole and were free to do whatever they wanted again.

Victini chuckled to himself, "Well, the good news is, we're close to having a winner and maybe having the most popular survival reality competition _ever_. The bad news is… Art is automatically in the final four thanks to his statue find."

Mew shrugged his shoulders, thinking that Victini's interpretation of 'bad news' was his own fault. "Hey, I tried to suggest that we either don't do the statues or do something to differentiate them. We haven't been giving any clues after challenges anymore anyway, and having it so both statues work _after_ the votes are read makes it too easy for them."

Victini chuckled sheepishly in response, scratching the back of his head. "Okay, yeah, I'll admit that was a bit of a bad idea on my part, but… what's done is done," he responded with a shrug. "Anyways, I'm gonna see what's going on with the others and get back to the bets."

As Victini made his way to the living room, Mew simply turned to the hallway where Reshiram and Zekrom's room was. He still needed to talk to them about his situation and how he should handle it; he just hoped that they were still awake.

He floated to their door before pressing an ear against it, wanting to hear if there was any movement inside before he knocked. Having heard the faint sound of a television, Mew proceeded to knock.

After a few seconds, the door opened, with the Deep Black Pokémon standing on the opposite side. The New Species Pokémon cleared his throat, greeting him. "Hey, Zek."

The black dragon took a few steps back to let the feline inside, knowing why he was there. Floating in, Mew looked around the well kempt room before setting his eyes upon a black, leather couch that sat in front of a hanging television and fireplace.

A familiar, white dragoness was lying on the couch, but upon seeing Mew floating over, she sat up. After shutting the door, Zekrom flew over, taking a seat beside Reshiram on their leather couch. Draping an arm around his wife, the couple turned to the New Species Pokémon, who sat in a sofa chair adjacent to the couch.

Reshiram decided to speak up first, asking, "Okay Mew, what are your plans with Shaymin?"

Mew rose a brow, a bit confused by her question. He hesitantly answered, "Uh… to ask her out and be her boyfriend?"

Reshiram giggled, "We know _that_ , Mew. I mean… what are you planning on doing with her, _if_ she gives you a chance? I'm just trying to get into your head so we can maybe figure out how to help you."

"Oh…" Mew responded, now understanding. "Well, we're kinda into some of the same things, I'm just a little more _reserved_ about it, I guess? So, I'd probably just do whatever I can to make sure she's happy and we have a fun time when we're together."

Reshiram nodded, "Okay, that sounds like something good, _but_ you may have to become more bold and less reserved. Some girls like confidence, other girls like shyness. Shaymin is the type that it may go either way."

"Well, she _does_ have a bit of a thing for Victini, but she's still very nice and cordial to me, too," Mew explained.

The couple exchanged looks, as it was news to them that the Gratitude Pokémon was infatuated with Victini. This, to them, may prove to be an issue for Mew.

"Um…" the Deep Black Pokémon began. "Well, that may prove to be a hindrance, though I'm not entirely sure. Victini recently got back together with Jirachi, right?"

Mew nodded in response.

"Okay, and how is Shaymin acting?" Zekrom asked, wanting to know if there were any cues.

"She's… pretty much acting the same as she always does," Mew revealed. "It's just a bit of a thing. She's not the jealous type."

Reshiram grew a bit curious, given his response. She asked, "What do you know about Shaymin, Mew?"

"Well… her favorite color is teal, she loves sweets, her favorite food is honey-roasted veggies, she likes to help others…" Mew listed.

"Okay…" Reshiram interrupted. "So, you care about her a lot."

Mew blushed a bit before nodding affirmatively.

"Okay, so Mew, all you have to do is tell her how you feel," Reshiram explained. "You didn't need _us_ to help you. If you really care about her and like her, then all you have to do is get her alone and tell her."

"I know that I have to tell her," Mew replied. "I've wanted to, but I can't. It just… it feels awkward for me. Like, I doubt anyone in the hall would really _want_ to be with me, so I just keep thinking that Shaymin is gonna turn me down because she likes Victini more."

Zekrom chuckled, "You never know unless you try, Mew. Sure, you made a mistake some years ago, but I'm sure that others have gotten over it by now. Plus, and no offense to him, if _Victini_ has people that are attracted to him, despite his behavior, then you definitely have a chance."

"Just be your usual self and do what you need to do," Reshiram stated. "Okay?"

Mew sighed to himself, "Yeah, sure. I'll see."

The New Species Pokémon started floating toward the couple's door again, with them exchanging looks of slight concern. They weren't sure what was going to happen, nor did they know if Mew was really gonna heed their 'advice'.

"I hope things work out for him," Reshiram commented.

Zekrom nodded. "Yeah."

 **000**

Mew had returned to his room, flopping on his bed as he stared at the ceiling. He rubbed his face downwards before letting out a breath. "Okay… the show's almost over. Once it's finished, just try to talk to her and hope that she accepts you.

The New Species Pokémon got into bed, completely covering himself with his sheets. He slowly drifted off to dreamland, his anxiousness about Shaymin tagging along with him. He couldn't even bethat excited about the remainder of his and Victini's competition or the future because of this. He was just so nervous and he still couldn't pinpoint the exact reason. Nevertheless, with the finale of their show on the horizon, he was going to need a good night's rest.

 **-000-**

Mew softly purred in his sleep, a habit that he couldn't break. He was suddenly awoken by the sound of his door hitting the wall and a figure jumping onto him on his bed.

"Hey! What the he-" He uncovered his head to scold whoever just woke him up, but he immediately blushed upon seeing that it was Shaymin lying on his bed. "Oh… h-hey Shaymin. Uh, what are you doing?"

The Gratitude Pokémon chirped, "Victini told me to wake you and tell you that you guys' show was trending again."

Mew didn't really care that they were trending, as he had already been shown something like that before. Plus, with them being at the final five and their show being the most popular, it was practically a given that it would happen. He let out a sigh, scratching his head. This action perplexed Shaymin, as she would think that Mew would be happy that their show was having great success.

"You okay?" she asked, tilting her head a bit. "You seem a little… out of it."

Mew faked a smile, "Yeah, I-I'm fine. Just… uh… I've just got a lot on my mind, that's all."

"Oh, well… if you need to talk to me, you know where my room is. The soft bed is still available," she teased as she turned around and started heading out of the pink feline's room.

Mew let out a sigh, falling back against his bed, staring at the ceiling. "Am I just being teased right now? Is that it?" he whispered to himself. He huffed before deciding to get out of bed and head toward the kitchen to fix himself some breakfast.

Once he made his way to the kitchen, Victini immediately floated up to him with the same laptop from before in his hands. "Dude, look, there's even more articles about our show now, and nearly all of the topics on Squawker correlate to our show!"

"Uh huh… that's great," Mew responded, floating past him to get to a package of bread sitting on the counter.

Victini rose a brow in confusion. He expected Mew to be a bit more excited and happy like he was, but he was just brushing it all aside as if this didn't matter. He knew that Mew wasn't really _that_ emotional in public and often put up a front so that others wouldn't feel bad, but this was something that the two of them were doing that was worth being proud of. Not only were they proving everyone in the hall who hated them wrong, but they were actually enjoying doing the show itself. Or, at least _Victini_ was.

Victini set the laptop on the table and blocked Mew's way as he headed to the fridge. "Hey, uh… are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Mew responded, faking his cheery tone.

Victini stopped him immediately, placing a hand on his chest. "You should know by now that you can't fool me. Seriously dude, what's up? We're having the most successful show out of everyone, we're _trending_ again, and we've been having a good time for the most part. What's eating at you?"

Mew stared at the Victory Pokémon for a few seconds. Victini wasn't one to care about anyone's feelings but his own and maybe Jirachi's from time to time. Knowing that Victini probably wouldn't stop pestering him if he ignored his inquiry, the New Species Pokémon took a breath before giving his answer. "It's just Shaymin…"

Victini gave him a look, "You're seriously still on that?" Victini knew of Mew's infatuation with the dog-reindeer and simply thought that it was stupid of him to not do anything about it. "Mew, you either gotta ask her out and take whatever you get, or you'll just continue to be the same reserved tagalong you've been since you and Celebi broke up."

Mew huffed, "You don't think I know that?" He floated past Victini and opened the fridge, "I don't know why I haven't asked her out. I don't even know why it's hard for me to even ask anyone out or hold long conversations!"

Victini shook his head, "Well, you're gonna need to figure it out, because we, as hosts, need to have some positive energy, and if you're gonna be like this, then I don't know what we're gonna do. I mean, you can still fake it, but I'd prefer it if you actually had some fun with this like we were when we first started it."

Mew let out a sigh before closing the fridge.

 **000**

Portia grumbled to herself as she sat at the lake, her legs soaking in the chilly water. After last night's elimination ceremony, she just wanted to be alone. It wasn't as if she even had a choice, though. Jessica and Sasha completely betrayed her and Belladonna, Art was a prick that happened to be safe for another round regardless of the challenge, and Zahku was a challenge beast who looked unstoppable.

At this point, there was no chance of her making it to the end. She was a challenge threat and, unless Zahku majorly screwed himself, she was done for. The only thing that could save her was the other immunity statue, and she had no idea where it was.

With a sigh, she fully submerged herself in the lake. After about thirty seconds under, the Rhyperior emerged from the body of water, wiping her face down and panting to catch her breath. She rested her arms on the shore, lying her head atop them akin to a bored child in class. As she soaked in the water for a while, she kept trying to run possible scenarios in her head.

"If I manage to win the next immunity challenge, I can vote for Jessica first, just because I'm getting sick of her," the Rhyperior said to herself. "Then, if Art lose the challenge after, I can vote for him, and then hopefully I can win again and choose who goes with me."

She then hummed to herself, as the possibility of that actually working was slim. She needed to something that was a guarantee. "If I can find the immunity statue, that could still work…" she reasoned.

Rustling from the foliage nearby suddenly got her attention. A familiar Nidoqueen emerged from the bushes, with Portia's facial expression turning sour upon seeing her. She really thought that she and Sasha established a connection when they talked and shared their backgrounds with each other, but after last night, she didn't know what to think.

As the Rhyperior pulled herself out of the lake, Sasha approached her with a slightly hangdog expression. "Hey, Portia…" she softly greeted as the larger, dripping Drill Pokémon walked past her without saying a word.

Sasha sighed to herself, partially knowing that this would happen. She knew that Portia would be upset about her friend's elimination, but it wasn't anything personal. It was just a move that she felt would be beneficial to her in the end.

She started trailing the Rhyperior, wanting to just talk to her and explain herself, as she truly felt that she and Portia got a bit closer after they talked in the cave. She didn't want a simple strategic move to come between them.

Sasha pleaded, "Portia, can you please hear me out before you shut me out, at least?"

The larger female stopped walking, causing Sasha to stop as well. Taking a deep breath, Portia turned around, glaring down at the shorter female. "What? What do you have to say, Sasha? Because out of everyone else that's left in this game, I thought that I could at least count on _you_ not to lie to me."

"It wasn't personal, Portia," Sasha explained. "Belladonna was just a threat to _my_ game, and I asked Jessica and the others to help me."

"What?!" the Rhyperior bellowed, a look of anger and frustration forming on her face as she clenched her fists. "Okay, please explain to me how Belladonna was a _threat_ to your practically non-existent game!"

Sasha trembled and took a step back, a bit intimidated. "I-I mean-"

"Sasha, you haven't done _anything_ throughout this game except for fawn over Kane and be sad about your own poor home life!" Portia snapped, cutting her off. "You had no game to begin with!"

Sasha frowned, glaring back at the Rhyperior. "That's why I did it!" she exclaimed, actually surprising Portia.

The Nidoqueen continued, "You don't think I know that I've sucked at this game and that I haven't done anything beneficial to me?! I knew that Belladonna would have probably won this whole game if she made it all the way to the end! I would have had no chance. _You_ would have had no chance. NONE OF US WOULD HAVE HAD A CHANCE… except maybe Zahku. I'm… still not so sure about how much he's really capable of."

Hearing her explanation, and thinking about what she had just said to Sasha about her game, Portia let out a sigh. She could understand the dilemma from Sasha's point of view. She had nothing to show that she's worthy of being a winner. If anything, everything she'd done, or not done, just showed that she _didn't_ deserve to be a winner. So, she just made a move that could not only help herself, but everyone else, too.

As much as she loved Belladonna, she knew in the back of her mind that Sasha was right to assume that the Golem would have a higher chance at winning the game, especially if it came down to a final vote.

Sasha saw the look on Portia's face and let out another soft sigh. "I'm sorry…" she apologized softly as she began to walk back to the campground.

As the Nidoqueen left her alone, Portia couldn't help but gain a slight feeling of guilt from what she had just said.

 **000**

 **Portia sighed, "Okay, maybe I was a bit too harsh on Sasha. I can admit that it** _ **did**_ **make sense, now that I'm thinking about it, but…"**

 **She groaned, "I just hate that I'm practically on my own with everyone against me!" She then had a look of realization. "Well, actually, Sasha may not really be completely against me. Maybe…"**

 **000**

Sasha eventually returned to the campgrounds with a crestfallen expression, Portia's harsh words digging into her like pointed stones. She tried to get Portia to explain her thought process, but it was like it didn't matter to her. Then she brought up how she had no game and was just complaining and lusting for Kane, which was true, but she already felt bad because of that. That's why she made the move in the first place. Why couldn't she understand?!

The Nidoqueen entered the mess hall, where Jessica was sitting at their usual table, as of late. Meanwhile, Zahku was snoozing at another table near the back. Sitting in front of the Bruxish, she let out a shaky sigh.

As if expecting this, Jessica gave her a look that read 'I told you so'. "I told you not to go talk to her," the Gnash Teeth Pokémon stated. "She's still mad that we eliminated her only ally and the only way that she can make it further now is if she wins immunity, which is pretty unlikely with Zahku still here."

Sasha sighed, "I know. It just… it doesn't feel right to me."

Jessica was surprised to hear her say that. "How?" she asked. "Belladonna told us that she was trying to get rid of you so that I was left all alone. We got back at her _and_ got rid of a threat in the process, and you feel bad about it?"

Sasha shrugged, fiddling with her claws.

The Bruxish shook her head. "At the end of the day, this is a game. If Portia decides to take it personal, then that's her problem. Right now, _we_ need to focus on making it to the end."

The Nidoqueen across from her let out a sigh, "Right…"

"Sadly for us, Art already has immunity thanks to his statue," Jessica reminded. "So, we just have to make sure that one of us wins the next immunity in the challenge, no matter what."

Sasha gave the Bruxish a look of doubt. "Do you honestly think that either of us will be able to beat Zahku in a challenge?"

"No, but we can at least _try_ ," Jessica replied. "If we don't get rid of Zahku soon, we'll probably be screwed since he's won nearly every immunity challenge!"

"Well, we just have to hope that it's something that we're better at than he is," Sasha replied. "If not… I don't know."

"What do you mean?" Jessica asked, raising a brow. "If Zahku wins, we vote out Portia."

"The other statue is still out there," Sasha reminded her, causing her eyes to widen. "If Art had one, then there's a chance that Portia may find the other one. Especially given how long she's been out there."

Jessica swore to herself, "Damn it. Well, hopefully that's not the case."

"What's not the case?" a gruff tone inquired.

Art had entered the mess hall with his usual expression and tone of indifference and irritation. Even with a statue guaranteeing him an easy trip to the final four, he was still the same.

Jessica huffed before responding, "We were saying that it'd be bad if Portia finds the other statue and saves herself like you already plan on doing."

Art chortled, "Oh right, because then it'll just leave you two as the only ones at risk. How fitting."

"What do you mean by that?" Jessica inquired, giving him a suspicious glare.

"What do you think?" he deadpanned. "You two are the only ones that are still a pair, you orchestrated the elimination of Drillbitch Taylor's best friend, and you lied to her about voting together. Granted, it wouldn't have mattered, but yeah, karma's gonna bite you in the ass."

Jessica glared daggers at him, while Sasha covered her face upon hearing him say that.

"Oh, and you two would've been better off voting for me," Art admitted. "I voted for the lackey, too, so if you two voted for me, I would have had to use my statue, the bitch would have still gotten eliminated, you'd still have poor Portia on your side, _and_ you'd have a shot at voting me out."

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US THAT?!" Sasha bellowed.

Jessica huffed, "Why would he? Leaving us in the dark benefits him more."

"Yep, it sure does," Art replied before facing the mess hall door. "Now to wait for our _wonderful_ hosts to get here with the slop, so I can tell them to screw off and go get more sleep."

Jessica and Sasha both gave him a look as Portia entered the mess hall. The Rhyperior took a seat at one of the unattended tables, resting her head against her left arm.

There was a bit of silence in the building, as the final five waited for their hosts to arrive. Eventually, the two hosts appeared in the mess hall, with Mew holding the boxes of food as per usual.

"Hello, hello, final five," Victini greeted. "How're you all feeling today?"

Jessica let out a sigh, "We're alright, I suppose. Aside from the fact that _that_ asshole has an immunity statue…"

"Cry more," Art deadpanned. "It'll _really_ help you out in the end." He turned his attention back to the two hosts, "Anyways, hurry up and hand out the slop so I can go back to bed."

Victini and Mew exchanged looks before Mew placed the breakfast boxes on one of the tables. Victini scoffed, questioning the Ferrothorn. "And what makes you think you're going back to bed?"

"If I already have immunity tonight with my statue, I know damn well that I'm not gonna waste my time in some lame challenge," Art explained.

"Yeah, sorry. That's not happening," Mew replied, folding his arms. "You may have the statue, but you still have to participate in the challenges."

"WHAT!?" Art fumed. He had a free ticket to the final four and these bozos were still going to make him participate in the challenges? What sense does that even make?

"Ha!" Jessica teased.

"What is with you people? You make no sense!" Art complained. " _Oh, yeah, you have immunity, but we're gonna make you compete in the immunity challenge anyway. Durr hurr._ That's how dumb that idea is."

"Pipe down," Victini shot back. "You can whine all you want, but you're still gonna participate unless you want to _lose_ that precious statue of yours."

Art's eyes widened, as the others gained smirks upon hearing that ultimatum. The Ferrothorn growled, "Once again, you damn Legendaries or Mythicals or whatever the fuck you call yourselves get on my damn nerves."

"And we still sleep well at night," Victini replied. "Now, once you guys are all finished with your breakfast, head to the side of the island where you can reach the volcano and we'll explain today's challenges."

The two of them proceeded to exit the mess hall, with Art glaring at them from the corner of his eye as they floated past. A few seconds after they left, Zahku lifted his head up, awakening from his slumber. He yawned and scratched his head. Sasha rose a brow upon seeing this as Jessica floated toward the breakfast boxes.

"Uh… Zahku, are you okay?" she asked.

Zahku let out a sigh. "Zahku feels tired. Headache."

Hearing this, Art tartly uttered, "Hey, what do you know? Rain Man isn't feeling so well today. You three may actually have a chance to beat him, this time."

"Zahku still plan on trying hardest," the Makuhita stated firmly, not liking what Art was insinuating. Just because he was feeling under the weather didn't mean his current strength was diminished. He was fine with being eliminated earlier if he made mistakes, but he had come too far to screw up, now. A headache wasn't going to stop him.

"Well, I take it back, then," Art responded. "But whatever, I'm outta here."

The Thorn Pod Pokemon turned around and proceeded to leave the mess hall, as he still wasn't planning on eating the food they provided.

Portia huffed, "The bastard doesn't even appreciate that they actually feed us instead of just making us find food for ourselves."

"How's he even lasting if he's not eating?" Sasha mused.

Jessica offered an answer, as she opened her box. "He's a Grass-type, he probably just absorbs sunlight or something. Or he goes to the mountains and eats the minerals there. Doesn't really matter, either way."

Sasha sighed as she gazed down at her breakfast box, which included a couple of pancakes, eggs, sausage links, and a croissant. The Nidoqueen glanced over to Portia, whose eyes were locked on her own breakfast box. Their eyes briefly met, but Sasha immediately looked back down at her food, taking a bite of one of her sausage links.

Portia sighed to herself, " _This may be a bit tougher than I thought., and with Jessica there, she probably won't accept my offer. I'm gonna have to wait."_

 **000**

After breakfast was done, the contestants went where they were told. They saw five platforms sitting in the sand, with metal poles sitting in front of them. The hosts were there, along with Art, who was just grumbling to himself.

"About time you showed up," the Ferrothorn commented, looking in their direction. "The food couldn't have been that great…"

"Hey, at least we're here. Your mouth is still running as if it's seen Primal Groudon," Portia commented.

Art gave her a look, saying, "You're not clever."

Victini cleared his throat, getting the competitors' attention. Once they all turned to face him and Mew, he let out a breath. "Thank you. Now, today's challenges will be all about strength. If you wanna make it to the final four, you're gonna have to show us what you're fully made of."

"So all of the other BS you put us through meant nothing?" Art queried.

"No, that meant something. The theme today is strength, so he's just-" Mew began before being silenced by a look from Victini. The pink feline rolled his eyes before allowing Victini to continue.

"Now, your first challenge is rather simple," Victini began explaining. "Each of you will stand on those platforms, holding up those poles as more weight is added on. Whoever lasts the longest gets an advantage in the next challenge."

Jessica immediately brought up an issue with the challenge, commenting, "Um… how exactly are Art and I supposed to participate? We don't exactly have limbs that allow us to do what you're asking of us."

"Actually, you have fins and Art has his vines," Victini countered. "So, you two can still participate just fine. You may not be able to last as long, but you can certainly participate."

Jessica let out a sigh. "If you say so…"

"Good, now, all of you stand up on your podiums, grab the poles, and we'll get started," Victini stated.

 **-000-**

The final five stood on their respective platforms, each holding their poles, though Art was lackidasically holding his with one of his vines, and Jessica was struggling to keep her grip on hers.

"Alright, we're each gonna add a ten pound weight to your poles, giving you twenty pounds to start," Victini said as multiple weights appeared next to him and Mew. "We'll add more as time goes on."

"I could have sworn that the _regular_ shows did this challenge before. Only it was better because it was a team effort," Art commented.

"Art, you don't really care," Portia stated as the hosts put the two ten pound weights on either end of her pole. "Trying to trash talk will only give them more of a reason to get rid of your statue."

"And we'd do it, too," Mew commented as he dusted his hands off after putting the next weight on Zahku's pole.

Art grumbled to himself as the hosts began placing the weights on Sasha's pole next. The Nidoqueen was strong, but she was unsure about how much weight she would be able to handle. Surely she could handle twenty to forty pounds, but she wasn't sure if she could go any higher.

"Are the other challenges gonna be like this?" Sasha inquired.

"Nah, there's gonna be varying tests of strength. It's not always just physical," Mew explained as he and Victini slid the next weights onto her pole.

Jessica, who was still struggling to hold onto her pole with her small fins, dropped it as soon as they started sliding the weights on. "Yeah, there's no way in the Distortion World that I was doing that," she commented with a sheepish laugh.

"Yeah, we figured," Mew chuckled as he and Victini moved on to Art. However, they were a bit hesitant, asking, "Should we even bother putting these on, or are you just gonna drop it as soon as we do?"

"Put them on and find out," Art tonelessly replied.

"Art, for once can you just _not_ be a douche and just do what they say without complaining like a little girl?" Jessica asked bluntly, giving the Ferrothorn a look.

"Shut it," he shot back before noticing that Mew and Victini were floating away from him. "Hey! Dim and Dimmer, what about my-"

"They're on, already," Victini responded, not looking back at the Ferrothorn.

Art looked at his raised vine and saw that the two weights were, indeed, situated on his pole already. They slid them on when he and Jessica were having their brief interaction. He huffed in response. He didn't really want to participate in this challenge for that long, as he felt that it was dumb, as per usual.

However, he couldn't help but be a bit curious as to how much he could actually hold. So, instead of just throwing the challenge, he decided to just give the bozos what they wanted and see how much weight one of his vines could hold.

Seeing him remain where he was, the others were rather surprised, with Portia snarkily teasing, "Oh, are you actually gonna participate and not drop out?"

"I'll drop out anytime I damn well please," Art responded. "Now shut up and focus on yourself for a change."

Portia huffed, "I always focus on myself. Unlike you, who picks and chooses when he wants to participate as if you run shit…"

"The only thing running right now is your mouth, so why don't you just cram it? I'm trying to focus here," Art retorted.

"Huh, Art's actually trying to be a competitor for a change," Jessica commented, floating on the sidelines. "Interesting how it changed so quickly."

Art groaned in annoyance, "Can you hosts just start adding more, already? This twenty pound stuff is pretty damn easy for everyone except fish lips."

Jessica simply glared at him, while Mew and Victini decided to go ahead and add more weight to everyone's pole.

"Alright, this'll make it so each of you is holding forty pounds," Victini said as he and Mew started going down the line once again, adding twenty more pounds to each competitor's pole.

Portia didn't budge, nor did Zahku. Sasha struggled a bit, but kept her grip on her pole. Art kept holding onto his pole, though it did wobble a bit in his grasp.

"Alright, now let's wait for a few minutes and see how long you guys can last with forty pounds," Mew stated, folding his arms.

The remaining players in the challenge remained silent as they continued holding their poles. Three minutes went by, with Sasha still somewhat struggling, but managing to hold the the pole easily. Art's vine was getting tired, but he was still holding tough. Meanwhile, Portia was holding her pole with one arm, using it like an actual weight, while Zahku stood as still as a statue.

"Looking good so far, guys," Jessica complimented, even though she was out of the contest. She was bored, so she thought that she might as well say something.

"So, question," Victini began, getting everyone's attention. "What are you guys' goals and aspirations? Why'd you join the game?"

"Really? You're asking us that _now_?" Art asked in disbelief.

"Hey, better than sitting here in silence waiting for you guys to drop," Victini replied. "Answer or don't. Doesn't matter to me."

More silence ensued, with no one really bothered by the question. Eventually, thinking that if she distracted herself, she'd do better, Sasha decided to speak up. She ended up getting a better grip on the pole as she explained. "Well… I mainly wanted to try and win so that I can just leave my husband and grow as a person. As for goals and aspirations, I'm not really sure. Maybe I could work at a daycare later down the line and meet a guy that actually cares about me."

Art groaned, "Again with the bad husband thing. We get it, your homelife sucks. You don't have to keep bringing it up all the time. We've all got our own problems."

Portia scoffed, "Oh? And what are _your_ problems, per se? Your personality making it tough for you to date?"

"My problems are none of your concern," Art replied, focusing on his pole. "I'm not interested in trying to get sympathy points from others, like you and the desperate housewife do."

"Sympathy points?" Sasha repeated, giving the Ferrothorn a glare. "You really think my frustration and annoyance is just me trying to get _sympathy_ from people?"

"Art, you're more socially unaware than Zahku," Jessica commented from the sidelines. "If you really think that people sharing their struggles, willingly or unwillingly, is just to get sympathy, then you have much deeper issues than what you're keeping to yourself."

Portia huffed, a furious glare on her face with small tears beginning to form, "You're so fucking lucky I need to win this challenge. Or else I'd come over there and beat you with your own vines."

"And I'd easily knock you on your ass since I'm stronger than you," Art deadpanned.

"Hey, hey," Mew chimed in. "Let's not do this."

Victini nodded, "Yeah. Finish the challenge first, and then you can beat each other up if you please." Mew gave him a disapproving glare, which the Victory Pokémon shrugged off.

Portia was very tempted to just wail on Art, but she needed to win the challenges. That was her main priority. She had all the time in the world to pound on Art later.

Sasha just flashed back to that morning when Portia said that she had no strategy and just complained. With Art saying that it was just her trying to get sympathy, she felt more aggravated. She wasn't trying to do anything with her background; it was just a goal and the reason she was in the game. She was also getting tired of those insults from the Ferrothorn; it wasn't funny. She was really gonna have to keep fighting and prove that she wasn't as weak and pathetic as everyone probably thought she was. She had already gotten Belladonna eliminated, but she needed to do much more.

"Alright," Victini spoke up. "Time to add another twenty pounds to everyone's pole."

As he and Mew each picked up another ten pound weight, Portia commented, "At this point, you guys might as well just say that you're adding more weight to the dumbbells, because that's what these 'poles' are turning into."

"Eh, either or," Victini replied as they finished sliding the next weights onto her pole. "You guys are now gonna be holding sixty pounds. After this, we're gonna kick it up a notch."

Art drawled, "Oh joy…"

The two hosts finished putting the extra weight on the contestants' poles. Portia's eyes were clenched shut before she went back to holding her pole with both hands. Zahku still hadn't moved, though he could feel his head starting to pound. Sasha was still struggling to hold hers up, while Art lowered his vine a bit, the weight beginning to get to him.

"Ooh… looks like that prompted some changes," Victini commented with a chuckle, folding his arms.

"Uh… Zahku, you still alive?" Mew asked in concern, noticing that the Makuhita hadn't said anything, nor did he move a muscle.

"Yes," the Makuhita deadpanned, still not moving.

"Uh… alright then," the New Species Pokemon responded, still feeling a bit unnerved. "Just checking."

"Can you also check if he's even a real Pokémon and not some android?" Art chimed in. "Y'know, make sure that we've actually had a change in hell to win something this whole time?"

"Zahku not robot. Zahku just different," the Guts Pokémon replied in the same monotony. "Always have been."

"Nothing wrong with that," Sasha responded as she adjusted her grip on her pole once more. "If everyone was the same… the world would be boring," she said in a strained tone.

"Yeah, you say that, but when his 'difference' ends up costing you this game, we'll see how you really feel," Art replied.

"Do you _always_ have to inject some pessimism into a casual conversation?" Jessica asked, growing more and more annoyed by the Ferrothorn's comments. "Who hurt you?"

"The only thing hurting me is the fact that Zahku the Great is still in the game," Art replied. "Like… why even bother if you know that he's just gonna win everything?"

"Because there's always a chance that he can screw up or give someone else the opportunity to win," Portia explained. "Not everyone is overly pessimistic like you."

Art rolled his eyes in response, as his realistic thinking was almost always seen as pessimism anyway. He huffed, "Whatever."

"Okay, time to add _forty_ pounds to your poles," Victini chimed in.

Hearing that, Art decided that he had enough. "Alright, fuck it…" he said, dropping his pole and stepping off of his platform. "I'm not about to stand here hold 100 pounds when the Golden Boy hasn't moved at all. You two can keep wasting your time…"

As he went to the side, Mew and Victini each put twenty pound weights on the final three participants' poles. Portia adjusted her grip a bit before beginning to curl the weight with both of her arms.

"Might as well try to get a workout in, right?" Portia sheepishly commented, despite beginning to feel a bit tired.

Zahku didn't respond, maintaining his focus despite his brain now feeling like it was beating against his skull. As for Sasha...

The Nidoqueen was visually struggling, her arms trembling. "I can't do it," she strained before dropping her pole, panting heavily.

"Figures…" Art grumbled as the Nidoqueen proceeded to the sidelines.

"Alright, Portia and Zahku, let's see if we can increase the weight and really push you…" Victini commented as he and Mew each picked up three weights. They added sixty pounds to Portia's pole first, causing her to gasp and struggle a bit more. As for Zahku, he kept his composure, barely reacting to the added weight.

Noticing this, Portia let out a sigh, "Zahku… can you _please_ let me have this? You probably won't even need the advantage!"

Zahku glanced at the larger female from the corner of his eye and saw a pleading look on her face. He could understand why she needed the advantage more than he did, but at the same time, though he didn't really show it, this was the weakest that he's felt in a long time.

He didn't want to risk being voted out if he screwed up during the immunity challenge. But then again, he was doing fine so far, despite his headache. He really didn't want to, but an idea came to his mind. He decided to strike a familiar bargain with her.

"If Zahku give up, you no vote for Zahku if lose. Those conditions," the Makuhita stated.

The Rhyperior thought about it for a bit, adjusting her grip once again. If Zahku didn't win the next challenge, it'd be an easy way to get rid of the biggest threat in the game. However, after what had transpired the night prior, Zahku wasn't much of an immediate target for her.

"We're about to add sixty more pounds," Victini chimed in. "Is it a deal?" he inquired with a smirk, finding the bargain interesting.

Portia let out a sigh before looking down at Zahku. "Deal," she replied. "I won't vote for you if you lose the immunity challenge."

"Zahku hold you to that," the Makuhita said before dropping his pole.

"And just like that… Portia wins the advantage!" Mew announced.

With that declaration, Portia dropped her own pole with a sigh. She looked down to Zahku, who was simply sitting on his platform staring at the ground. "Thanks again, Zahku…" she whispered.

"Oh come on!" Art bellowed in disbelief. "All you have to do is make a deal with him and you get to win?! What kind of BS is that?"

Fed up with his consistent complaining, Jessica finally snapped. Turning to the Thorn Pod Pokémon with a glare of complete aggravation, "Oh, shut it already, Art! You are _constantly_ complaining about stuff that doesn't affect you in the slightest and it's really, really agitating," she ranted. "We can barely get through a challenge without you whining about who is a part of the challenge, the challenge itself, or who wins it in the end. You have nobody who really cares about you being in the game..."

Everyone else just watched as the Bruxish went off on the Ferrothorn, who simply had an expression of boredom etched into his iron face.

She continued, "...heck, everyone here pretty much wants you to go, but we're stuck with your immature whining once again since you found a damn statue. And that just makes today worse because it's not like you even _need_ to win anything anyway, but you're still complaining as if it matters to you! Learn to keep your damn mouth shut for a change!"

Everyone immediately looked to Art, expecting him to respond. However, the response they expected didn't come.

Art was actually ready and willing to respond, but as he thought about it, he actually realized that it didn't matter. All Jessica did was say everything that he's already heard or what he's suspected since the pre-merge. Plus, whatever he said was immediately perceived as negative to these guys, anyway. They weren't entirely wrong, as he _was_ an irritable snarker, but sometimes him just thinking logically and realistically was seen as him being negative as well.

So, with that in his mind, as well as his current standing in the game, Art decided to just keep quiet for once. Essentially, he'd had enough of _their_ complaints about him. At the end of the day, he was guaranteed to be in the final four, so it didn't matter what _they_ said _or_ what he said, himself.

However, knowing that they probably weren't gonna stop staring at him until he said something, he cleared his throat. "Are we gonna move on or what?"

Not expecting that response, the hosts exchanged looks of surprise. The other contestants were also bewildered by this, though Jessica's glare didn't falter.

"Oh… uh… alright, then," Mew replied. "Next challenge!"

 **000**

A huge, intimidating, Hariyama stood on the beach near the campgrounds. A potent glare was chiseled onto its face, with its arms folded as if it was daring anyone to step up to it. An aura of intensity wafted off of it as it stood in a large ring drawn in the sand.

The five contestants simply stared at the gargantuan Fighting-type before them before turning to their hosts. Eyes wide with slight panic, Sasha stammered, "U-Uh, w-w-who is that?"

"That… is Osuke Yamakuro," Mew introduced, gesturing to the Hariyama. "10 '10" and nearly 1000 pounds, he's one of the strongest sumo wrestling champions in the world. Over 2,000 wins, and only 2 losses throughout his over 30-year career."

Victini chortled, "You guys are gonna wrestle him."

Although everyone's eyes widened as they looked back to the Fighting-type, who now had a twisted expression on his face that told them that he was going to enjoy what happened.

Once again, eyes went to Art, who would probably say that Mew and Victini were out of their minds or that the guy was probably gonna _eat_ them all. Noticing this, the Ferrothorn groaned, "Can you stop with the staring?"

"Oh, so… what? You've got nothing to say here? Because this is probably one of the only times that I'd agree with your complaining," Portia stated, a bit wary of the brute that they were going to have to go up against.

Art shrugged. Rolling her eyes, Jessica turned to Mew and Victini. "Okay, how do you expect us to wrestle a guy who's won over 2,000 times?!"

"Well, the main theme of the challenges today is strength, remember?" Victini reminded. "And don't worry, he's not gonna destroy you… immediately."

" _That's reassuring_ ," Art thought to himself, rolling his eyes.

"All you have to do is try to push him out of the ring" Mew explained. "Or… just move him from the spot he starts in. Each time you go, we'll measure how far you got Yamakuro from his original spot before he… y'know…"

Victini nodded before adding, "The winner of _this_ portion gets an advantage in the final challenge. And trust me, you're gonna want the advantage."

"Also, for this challenge, no moves can be used. It has to be physical strength," Mew added, eliciting groans from the girls. Zahku, despite his not feeling well, still had no complaints, while Art just took it and remained indifferent

"Alright, ladies first," Victini said, rubbing his hands together. "Jessica…"

"You're killing me…" the Bruxish groaned.

Portia laughed sheepishly, "Well, them doing it would definitely be better than _him_ doing it."

Jessica gave the Rhyperior a look before floating toward the ring.

"As soon as you enter the ring, you can begin," Victini disclosed, folding his arms.

 **-000-**

Jessica hesitantly entered the ring, a nervous gulp traveling down her throat as she stared at the nearly 11 '00" Fighting-type sitting before her. "U-Uh… hey there, handsome," she greeted, attempting to flirt with him.

Yamakuro didn't show any reaction, simply staring at the visibly shaking Bruxish. Seeing that his expression didn't change, Jessica chuckled sheepishly. "So… uh, looks like we're gonna have to duke it out and try to get you to move from your spot."

She hesitantly moved closer to the Hariyama, who just continued to stare. He watched her every move, which admittedly creeped her out.

"Uh… what am I supposed to do, here?!" Jessica exclaimed in panic and confusion, looking back at the others for assurance.

"Try to tackle or wrestle him and get him to move," Victini responded.

Jessica looked back at the Arm Thrust Pokémon, only to be met with a hard slap that sent her flying out of the ring and into the water.

The remaining contestants' eyes widened in shock, looking out at the water where Jessica had landed. Their eyes then went to the hosts, as if asking them if they were still serious. Mew had the same look of shock on his face as he looked out at the water, while Victini simply cleared his throat, though his tone was a bit more shaky.

"So, uh… Jessica didn't make any progress," the Victory Pokémon commented sheepishly. "Portia, you're up next."

Portia, despite being the largest contestant left, was still very frightened. Not only did Yamakuro just smack Jessica, a _girl_ ; he sent her _flying_. Along with that, he was enormous and also had a type advantage against her. The Rhyperior's legs were trembling before she remembered her advantage. She turned to the two hosts. "So, what's my advantage, here?"

Mew informed her, "You get an extra five inches added to your distance."

Hearing that, Portia rubbed her arm in reluctance. She didn't think that anyone had a chance to move him, aside from maybe Zahku, so she was actually debating whether she should even try or not.

With an awkward expression, she asked, "Um… i-is there a chance that I could just forfeit?"

Mew was about to speak up, but Victini beat him to it, shaking his head,"You forfeit this, you forfeit your advantage as well. You have to participate in order for it to count."

Portia twitched slightly in response as she looked back at the champion sumo wrestler in the ring. She gulped in nervousness. She knew that she was more than likely going to be the one leaving if she lost the challenges, so she was going to have to go for it, despite her worries.

"Um… is anyone gonna check on Jessica?" Sasha inquired, still looking out at the water. "She hasn't resurfaced or anything…"

Immediately, Victini smacked his co-host's back. "Mew…"

The New Species Pokémon flinched at this before giving Victini a look of annoyance. Knowing what he wanted, the feline sighed. He surrounded himself in a pink bubble and started heading toward the water.

With his co-host now preoccupied, Victini gained a smirk. He turned back to the contestants, "Alright, Portia, get on in there! Let's see what you can do."

The Rhyperior moaned to herself before commenting, "I doubt I'll do anything worthwhile."

 **-000-**

Portia entered the ring with a nervous sigh, with Yamakuro staring her down with a look of anticipation. Due to her being the biggest contestant left, the Hariyama felt that she would put up more of a fight and have more power behind her moves.

The rhinosaur took a deep breath before turning back to the others. "So, I just have to try and move him?" she asked for clarification.

"If you can," Victini replied with a shrug, casting his doubts.

Portia gave the Victory Pokémon a look before turning her attention back to the Hariyama. An idea formed in her head. " _If I rush and tackle him, my weight should be able to move him, even a little bit."_

With this now in her mind, she rushed toward Yamakuro with all of her might, slamming into him. The Fighting-type didn't budge, but the impact gave Portia a bit of whiplash, causing her to stagger back.

The Hariyama chuckled softly before attempting to smack her away like he had done to Jessica a few moments ago. Portia managed to come back to her senses and jump back, avoiding the orange hands that came her way. With her now being further away, Yamakuro folded his arms once again.

Portia panted softly before taking a breath. " _Okay, that didn't work. I'll need to try something else…_ "

With her tackle attempt being unsuccessful, and moves not being allowed, Portia was unsure about her options. She surely wasn't going to try flirting with him like Jessica did, and as she thought about it, there was a much better way that the challenge could go that made much more sense.

She turned back to Victini. "Wouldn't this challenge work better if we see how long we can last in the ring itself? I sincerely doubt that any of us are gonna get him to budge!"

Victini chuckled, "That's the same thing Mew suggested. But, that's boring and predictable, so we're doing it this way. And hey, think of it this way. If all of you fail, you win by default thanks to your advantage."

Portia gave him a look. Yes, she needed to win, but she at least wanted it to be a bit fair. She turned back to the Hariyama and sighed to herself. With no other ideas flowing in her mind, she rushed toward him once again.

She never made contact, though, as Yamakuro stopped her by grabbing her horn. Portia's eyes widened as she struggled to get free of his grasp. The Rhyperior found herself being lifted up with one of the Hariyama's hands, causing her to become a bit scared.

"Put me down!" she exclaimed.

Yamakuro obliged, releasing her before thrusting his other arm forward and forcing her out of the ring. The Rhyperior was knocked into Sasha, with both of them groaning in pain in the aftermath.

"Okay, Portia, you _also_ made no progress," Victini commented.

Portia gave him a look of agitation, as it was already obvious that she failed. "Yeah, no shit," she scowled as she lifted her head up.

Victini chuckled to himself. "Anyways, Sasha, you're up next," he informed.

As Portia helped the Nidoqueen up, the shorter Drill Pokemon inquired, "Can _I_ forfeit? I don't have anything to risk..."

Victini groaned in response, "No one is forfeiting. You guys are gonna all participate if you wanna stay in this game."

Sasha sighed in disappointment as Portia looked out at the ocean once again. "Jeez, what's taking Mew and Jessica?"

No sooner had she said that, the two Psychic-types rose from the water. They made their way back to the shore, with Jessica holding a look of irritation. "I now hate sumo wrestlers…" she stated.

"What took _you_ so long?" Victini asked, looking at Mew.

The New Species Pokémon shook his head, responding, "I don't wanna talk about it."

Victini chuckled, "Alright, then. Anyways, Sasha, get on in the ring."

The nervous Nidoqueen moaned in displeasure. Seeing what had just happened to the other girls, she wasn't looking forward to going up against the champion.

 **-000-**

She stepped into the ring, fiddling with her claws. Remembering what had happened to the others, she was very wary. She knew that if she got too close, she'd get smacked away just like Jessica and Portia, but she also knew that moves weren't allowed. With no strategy going into the ring, Sasha trembled as she eyed the large male.

"U-Uh… w-what do I do?!" she asked herself. She made sure to keep her distance, hardly moving from her spot.

"At this point, I don't think it really matters," Jessica commented, giving the hosts a side-eye. "He's just gonna slap or throw us all out of the ring since we're all pipsqueaks compared to him. So, just go ahead and get slapped so we can just get this challenge over with…"

Sasha gulped in nervousness as she stared at the Hariyama. "B-But I-"

"Hold it, hold it!" Mew exclaimed, floating into the ring, much to Victini's dismay. "Okay, look, this challenge is turning out to be extremely unfair, like I initially believed it would be, so we're gonna just move on to the final challenge."

Victini scoffed, "Seriously dude? Come on, he's a champion. Of course these guys are gonna have a tough time. That's why it's a _challenge_. There's no point in just moving on if three of them haven't even had a chance to try. And one of them is _Zahku_!"

Mew deadpanned, "Yamakuro literally bitch slapped Jessica far into the water… Pretty sure that's unfair."

"And he thrust me into Sasha with one freaking arm!" Portia added on.

Mew flinched before continuing, "Yeah… I think it's best if we just move it along."

Victini shook his head in dissent. "No way. I'm sorry dude, but we're not gonna wuss out of a challenge just because the opponent is tough. That's the point. We're at the final five and the challenges revolve around strength. It's gonna happen."

Mew gave him a look before letting out a disgruntled sigh, knowing that Victini wasn't going to listen.

Getting no other response from Mew, Victini turned to Sasha, who had gotten out of the ring. "Sasha, get back in the ring. The challenge is continuing."

The Nidoqueen moaned in sadness once again as she returned to the ring. The hosts exited the ring as Sasha faced off with Yamakuro, who had remained stone-faced throughout the hosts' conversation.

Mere moments later, the Nidoqueen was launched out of the ring with a scream as she landed in the water. Portia gasped, "Sasha!"

Knowing that the Nidoqueen was no good in water, she quickly rushed out to help her. Jessica floated over to check on her as well, as Mew facepalmed.

Portia helped her fellow Drill Pokémon out of the water, with the smaller one coughing and panting heavily.

"Are you alright?" Jessica queried in concern.

Sasha wiped water away from her face and sighed. "Yeah, I'm okay. That wasn't _as_ bad as I thought. It still hurt, though."

They walked with her back over to the others, with Mew letting out a sigh. "This really is ridiculous," he commented.

"You'll get over it," Victini responded. "It's just Art and Zahku left, anyway," he said with a shrug.

"That doesn't make it better," Mew deadpanned.

Victini rolled his eyes, "Art, you're up next."

"Yes. I'm totally brimming with joy," the Ferrothorn drawled.

Art made his way into the ring. Immediately after entering, he approached the Hariyama and weakly hit him with one of his disks. He didn't even want to try, because he knew how this was going to end.

Mere seconds later, he was thrown out of the ring without a word. He landed in the sand with a hard _THUD_ , but he still didn't say anything.

"Alright, then… Guess it's time for the main event," Victini said from the sidelines, the camera lingering on Art as he lay in the sand.

 **-000-**

Zahku stood in the ring, his arms at his side, as he stared down his evolved form. Yamakuro stared back at him, sensing the power within the smaller Fighting-type and anticipating his first move.

The others watched the two of them size each other up, their stares not letting up. Portia sweatdropped, "Uh… why do I feel a bit scared for both of them?"

"Well, we have a champion sumo wrestler who has hardly ever lost a single match… and then we have Zahku," Jessica replied. "I think it's fair to say that this is gonna take a while…"

Zahku, despite his headache, took a deep breath. He charged toward Yamakuro, attempting to tackle him, only to bounce back off of his stomach and tumble backwards. He quickly got back up and charged again, narrowly avoiding a slap from the Goliath. He leapt up and kicked the Hariyama in the face, only to be smacked down to the ground.

Yamakuro prepared to simply thump Zahku out of the ring, but the Makuhita rolled out of the way. He jumped up once again, punching Yamakuro in the eye.

The Hariyama flinched at this and started rubbing his eye, giving Zahku the opportunity to try and hit him once again. If he could just get the Hariyama to topple over, it would give him the win, no problem. However, his quick movements and constant dodges and impacts were causing him to become a bit more winded and making him slow down.

As he caught his breath, Yamakuro stopped rubbing his eye and glared at his pre-evolved form. Yamakuro got to his feet, stomping one of his legs on the ground in traditional sumo fashion. Zahku was surprised to see the champion do this, but was perfectly fine with it. He wanted to continue getting stronger anyway, so having an actual match with the sumo champion would definitely help him.

Seeing all of this happen, Sasha spoke up. "Uh… does this mean that Zahku wins, since he got the champion to stand up?"

"Nope. Remember, we said that _you_ have to move _him_. He can move as freely as he wants on his own accord," Victini clarified. "Guess he just figured that you guys weren't gonna prove much of a threat."

"Well, considering that he beat all of us so easily, he wasn't wrong," Jessica drawled.

Zahku charged at Yamakuro once again, but as he jumped toward him, the champion sidestepped his attack and smacked the Guts Pokémon hard, sending him sliding through the sand and out of the ring.

Everyone was shocked by this. Zahku had actually _lost_ a challenge _without_ giving it up.

"Wow, not even Zahku could beat him," Victini replied. "But, at least he put up a fight and actually did well enough to get the champion to put some pep in his step."

"Even though it only lasted a few seconds," Mew deadpanned.

"Uh, hate to interrupt, but the champion is taking Zahku away…" Sasha said, pointing toward the two. Yamakuro was indeed carrying Zahku away toward the cliff, much to everyone's surprise.

"Um… hey, champ! I don't think you-"

Victini shushed him. "It's fine. Just let whatever happens happen. We can move on to the last challenge, now."

"But, Zahku won't be able to participate," Mew deadpanned, giving the Victory Pokémon a look. "And you were just talking about how all five of the players had to participate in this challenge despite the difficulty," he said, pointing out his co-host's hypocrisy.

Knowing that Mew was right in his assessment, Victini groaned. "Ugh… alright, fine," he replied. "But, since we don't want to be rude to our guest and just teleport him away when he, apparently, has something he wants to do with Zahku, we'll let you guys have a bit of a break. We'll oversee the twosome and call you all back when it's done."

"That's kinda unfair," Sasha opined. "Why does _Zahku_ get to have a one-on-one with a sumo champion and we don't? Shouldn't the guest share knowledge with everyone?"

"If Zahku comes back and he's even stronger than before, I'm going to call major BS," Portia stated sternly, folding her arms.

"I'm sorry. Would you guys like to take that up with the champion?" Victini queried, pointing his thumb in the giant's direction.

"Well, considering that the challenge is over, they _could_ ," Mew began, his tone turning a bit somber. "But, it's not really worth the effort, to be honest. Anyways, Portia wins thanks to her advantage. You guys can head to the mess hall. The kitchen still has some snacks in there for you."

Still finding that the challenge outcome was unfair, the remaining for players stayed in place, giving the hosts stern looks.

Victini rolled his eyes with a groan, " _Or_ you can just follow us and oversee what's going on as well. That way, anything that Zahku _may_ learn, _you_ can possibly learn it, too. Would that make it better?"

"Don't patronize us..." Portia replied, her arms folded.

"Well, if this is happening, then let's just go," Mew said as he started floating in the same direction that Yamakuro took Zahku. The other players immediately followed suit, with Victini shaking his head in annoyance.

 **000**

Zahku sat on a tree stump as Yamakuro placed a leaf coated in a transparent substance on his forehead. Though he was a bit confused at first, a cold feeling spread around his head, alleviating his headache quite a bit.

"Uh… why big man help Zahku?" the Guts Pokémon inquired. "Seem strange."

Yamakuro took a seat in front of the stump. "I sense… you have a very unique power within you," the champion spoke, his voice having a bit of a deep, Japanese accent. "You are… gifted."

Zahku rose a brow, stating, "Zahku confused. He just work out a lot."

Yamakuro chuckled to himself, "You do not know the true power that lies within you. It is okay, though. You simply need to tap into it more. Reach your full potential."

Still completely bewildered as to what was going on, Zahku scratched his head. "How does large male know this about Zahku? Are you father?"

Yamakuro sweatdropped, "No, I am not of kin to you, as far as I know, I at least. I have had multiple partners, but that's not the point. I am able to recognize when one has power within them that they have yet to unleash or recognize; I have trained with many wise people that have helped me understand and unlock _my_ full potential. So, I have to say, the power that I sense within you is much more immense than those I've dealt with in the past."

Zahku sighed, "What champion want from me?"

"I would like for you to travel with me and allow me to train you more so that all of your power is unleashed," Yamakuro explained.

Zahku's eyes widened. "What?"

"WHAT?!" the two of them heard, turning around. They saw that the hosts, as well as the other contestants, were a few yards away and listening to their conversation.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, champ. You can't just decide to pull one of our contestants from the competition," Victini stated.

"I believe that it is _his_ decision," Yamakuro responded, gesturing to Zahku, who was removing the leaf from his forehead.

Zahku was perplexed about the situation. He never thought that a (nearly) unbeatable champion would want to take him under his wing and help him become as strong as he can be. His main reason for joining the competition was to become much stronger, anyway, so it all fell right into place.

However, he had already come so far into the game already. He was at the final five! As much as he would love to be under the tutelage of an accomplished champion, he wanted to finish what he started, first.

"Well, Zahku?" Mew chimed in, giving the Guts Pokémon a serious look. "Are you still in, or are you leaving?"

After a few seconds, Zahku got off of the tree stump and handed the leaf back to Yamakuro. "Zahku very appreciative of offer, but he wishes to finish game, first. When Zahku out,or if Zahku win, he wants you to train him hard."

Yamakuro nodded in understanding, "Alright. I will respect your wishes. I will be looking forward to seeing you once this silly game show is over."

Zahku nodded back as the Hariyama was seamlessly teleported off of the island. The Makuhita rejoined the group the contestants, folding his arms.

"Well, looks like nothing's changed, so let's get to the final challenge," Victini stated.

Finding the shift in subjects too abrupt, Jessica spoke up. "Wait… so, are we just gonna brush aside the fact that Zahku just turned down a great offer just to finish this game?"

"Yes we are," Victini replied. "He's still here, so there's nothing to really say. Now, let's get to the glade."

 **000**

 **Portia groaned, "It would have been** _ **great**_ **if Zahku decided to leave. Now that he's better, he's probably gonna kill it in the last challenge, regardless of my advantage!"**

 **000**

" **Really dumb move," Art commented.**

 **000**

The hosts and the final five contestants were at the glade, where five challenge setups were seen. The players stood behind a white starting line. There was a large tire sitting on the ground before them. A few yards in front of the tire was a pad similar to that of a high striker. A bundle of blocks was tied up and hanging next it.

Further down the line, there was a rectangular station with multiple square-shaped holes on the top, a comically large wooden hammer locked in a transparent box on the ground beside it. At the very end of the line was a statue of a Poké Ball.

"Alright, welcome to the course," Victini introduced. "There's quite a bit going on with it, so I'll allow Mew to explain."

Hearing that, Mew gave him a look before letting out a soft sigh. He really hated having to be the one to explain most of the challenge instructions. "Alright, firstly, you guys will be flipping tires all the way across the field until you reach the pad. Once the tire's on the pad, it will release the blocks. You must take the blocks to the next station, where you must spell out a common phrase. Once you do that, a key will drop from underneath the station, and you will use it to unlock the hammer in the case. Grab the hammer, run to the Poké Ball, and smash it. The first player to do all of that will win immunity _and_ the reward."

"And, for a bit of incentive, I think I'll tell you guys what your reward is," Victini began, rubbing his hands together. The contestants listened eagerly as Victini disclosed what their reward was. "Well, the truth is, immunity doesn't entirely matter today, because the winner of this challenge will cast the sole vote to eliminate the player of their choice."

Nearly everyone gasped, except for Zahku, who held a slight look of irritation. Unless he or Portia won, he was more than likely going to be the one leaving since everyone saw him as a huge threat.

"Not only that, but the winner gets to have a private dinner with a loved one here in the glade," Victini explained.

Upon hearing that, the only person who seemed excited was Portia, with the others having very neutral or unenthused expressions.

"Okay, I was expecting more excitement, but I guess not everyone has great relationships…" Victini chuckled sheepishly. " _Anyways_ , you guys know what you're playing for, so it's time to get started."

 **000**

Everyone was ready at the starting line, though Portia and her tire were already halfway across the field. Elation was painted on the Rhyperior's face with it shifting into a look of confidence as she looked around her.

"Okay, Portia's advantage is that she gets a head start. And Jessica, no Psychic-type moves," Victini called out, making sure that things were fair.

Jessica scowled in response, finding the restrictions annoying. They were fair for the others, sure, but she could barely do anything without telekinesis, so how was it fair for her?

With further explanations and rules now set, Victini began the countdown to begin the challenge. "Alright, in three… two… one… GO!"

Right off the bat, Portia flipped her tire hard, causing it to flip twice. Zahku started flipping the 150 pound tire with relative ease, trying his hardest to catch up to Portia.

Sasha was struggling to even get the tire off of the ground. She really wanted to do _something_ worthwhile, but it seemed like that wasn't going to happen. She turned to the side and saw that neither Jessica or Art were even trying.

Panting, the Nidoqueen asked, "Y-You guys aren't-"

"It's a 150 pound tire," Jessica replied. "Without telekinesis, I can't do anything in this challenge, which is bullshit."

"And you already know my deal," Art deadpanned. "Plus, all of the challenges today have come down to Portia and Zahku, so I wasn't expecting this to be any different."

Hearing their perspectives, Sasha let out a sigh, knowing that Art was right. Considering that both Portia and Zahku were already so far ahead, there was no point.

The camera went back to Portia, who managed to make it to the block station. It was a three word phrase, with the first two words each containing four letters and the final word having just three. Her eleven letter blocks were spread across it, each of them having a different letter, none of them repeating. She began thinking about possible common phrases that consisted of three words and didn't repeat letters.

She looked at the letters she had: H, E, W, N, S, I, P, G, Y, L, and F. She sighed, holding her head and she thought hard about what the phrase could be.

Zahku caught up with the Rhyperior rather quickly, getting the tire on the pad in order to drop _his_ blocks. He quickly made his way to the station, dumping all of the blocks on his station.

Portia began rapidly tapping her finger on the station, trying to think of a phrase that would fit. She put all of the blocks into the holes in order to get a better look.

Zahku took a similar approach, placing all of the blocks into the holes in order to get a broader look.

Each of them spent a good five-to-ten minutes rearranging the blocks and thinking about the possibilities.

As they did this, Mew floated over to the three contestants that weren't participating. "You guys just giving up?" he asked. "I mean, I already know about Art's deal, but, Jess? Sasha?"

"I can't do anything," the Bruxish deadpanned. "I use telekinesis for everything, so with my restrictions making it 'fair', I'm stuck. So, why even try?"

Sasha nodded, adding, "And I can barely lift the tire to begin with. And those two are already at the phrase station, so I have no chance anyway."

Mew nodded in understanding, "I get that. I tried to tell Victini that the challenges would be pretty unfair for some of you, but… he's excited about us trending and wants to push the envelope to make things more interesting for viewers, so he didn't really seem to care about that part."

Jessica huffed, "Yeah, and with this one holding a statue, only me, Sasha, and whoever loses out of the two of them are eligible for elimination. I just have to hope it's Zahku…"

The camera went back to the two participants, who were still struggling to figure out the phrase. Eventually, after putting the F, L, and Y into the last three holes, and looking back at the remaining letters, Portia's eyes widened.

She quickly started rearranging the blocks so that the phrase 'When Pigs Fly' could be read clearly. "Is this it?" she whispered to herself.

A clinking sound was heard, causing a smile to form on her face as she reached underneath the station and grabbed the key that was in a slot. She bent down, putting the key into the lock and turning it.

She grabbed the hammer and ran toward the Poké Ball, smashing it with the hammer.

"YES!" she cheered, falling to her knees.

"Portia wins the sole vote and dinner!" Victini announced.

Zahku let out a sigh of annoyance, looking over to the larger Pokémon's station. Upon seeing the phrase, he could only shake his head.

 **000**

With the challenge over, all of the components of the challenge were removed. The final five contestants stood where the starting line originally was, waiting for the hosts to relay the information and next steps to them.

"Well, Portia won the challenge, so she'll get to make the only vote to eliminate one of you," Victini relayed. "We'll see who she chooses tonight. But, for now… Portia, which of your loved ones would you like to have dinner with?"

The Rhyperior thought about it for a bit. She was tempted to choose Chip, that way they could have an actual date, but she felt that it would be better if she actually chose a family member.

"I think I'll choose my mother…" she stated.

Mew nodded, "Nice pick."

"As for the rest of you, you guys can head back to the campground," Victini said.

The other four players started heading back to camp, leaving Portia and the hosts alone. Once they vacated the area, the hosts began making preparations for Portia's dinner with her mother.

A table with a ghost white tablecloth teleported into view. The table began filling with food. A honey roasted turkey, a dish of baked macaroni, a dish of dressing, a basket of yeast rolls, a bowl of salad, and a basket of fried chicken appeared on the table, causing the Rhyperior's eyes to widen as she approached it.

"Whoa… when you guys meant dinner… you _really_ meant a feast," Portia chuckled, looking at the array of food before her.

"Now for the main feature," Mew began. "Come on out, Rebecca!"

Hearing that, Portia's eyes went as wide as the dinner plates on the table. "Wait, she's already-"

She was interrupted by the rustling of bushes. A Rhydon wearing a silver necklace and sporting a thigh tattoo of a heart with an arrow piercing through it emerged from the foliage, a smile on her face. Immediately, upon seeing her, Portia rushed over to embrace her, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

She picked up the slightly shorter female, hugging her tightly as tears streamed down her face. Her mother smiled in their embrace. "I'm so proud of you…"

Portia sniffled, unable to say anything at the moment. Sure, a full month hadn't even passed, but just the familiarity and touch of her mother made her very emotional. The scene caused a smile to form on Mew's face, as he really enjoyed moments like this, whether it be on television, or in real-life.

Victini, on the other hand, held a neutral expression. He didn't really see this as a big deal, as it hadn't been _that_ long to warrant such an emotional response, in his opinion.

The New Species Pokémon eventually spoke up, getting the mother and daughter's attention. "Well Portia, you and your mother will half-an-hour to eat and talk. Victini and I will leave you guys alone and you can go ahead and have fun."

Portia wiped a few tears from her face, still hugging her mother from the side. "Thanks…" she said, placing her free hand on her hip.

Mew nodded as he and Victini teleported out of the vicinity, leaving the pair alone.

 **000**

Portia sniffled again before laughing as she and her mother went toward the table. "It's great having you here, mom," she said, wiping her eyes once again.

Rebecca giggled, "I have to say, I'm surprised that you've managed to make it this far. I thought the others would have eliminated you after they saw that you weren't like all the other Rock-types out there."

Portia chuckled as she grabbed her own plate and started putting macaroni on it. "I'm a bit surprised, too. But, I managed to form some good bonds and convince the others to take out the other competitors before me," she explained. "And now that I've won this challenge, I'm in the final four and can decide who goes home by myself."

Rebecca, who was grabbing salad, nodded. "Great. I assume that you'll be voting out the Zahku guy…. Right?"

Portia paused for a moment. If Zahku hadn't given up in the first challenge, she wouldn't have gotten any of the advantages that got her where she was. Not wanting to answer, Portia cleared her throat and decided to change the subject. "So, uh... has anything happened back at home?"

Rebecca gave her daughter a stern look, folding her arms at the table. "So you're not voting for him?" she asked in a stern tone.

Portia sighed, "Mom…"

"Don't give me that," Rebecca replied, cutting her off. "From what I've seen, that guy has single-handedly kicked ass throughout this entire game. You finally beat him at something and you're not gonna vote him out? That's crazy!"

"I… I made a deal with him, mom," Portia explained, taking a bite out of a roll. "He wasn't budging at all in our first challenge and I had to ask him to step down. In exchange, I said I wouldn't vote for him."

Rebecca was astounded by that, shaking her head as she picked up the dish of dressing and scooped some onto her plate. Seeing her expression, Portia knew that she had something to say.

"Mom, if you have something to say, just go ahead and say it…" Portia replied with a sigh before eating a forkful of macaroni.

"Honey, you know I love you, and I will always support you, but that was the dumbest move that you could possibly make," the Rhydon bluntly stated. "Why would you make a deal to keep in the guy who has been mostly dominating the game?!"

"Because if he won, he would have gotten all of the advantages, and _he_ would be the one sitting here and likely voting _me_ out," Portia explained. "Without the deal, I was toast!"

"Well… you know what you have to do, now…" Rebecca began. "Break. That. Deal."

Portia whisper shouted, "What?!"

"Honey, this is a _competition_ ," the Rhydon emphasized. "If he really wanted to win so badly, then he wouldn't have given up just because you gave him your word. People's words hardly ever mean anything in these types of shows unless you've truly bonded or you're a couple, and even then, that's still iffy. He's a huge threat to your game if you keep him in."

Portia looked down at her plate, thoughtfully, mulling over what she should really do.

 **000**

The other four players were all in the mess hall, each with their own dinner boxes. Despite it being the final stretch, they all remained separated, sitting at different tables.

Jessica let out a sigh, "Well, I guess that I'm the one going tonight."

Sasha shook her head, "You don't know that. It was _my_ idea to get rid of Belladonna. If anything, she'd be going after me."

The Bruxish understood Sasha's concern, but she shook her head. "That's true, but she and I have been butting heads for a while now, while you two actually formed some kind of bond in the hunting challenge. I doubt that she'll keep me in over you."

Art was hearing all of this and could only shake his head. " _Those dingbats seem to be forgetting that she could easily just go against her word and vote for Zahku anyway. But, then again, the chances of that happening are probably slim._ "

"So, Zahku…" Jessica began, looking back to Makuhita was poking at his steak with a knife. "You finally lost something. How do you feel?"

Zahku gave her a look. "Zahku is fine…" he replied.

"Yeah, I bet you are. You pretty much handed Portia the wins today by making the deal to save yourself, instead of just continuing," she responded, a bit irked by the situation.

"Only way Zahku has leverage," the Makuhita stated.

"What?" Jessica inquired, confused by what he meant.

Zahku didn't elaborate further, instead taking a bite out of his steak. Jessica turned back to Sasha with a bewildered expression, with her reciprocating it. Art could piece together what Zahku was likely speaking of, especially if the end game was what they thought it was.

Not wanting silence to fill the air, Sasha posed a question to Jessica. "So, if you managed to win, who would you have brought here?"

Jessica let out a sigh, "I dunno. My mother hasn't spoken to me since she caught me sleeping with my stepfather, my brothers want nothing to do with me, and overall, my family just doesn't care for my presence."

"O-Oh…" Sasha stammered, not expecting to hear that. "So, no one from your family would have come out?"

Jessica mused on the question for a moment. "Well, they'd probably still come out because they'd be on TV, but they wouldn't be here for _me_ at all. I didn't even tell anyone that I was coming here because I knew that they'd assume the worst."

A bit saddened, Sasha apologized for bringing it up. She didn't know that Jessica's family disliked her that much. "Sorry…"

"Nah, don't worry about it," Jessica replied, not wanting Sasha to feel bad for her. "It's my own fault anyway. But hey, what about you? Would Grant be here?"

Sasha scoffed, "Absolutely not. I'd choose my first cousin. She's like a sister to me and she loves these types of shows."

"You wouldn't ask your parents?" Jessica inquired. "I'd think that'd be almost everyone's first pick. Heck, if my parents cared enough, I would have chosen one of them if I won."

The Nidoqueen sweatdropped, "I mean, I would, but… my mom would probably just go on about how I wouldn't have even had come here if I left Grant, and my dad… He doesn't really show much joy or anything, so I think it'd just be awkward."

"Ah, I get that," Jessica explained.

"What about you, Art?" Sasha asked, turning to the Ferrothorn, who was still sitting at his table and listening to their conversation. "Who would you have brought?"

Art looked over at them, but didn't offer an answer initially. He just turned his attention back to his dinner box, which was still closed. Due to this, Jessica huffed, commenting, "He probably would've just asked for a mirror or something…"

Art gave her a look, walking toward their table with an irritated expression. "Just because I don't want to talk about my personal life doesn't mean I'm a fucking narcissist. I am irritable, I am a smartass, and I am snarky. That's all you know and that's how it's going to stay until I decide otherwise. So, you can perceive me as whatever you want, but know that you're dead wrong."

The Ferrothorn exited the mess hall, the girls' eyes following him out. They were surprised that Art responded the way he did, and it raised a few questions.

"I guess he's tired of being seen as just a jerk," Sasha assumed.

"Mother of Arceus, what is up with today!?" Jessica exclaimed. "A sumo wrestling champion offers Zahku training, Zahku _lost_ something, Art is suddenly receptive to things we say and apparently has more to him, and Portia is gonna be choosing someone to go home, all by herself!"

Sasha sighed, "Yeah, it's definitely been a long day. I just hope that one of us is here for another one."

Jessica nodded.

 **000**

Afternoon quickly shifted to night, the twilight fading in order to give way to the darkness.

The final five contestants took their seats on the leaf-riddled benches, the special elimination ceremony about to begin. For the first time, there was an actual bonfire, providing extra light and warmth to the participants.

Mew and Victini came into the scene, no chips on deck. Clasping his hands together, Victini chuckled to himself. "Well, it's time once again for someone to head home, only this time, one vote is all that's needed," he stated.

He turned to Portia, who had an expression of nervousness on her face. "Portia. Have you made your decision?"

The Rhyperior took a few moments to collect her thoughts and take a deep breath before replying, "Yeah… Yeah, I think so."

"Alright then," Victini replied. "Just remember that the only person that you cannot vote for is Art, as he has shown us that he has the statue. You have Jessica, who has tried to eliminate you on multiple occasions..."

The Bruxish glared at Victini, his input not helping her at all.

"Sasha, who orchestrated the elimination of your closest ally…"

Sasha looked down in nervousness. She was really hoping that Portia didn't still hold that against her.

"And Zahku, who you have already made a deal with not to vote for," he finished.

Zahku simply folded his arms with an indifferent expression.

"So, Portia, who are you eliminating from the game?" Mew asked.

Portia let out a sigh, "I'm eliminating…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

...Zahku."

Everyone's eyes went wide upon hearing that name. Zahku didn't really show much of a reaction, which caused Portia to become a bit wary that he had come upon the other statue.

"Guess Zahku time up after all," the Makuhita said, allowing Portia to sigh in relief.

Sasha and Jessica were flabbergasted by the results, but they certainly weren't complaining. However, Sasha inquired, "Wait, what about your deal with him?"

"My mom helped me out a bit with the decision," Portia explained, placing her hands on her hips. "Taking out the biggest threat _is_ the much better option. Sorry Zahku..."

Zahku simply nodded, not letting his disappointment show. Upon hearing his name uttered again, he turned toward the source, Victini.

"Well, Zahku, you're finally out of this game. I have to say, you were one of my favorites," Victini admitted. "But, at least you're getting something out of the game, regardless," the Victory Pokémon said. "No Lapras required. We'll simply teleport you to Yamakuro's domain, so that you can begin your training."

Zahku shrugged his shoulders with a nod before turning back to the others and waving goodbye.

"Seeya Zahku," Sasha replied, waving back as a farewell.

The Makuhita was teleported away from the ceremony, leaving the final four players.

Mew let out a sigh, "Well, congratulations final four. You're just two challenges away from your end goal."

Victini concurred, "Yep. Two more challenges and two more eliminations before we're at the finals and the winner will be determined. For now, head on back to camp and we'll see you all tomorrow."

The four of them left their benches and began heading back to the campground. Once they were gone, the hosts faced the main camera.

"And we're down to the final four," Victini began. "They've managed to slay the beast known as Zahku, so now they may actually have a higher chance in the challenges. Or maybe not. Who knows with these guys?"

Mew nodded, "And with statues no longer in play, it'll be interesting to see what happens with the girls now having the majority."

"Who's gonna be the next to go? Find out next time on our Island Challenge!" Victini finished.

 **000**

 _ **Votes:**_

 _ **Zahku - 1 vote (Portia)**_

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 _ **Merged - (Art, Jessica, Portia, Sasha)**_

 **000**

 _ **Elimination Order:**_

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)**_

 _ **19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)  
**_

 _ **18th - Marley Banner (The Pranking Prodigy)  
**_

 _ **17th - Lawrence "Lucky" Addams (The Unlucky Charm)**_

 _ **16th - Lynn Jamison (The Calm Leader)**_

 _ **15th - Christopher "Chip" Torwood (The Buff Brain)**_

 _ **14th - Christine Reynolds (The Composed Musician)**_

 _ **13th - Richard "R.J." James Mitchell (The Flustered Hothead)**_

 _ **12th - Honey Winchester (The Royal Pain)**_

 _ **11th - Timothy "Tim" Lester (The Affable Introvert)**_

 _ **10th - Tonya Newman (The Inquisitive Speedster)**_

 _ **9th - Kane Mitchell (The "Daddy Bear")**_

 _ **8th - Maximus "Max" Nichols (The Cool Companion)**_

 _ **7th - Dade Lawson (The Surprise Schemer)**_

 _ **6th - Belladonna Jennings (The Party Girl)**_

 _ **5th - Zahku (The Supernatural Strongman)**_


	18. When the Moon Hits Your Eye

**000**

Following the brief elimination ceremony, the final four contestants ventured their way back to camp. Portia's choice to eliminate Zahku instead of honoring their deal was still being talked about briefly, with Jessica and Sasha praising it as a bold move. Art, trailing behind once again, didn't have much to say about the matter, as Zahku's elimination was both a blessing and a curse for him.

With the Makuhita gone, the challenge results would be a lot less predictable, and almost everyone had an equal chance to win. However, without Zahku there, he was the last man standing in the competition.

Due to this, as well as his negative reception from the females, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that he was going to be the next one to go if he lost the next challenge.

He did _not_ want to go out that easily. He needed to make it to the finals. He had not come this far, and dealt with all of the obnoxious personalities that this game subjected him to, just to be voted out unanimously by a trio of girls who have personal issues. He needed to think of something.

As a soft breeze whistled through the air, causing the leaves and bushes around the island to dance in brief intervals, the foursome finally returned to camp.

Noone spoke a word, aside from Sasha, who simply stated, "Goodnight." She got no verbal reply, though Portia did wave back to her as they began to separate. Sasha and Jessica returned to the girls' side of the Red Team's cabin, and Portia and Art each returned to their respective genders' side of the Blue Team's cabin.

 **-000-**

Jessica let out a massive sigh of relief as she floated up to and flopped on her bed. Her stress over the possibility of being eliminated slowly dissipated. "Thank Arceus, we got lucky…"

Sasha tittered as she climbed into her bunk. "Yeah," she concurred, "If Portia's mom hadn't spoken to her, it would probably be either you or me."

The vibrant fish huffed, "Yeah, no kidding. I could hear the hesitance in her voice when she said Zahku's name. I'm just glad things went well for us."

The Nidoqueen nodded in agreement, replying, "Now we just have to beat Art and we'll be even closer to the end."

The mention of beating Art didn't really strike a chord with Jessica, who awkwardly cleared her throat. Sasha looked at her in slight puzzlement. "What?"

Jessica smacked her lips, "I mean… why should we vote out Art now? He still has a pretty low chance at winning the challenges. Plus, I'll admit, I'm a bit curious about his little statement about us being dead wrong about him."

Sasha buried her face in her pillow out of frustration. She lifted her head back up moments after, posing a question to the Bruxish. "Don't you think that voting for Art will be more beneficial because it'll be a fair match between three girls?"

Jessica gave her a look, finding her response nonsensical. "Sasha, Portia just got rid of the biggest threat in the game. It only makes sense for us to take _her_ out now since she's the next biggest threat. After she's gone, we can take out Art if we win, and then it's us at the finals."

"But what if we do that and Art ends up winning the last challenge?" Sasha inquired hypothetically. "You haven't been able to use any Psychic-type abilities in past challenges, and I'm not exactly the strongest person around. It makes more sense to me to keep Portia and vote out Art."

"Okay, and what happens if _she_ wins the last immunity?" Jessica countered, still finding Sasha's argument heavily flawed. "Look at the history. Portia has a much higher chance at winning a challenge than Art does, so keeping her in makes no sense if both of us want a chance to make it to the finale."

Gaining a sliver of suspicion from the Nidoqueen's continued reluctance to vote for Portia, the Bruxish couldn't help but wonder if Sasha had an ulterior motive. She didn't want to accuse her of anything, but it felt like there was a bigger reason besides just their bond.

Likening their conversation to talking to a brick wall, Sasha simply let out a sigh of defeat, rolling over to face the wall of their side of the cabin. She muttered to herself, "Well, our next challenge will determine what happens."

Jessica gave the Nidoqueen a look before turning over, draping the covers over herself.

 **000**

" **I have a feeling that Sasha has something going on with Portia," Jessica speculated. "There's no reason for us to keep her in when she's a threat, but Sasha is insistent on keeping her in. It's just all too suspicious for my liking."**

" **If Sasha ends up throwing me to the wolves, I swear…"**

 **000**

As Art sat alone on his bed, he began thinking of possible ways to make sure he made it to the final three and then the finale. So far, he had come up with three possibilities, though two of them were remotely the same.

The first idea was that he would work his butt off and try to win the next challenge, no matter what. He had already proved that he could compete with them if he wanted to, earlier that day, in the first challenge. However, given how some of the challenges work, his body shape could be a possible hindrance. So, the chances of him winning anything were pretty low depending on what their next challenges entailed.

His other ideas were relatively simple. If he wanted to save himself, he was going to have to shift the vote to somebody else, and what better players to choose from than Jessica or Portia? They obviously had their issues with each other, so getting one of them to vote for the other would be a cinch. The only problem was choosing which one to go for, as they each had their drawbacks.

If he kept Portia in, then she'd likely win the last immunity. And because she had built a better bond with Sasha in a single day than she had built with him in weeks, it was obvious who she would bring along. However, there was a chance that Sasha orchestrating Belladonna's elimination could weigh in and make it so the Rhyperior took him to the end, instead. It was a sliver of a chance, but a chance nonetheless.

On the other hand, if he decided to keep Jessica in, the chances are that she'd be unable to actually compete due to Psychic-type restrictions, so he'd easily be able to win. However, there was also a chance that the challenge would be an equal opportunity, regardless, so she'd have an advantage. Then, if she won, she'd win and take Sasha because they had practically been together since the beginning.

Suddenly, a fourth idea formed in his mind, very similar to the prior two. "What if I take out Sasha?" he asked himself.

 **000**

" **Sasha's the only one that's practically guaranteed a slot in the finale," Art stated. "She's Jessica's best friend, she bonded with Portia, and I hate her the least, so I'd end up taking her if I won the last immunity, too."**

" **If she's out of the equation, then I have a fifty-fifty chance of getting to the end," the Ferrothorn reasoned. "The only problem is… how do I convince them to vote for her?"**

 **000**

The morning sun peeked over the horizon, bathing the island with its natural glow. As light entered through the windows of the Blue Team's cabin, Portia shifted in her bed. The light shining in her face, she placed a pillow over her head before draping all of her sheets over her entire body.

The camera panned back to reveal that the Rhyperior had dismantled all of the bunks in the cabin, making each bed an individual one. She had taken all of the mattresses in order to create one big bed and had taken all of the sheets for maximum comfort. The wooden beams and planks sat in the back of the cabin.

Despite being enveloped in darkness once again, Portia couldn't get back to sleep. She sat up with a sigh, rubbing her eyes. "Well, just three more days before this is all over. Hopefully, I can last that long."

She got to her feet, stretching, before deciding to head out of the cabin. She still needed to talk to Sasha, so that was her main priority at the moment. She went to the mess hall to check if she and Jessica were already inside.

Peering inside, she saw that the building was empty. Immediately, she turned her attention to their cabin and let out a sigh, as they probably weren't awake yet.

With no one to talk to, Portia decided to head back to her cabin. She was tempted to go surfing, as she hadn't done so in a while, but she didn't want to miss talking to Sasha. She didn't want to wait until after the challenges, as she wanted to give the Nidoqueen enough time to think.

Not wanting to risk it, the Rhyperior traipsed back to her cabin and sat on one of the mattresses, staring out of the window at the Red Team's cabin.

 **000**

 **"I need to make sure that I get Sasha alone," Portia explained. "I may have eliminated Zahku, but that doesn't mean that I trust Jessica. Not by a long shot."**

 **000**

Eventually, after another hour, during which Portia dozed off, the door to the Red Team's cabin creaked open to reveal Sasha, who was followed closely by Jessica.

The duo entered the mess hall, with Sasha resting her head on her hand once she sat down. "I hope today's challenge isn't too bad," she groaned from exhaustion. She didn't really get to sleep until much later because she just kept thinking about the game and how it would impact her life, especially if she had won.

It both excited her and terrified her, so she couldn't sleep for a while. She got to sleep, eventually, but it wasn't as peaceful of a sleep as she'd hoped.

Jessica replied, "Well, given that we're at the final four and yesterday's challenges were mainly about physical strength, even though they said they wouldn't be, I think that they're gonna keep pushing us to make us really _earn_ our spots in the finals.

Sasha exhaled in disappointment, "Great..."

Just a few moments later, Portia peered inside of the building once again, rubbing her eyes. Seeing both Sasha and Jessica there, she mentally groaned in frustration. She wanted to just talk to Sasha alone, but she had a feeling that Jessica would take issue with it.

Nevertheless, she decided to take the risk, but also not make it sound as suspicious. The Rhyperior entered the building and walked to the pair's table, greeting them with a small smile. "Morning…"

"Hey Portia," Jessica greeted back, while Sasha simply waved to her.

Portia nodded, before cutting to the chase. "Um… Sasha, I think we need to talk a bit about yesterday morning…" she stated.

Immediately, Jessica grew wary. Why would she want to talk to Sasha about what happened yesterday morning all of a sudden?

She looked to she Sasha's response, but was surprised that Sasha's eyes widened a bit. The Nidoqueen was unsure of what to make of the request. It seemed a bit weird, but she could understand. "O-Oh… I mean-"

"I was going to try and talk to you about it yesterday, but the challenges, the rewards, and the decision pretty much took up the time I wanted to use," Portia explained. "I think we need to clear some things up."

Sasha looked down with a sigh, "Okay…"

The Nidoqueen rose from her seat as Portia began heading out, mentally sighing in relief. Sasha turned to Jessica, who had a look of distrust on her face, "I'll be back…"

Jessica didn't respond as she watched the two Drill Pokémon exit the mess hall. It was all too coincidental and sketchy to her. She was tempted to eavesdrop on them, but decided not to, as she wasn't 100 percent sure that Sasha knew what was going on. Either the porcupine-rhino was clueless, or she was acting her butt off. All she knew was that if she felt that Sasha was acting different when she came back, Portia got in her head, and she was going to have to try and keep her on her side.

A couple of minutes later, Art entered the mess hall. Having seen Sasha and Portia head into the girls' side of the Blue Team's cabin, he knew that talking to Jessica and trying to reason with her would probably be easier.

Upon seeing him, Jessica immediately teased, "Well, if it isn't Mr. 'You're Wrong About Me'. Are you actually gonna prove that you're not just a whiny jackass?"

Art gave her a look, now tempted to scrap his idea altogether and just get rid of the Bruxish in front of him. However, he knew that his current idea was the best course of action for him. Ignoring her comment, the Ferrothorn asked, "What would you say if I told you that eliminating Sasha is the best course of action for us?"

An irritated visage formed on her face. Was he seriously about to try and get her to turn on her only real ally? Sure, she had her suspicions, but Portia was a much bigger threat in every way. "I would say that you're full of it and that you'll need to rethink your options."

Art, expecting this kind of response, let out a sigh, "Of course you would."

"How the hell would eliminating Sasha be beneficial to anyone?" Jessica inquired, curious as to how that idea even formed in the Thorn Pod Pokémon's head.

"Because she's the only one, out of the four of us, guaranteed to be in the final two no matter what," Art stated bluntly. "Use your head, woman. She's _your_ best friend, here. Portia is talking to her right now and we know that they formed a bond. And I may think she's annoying, but I like her more than I like you or Portia. No matter who wins the last challenge, she's more than likely going to be the one taken to the end."

With that explanation, Jessica's eyes widened a bit. Art was right; no matter the outcome, Sasha was going to the finals. However, that honestly didn't matter to her as long as she was there, too. If that was going to be the case, then getting rid of Portia just made even more sense.

"Okay…" Jessica replied. "That doesn't really mean anything as long as you're the one with her."

"Look," Art urged. "I'm just saying that our chances of getting to the finals increase with her out of the picture."

"No, it doesn't," the Bruxish disputed. "Our chances remain the same with her in the game. Plus, even _if_ Sasha got eliminated, what makes you think that either me or Portia would take you to the end? We may be rivals, but I wouldn't choose you over her."

"Even if it gave you a free win?" Art inquired. "I mean, if it's a vote, then obviously you'd win by default, but if it's just another challenge or whatever dumb thing they decide to do, there's a higher chance that you'd win since you're a Psychic-type."

"I'd rather take my chances," Jessica responded with a serious glare.

With that, Art simply nodded and walked toward his usual table. He could see her point; even if Sasha got eliminated, neither of the girls would want to take him, even if it was an easy win. Honestly, as much as he didn't want to admit it, it hurt. Was he _really_ that bad to these people?

With his original plan shot down, he decided to shift gears and rid of one of the other girls. And because she just annoyed him even further, Jessica was now his main target.

 **000**

" **Bitch really thinks she knows what I'm all about," Art grumbled. "We'll see what happens in the challenges…"**

 **000**

Portia and Sasha sat on the mattresses on the floor, with Portia letting out a sigh. Before she said anything about strategy, she felt like she needed to apologize for what she had said.

"I'm sorry…" she said. "I know that I shouldn't have taken it personally, but I just felt like you were betraying me. I understand what you were doing, now. Sorry for saying that you have no game…"

Sasha fiddled with her claws, "It's okay. You were just telling the truth, as harsh as it was. I'm just glad that you aren't really mad at me."

Portia shook her head, "No, no, we're fine. I just wanted to make it clear before I talk to you about a possible strategy."

Sasha rose a brow, "I thought this was just about yesterday."

"That was just a part of it," Portia explained. "And I knew that Jessica would just get suspicious if I asked to talk to you alone without a real reason."

Sasha nodded in understanding, though she was a bit worried about the strategy that Portia was going to tell her about. "Well, before you tell me your idea, I just wanna say that I think that eliminating Art will be fair for all of us. Having the three girls in the final three competing would be much better than having Art there just because we think it'll be easy."

Portia rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, as Sasha's strategy had a bit of validity to it. However, what she wanted heavily differed. "Well… as reasonable as that sounds… I think that I want to eliminate Jessica."

Sasha let out a sigh, expecting the response. Just like Jessica, the Rhyperior was more concerned with eliminating her rival than taking out Art.

"I understand that Art is a nuisance, but keeping him in makes it easier for us to beat him," Portia explained. "Plus, Jessica has it coming. She's tried to eliminate me through scummy means and failed twice. It's about time that I strike back."

With that reasoning, Sasha couldn't help but feel for the Rhyperior. Jessica _had_ made some questionable choices that either strayed away from the original plan or caused issues. She switched her vote to Portia instead of voting for Dade, only for Belladonna to use her statue to keep her in the game. And a day earlier, she tried to get her eliminated via Zahku's statue, even though she and Max were against it.

"I get it, I really do," Sasha replied. "But, I just think that getting rid of Art would be the best thing for us."

"And I know that this is kinda hard to ask of you, but… I'd appreciate it if you voted for Jessica, too," Portia stated.

"Porsche…"

Knowing that she'd be hesitant, Portia exhaled. "I know that she's your main ally here, but I just think that it'll be more beneficial if we take her out. She may not be good in some challenges, but she's a schemer and she doesn't care. She tried to eliminate me, but got her own boyfriend eliminated instead, and she's barely even mentioned him since. What does that tell you?"

"Portia, I-I…"

"And has she been actually hearing you out, or is she the one calling the shots and you're just going along with it?" Portia continued.

"PORTIA!" Sasha exclaimed, holding her head. The sudden exclamation startled the Rhyperior, but she kept quiet as her friend responded to her points.

Sasha panted softly as she looked at the larger female. "Look…" she began. "I understand all of your points, but grilling me is just gonna make me more stressed!"

Portia looked down, feeling a bit dispirited, as the Nidoqueen rose to her feet.

"I'll… I'll think about it, okay?" Sasha hesitated as she headed to the door.

Portia nodded in understanding, getting to her feet as well. She was slightly disappointed, but she understood how Sasha could be conflicted and feel a bit stressed about it. At least it wasn't a 'no'.

 **000**

 **Sasha sighed, "I honestly don't know what I'm going to do. No one seems to think that getting rid of Art makes sense except for me, and now I apparently have to choose between Jessica and Portia!"**

" **It should be easy. Jessica was with me for the longest time, but Portia had some good points. And Portia… she's been working really hard, but she's a huge threat and Jessica wanting her gone makes sense, too," the Nidoqueen reasoned. "This is so annoying!"**

 **000**

Portia and Sasha returned to the mess hall, just as Mew and Victini teleported into the building, as per usual.

"Good morning final four!" Victini chirped. "Congrats on making it this far into the competition. Just two more challenge days and someone will be our first ever winner."

The contestants exchanged looks with each other, each of them determined to be the last one standing.

"Now, your breakfast today is gonna be a bit of a hint as to what today's challenges will be centered around," Victini explained. "So, enjoy, and we'll see you all at the glade in half an hour."

Mew placed the breakfast boxes down on the table, a look of indifference on his face. He hadn't even chimed in like he sometimes would.

Nothing his rather dismal expression, Sasha inquired, "Uh… are you okay, Mew?"

The New Species Pokémon faked a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Victini huffed, rolling his eyes, earning him a glare from the cat. "Anyways, half an hour. See you then," the Victory Pokémon replied, floating toward the door, Mew in tow.

 **-000-**

Portia grabbed her breakfast box before deciding to leave the mess hall once again. She had already done what she was planning and had nothing more to say to anyone. At least not yet, anyway. Art left a few moments later, as he didn't care for the food, anyway.

This left Jessica and Sasha alone, which was good for Jessica, as she could ask Sasha about what Portia wanted. The Bruxish used telekinesis to bring two of the three remaining boxes over to them, before posing the question to the Nidoqueen. "So, what did Portia say?" she casually asked as her box opened.

Sasha already knew that Jessica was going to be curious, but she really didn't want to talk about it. It would only cause Jessica to become worried and put even more pressure on her to choose a side, which she didn't even want to do.

"Nothing important," Sasha responded nonchalantly as she looked into her box and saw two pizza bagels. Recalling what Victini had said, she quickly inquired, "So, are today's challenges gonna be about pizza, then?"

Seeing how quickly she deflected the conversation, Jessica gave her a look. "Sasha. Just tell me the truth," she stated firmly. "I know that she said something about me."

The Nidoqueen sighed, "Jess-"

"Why the hell can't you just tell me what she said?!" Jessica exclaimed, startling her. "I'm the one you should be confiding and planning with!"

Sasha retorted, "Jessica! It doesn't matter! You both said the same thing! And I don't feel like talking about it more, okay?!"

She got to her feet, closing her breakfast box. Seeing this, Jessica asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going back to the cabin," Sasha answered, irritated, as she started walking out of the mess hall.

"You don't have to-"

The Nidoqueen cut her off, "If it means that I don't have to talk about the conversations, then yes, I do."

She exited the mess hall, leaving Jessica alone. With Sasha storming off and refusing to talk to her, Jessica believed that Portia had either offered Sasha something or told her something negative about her. She growled to herself.

 **000**

" **I hope that Portia doesn't win immunity again…" Jessica stated. "If she does, then I have a tough choice to make. I'd either listen to Sasha and vote for Art, but risk Portia choosing her if she wins, or… I listen to Art, vote out Sasha, and have a higher chance of making it to the end."**

 **She sighed. "It's gonna be rough. I want Portia out so bad, but whatever happens, happens at this point, I suppose."**

 **000**

The four contestants made their way to the glade after finishing their breakfast of revelation. The hosts awaited their arrival while floating next to a rather large, rectangular structure that was cloaked in a white sheet.

"So, how are we feeling about today's challenge theme?" Victini inquired.

"Uh… you gave us pizza bagels, so… I'm guessing that the challenges will all be pizza related," Portia replied.

"Your guess is correct," Victini replied, clasping his hands together. "We're gonna have some fun today."

The Victory Pokémon grabbed hold of the sheet before yanking it off, revealing a large, transparent tub filled with a red substance. There were numerous, familiar brownish ball-like objects seen floating in the tub, and an all too familiar smell wafting through the air.

Sasha began, "Is that-"

"Meatballs and marinara sauce," Victini divulged with a nod.

"Tasty," Jessica commented, eyeing the tub with a look of intrigue.

Victini nodded in agreement. "Yep, they're tasty. _But_ , you will not be eating them," he explained. As he said that, Mew took one of the meatballs out of the tub and bit into it with an indifferent expression.

Ignoring him, Victini proceeded to explain the goal of the challenge. "One at a time, you will dunk into the tub of marinara sauce and try to pull out as many meatballs as you can, using only your mouth, and spit them into this bucket," he explained as a medium-sized, blue bucket appeared next to the stool. "The player who has the most meatballs in the bucket will win an advantage in the second challenge."

Mew chimed in immediately after, "And yes, Art, we know that you can't participate because we don't even know where your mouth is. You're just gonna have to sit this one out."

Art rolled his eyes. He should have expected that some of the challenges would still be unfair for some of them, mainly himself and Jessica.

"Alright, let's see which one of you girls can pull this off," Victini said with a smile. "Sasha, you're first…"

 **-000-**

The tub stood at six feet tall and ten feet wide, so the Nidoqueen needed a stool to stand on in order to complete the challenge.

Sasha stared down at the marinara and meatballs before taking a deep breath.

"Alright Sasha, you know what to do," Victini stated as Mew pulled out a timer, which was set to one "In three… two… one… GO!"

Sasha hesitated before dunking her head into the sauce. She brought it back up mere seconds later, panting with sauce dripping from her face. She hadn't grabbed anything and looked around before dunking her head back down and moving her mouth around to feel for meatballs.

Eventually, she felt something solid against her tongue. She pulled it in, taking in a bit of the sauce in the process, before bringing her head back to the surface and spitting the meatball into the bucket beside the stool.

She dunked her head right back into the tub, feeling around the sauce with her tongue again. The felt another meatball and grabbed it with her mouth before bringing it out and spitting it into the bucket.

"Twenty seconds," Mew stated, looking at his timer.

Sasha decided to look at the surface and saw a few meatballs there. She grabbed one with her teeth and spit it into the bucket before immediately going back in and grabbing another one.

The others watched her intently. Floating next to Portia, Jessica whispered, "I'm not gonna let you brainwash her into doing what you want… You'd better watch your back."

Portia was surprised to hear this, scoffing in response, "Y'see, that is why I can't stand you. You think you can control just her and do whatever you want without her input."

"I listen to her input, but if it doesn't sound good, then I tell her," Jessica shot back. "That's not controlling her."

Portia stifled a laugh, "Uh… didn't you get your own boyfriend eliminated by trying to blindside me? Your plans aren't really that great."

Jessica glared at her. "You know wh-"

"TIME!" Victini announced, getting their attention.

Sasha stepped down off of the stool, panting as her face dripped marinara sauce onto her body. She licked her lips and started wiping her face.

"Alright Sasha, you got six meatballs," Victini stated. "We're not gonna dump your meatballs back into the tub, so you're free to eat them if you'd like."

"Oh, uh… no thanks," Sasha replied, shaking her head as she walked back over to the others. "Jessica, could you rinse me off?" she asked, shaking her hands to get sauce off of them.

The Bruxish obliged, blasting a stream of water at her. Once the Nidoqueen's face and body were sprayed clean, she replied, "Thanks."

Jessica nodded back.

"Alright, the score to beat is six," the rabbit-fox replied. "Portia, you're up next."

The Rhyperior nodded, walking toward the tub. Jessica huffed, "Yeah, go ahead and use your big mouth to immediately win."

Portia gave her a look, as Sasha let out a sigh. Art just chuckled to himself, finding the girls' arguments to be both entertaining and great for him.

 **000**

" **Well, looks like the thing about them liking each other more than me is going to change soon," Art commented.**

 **000**

Portia didn't really need the stool due to her being taller than the tub, so she just looked down at the tub and sighed.

With her in position and Mew holding the timer, Victini began, "Alright Portia. In three… two… one… GO!"

Portia dunked her head into the marinara sauce, taking in a mouthful and swallowing it. There weren't any rules against it; it was still just sauce. She eventually grabbed a hold of a meatball, spitting it into the now empty bucket.

The Rhyperior submerged her head into the sauce again, feeling a few meatballs around her mouth. She bit down slightly and raised her head up, bringing out three meatballs. She spit them into the bucket before going back in.

She started opening and closing her mouth in order to feel around more before bringing her head back out in order to breathe. She went back down a few moments later, using the same technique. She raised her head back up again, this time with meatballs in her mouth, two more of them. She spit them toward the bucket, but one ended up bouncing off of the rim.

"Thirty more seconds," Mew warned.

She dunked her head back down into the sauce, moving around to different spots. Upon moving to the right, near the sides, she felt more meatballs bunched together. She mouthed at them and managed to pull about five of them out at once. However, given that she had limited time, she just spit them at the bucket, with two of them missing.

From the sidelines, Jessica just shook her head in disapproval. "Y'see what I mean?" she queried, looking to Sasha. "She's doing great at this challenge! If we keep her in, then we risk dealing with her in the final three. If she loses, we _need_ to take her out."

Sasha sighed to herself, not responding to the Bruxish's comment. She didn't need her to reiterate anything, as it was getting more annoying. Noticing the look of irritation forming on the Nidoqueen's face, Jessica huffed to herself, staying quiet.

"And… time," Victini stated, looking at the timer in Mew's hand.

Portia stepped away from the tub, wiping her face and swatting her hands down to get sauce off of them. "Well, that was a weird experience…" she commented before licking one of her fingers.

"Alright, let's see how many you got," Victini replied, picking up the bucket. Portia already knew that she beat Sasha. She just needed to hope that it would be enough to beat Jessica. Finishing his count, Victini turned to the Rhyperior, "Your final count is thirteen."

"Okay, cool," Portia nodded as she started walking away. She looked up, opening her mouth as a blue orb formed. She fired it upwards before it burst, splashing water onto her and rinsing her off, while also sending water toward the forest.

While she did this, Victini looked toward Jessica. "You're the last one for this part, Jessica. Let's see if you can beat Portia's score."

Jessica floated toward the tub as Portia walked back over to the others. She didn't know if Jessica had said anything to Sasha or not, but remembering what the Nidoqueen had said in the cabin, she decided not to bring it up again.

 **-000-**

Jessica floated over to the tub, eyeing the few meatballs still floating on the surface. Victini floated the bucket with Portia's collected meatballs over to her, and she took it before reaching in and taking out one of the meatballs to eat.

A new bucket replaced it as Victini began his countdown. "Alright, remember, you have to beat thirteen. Do that, and you get an advantage in the next challenge."

Jessica nodded just before she heard, "In three… two… one… GO!"

She immediately dove right into the sauce itself, causing some to spill out of the tub. She resurfaced with a meatball in her mouth and spit it out into the bucket.

"Oh come on! That can't be fair!" Portia shouted from the sidelines, dropping her meatball bucket.

As Jessica resurfaced and spit out another meatball, Mew explained, "Well, technically, she's still using her mouth and we didn't say anything against going in."

Portia scoffed, folding her arms. "Great…"

Jessica continued going down and resurfacing with meatballs at a pretty rapid pace. As she did this, she counted in her head, wanting to immediately know when she passed Portia.

" _Five… Six… Seven…_ "

As she continued this, Mew gave her a warning, "Thirty seconds left."

With this warning, Jessica began moving even faster, swimming around in the tank, biting until she felt a meatball and spitting it out of the tub. However, in doing so, she was beginning to miss the bucket more often. She came up five more times to spit out more meatballs, but only two of them actually made it inside of the bucket.

" _That's twelve… thirteen… fourteen!"_ she exclaimed in her head before floating out of the tub with a smile, completely coated in the tasty red sauce. She had finally beat somebody in an individual challenge! And the score to beat being Portia's, it made her victory much sweeter.

"Ha! I got fourteen meatballs!" she teased, looking at Portia. "Looks like _I_ win the advantage this time!"

Portia glared at the Bruxish, while Sasha sighed at her behavior and Art held back his laughter.

 **000**

" **Alright, so the evolution of Jessica throughout this game has been: slutty bitch, annoying strategist, and now a pushy, cocky bitch," Art commented. "This has been hilarious to watch."**

 **000**

Jessica soon heard Victini drone, "Uhhhhh…"

She turned back to face him and noticed that he was sweatdropping. "What?" she asked, confused as to why he was reacting this way. "I got fourteen meatballs. I beat her score, so I get the advantage."

Victini cleared his throat before nudging Mew. The pink feline gave him a look before letting out a breath, "Well, while it's true that you got fourteen meatballs out of the tub, we also said that you had to get them into the bucket. And well…"

Mew pointed toward the bucket, with Jessica turning to look at it. She saw that there were about five or six meatballs outside of the bucket, meaning that her victory was nonexistent. "...Oh…"

"Yeah…" Victini spoke up again. "Sorry Jessica, but you didn't win. The winner of this challenge is Portia!" the Victory Pokémon declared.

Portia smirked, as Jessica glared at her in annoyance. The Bruxish really wanted to come out on top this time and get rid of the Rhyperior, but if she ended up making more mistakes like she just did, it definitely wasn't going to happen.

"Alright, onto the next challenge of the day!" the Fire and Psychic-type rabbit-fox announced. "Let's head back to the mess hall."

 **000**

The four contestants, as well as the hosts, made their way back to the mess hall. Each player sat at a different table, a stack of pizza boxes sitting on each one. The smell of pizza filled the building and assaulted the nostrils of those inside.

"Alright, your next challenge is another simple one," Mew said. "You all will be having a pizza eating contest. The player who eats the most pizza in ten minutes will win an advantage in the next challenge."

Upon hearing what the challenge was, everyone who wasn't Portia glared at the hosts in annoyance. Had they not remembered how the Rhyperior handled eating challenges? This was going to be a cinch for her!

Finding the situation unfair and frustrating, Jessica scoffed, "Okay, are you just rigging this for her to win?"

Victini and Mew exchanged looks, finding the inquiry to be a bit ridiculous. "No, we are not rigging this. We assure you."

"Okay… then why is this another eating challenge? She's the one with the biggest mouth, and, even though I couldn't care less, none of us know where Art's mouth is, so how is _he_ supposed to participate? Hmm?"

Portia groaned, rolling her eyes. "Jessica, seriously, your just turning into another Art."

Jessica scoffed, "Of course _you'd_ say that. _You're_ the only one that's gonna benefit from this _and_ you have an advantage, so don't act like I'm just being whiny. We're at the final four and the challenges are still unfair for some of us."

"Well, I'm sorry that my _anatomy_ gives me a better chance in challenges than you. How dare I be born a Rhyhorn and fully evolve?" Portia sardonically retorted, glaring at the Bruxish.

"I mean, she has a point," Art chimed in. "These challenges have been pretty damn horrible for me and her, since I don't have a _body_ body, and she can't use her psionic abilities in some of them. We pretty much get screwed over."

"Ah, she doesn't care as long as she's the one who wins, right?" Jessica commented, giving the Rhyperior a look.

Sasha just watched the scene unfold, resting her head against her hand. So far, today, Art was the only one who wasn't being annoying. Both Portia and Jessica were acting like children because they wanted to beat each other so badly, and she was caught in the middle of it all. It sucked!

"Okay, you know what?! Fine! I'll sit out this challenge!" Portia fumed, folding her arms in a huff.

The Gnash Teeth Pokémon snickered at her declaration,"Oh-ho really?"

"If it shuts you up, then go ahead," Portia stated, motioning for her to proceed. "Let's see if you even manage to win without me in the running…"

The hosts were surprised by what had just transpired, but given that it meant that the challenge was no longer problematic for Jessica, then they were indifferent. Wanting to be sure of her decision, Victini turned to Portia, "Uh… you sure you want to do that? You'll lose your advantage and you won't get it back unless you win another challenge."

Portia huffed, "I'll be fine."

"Aaalright then…" Victini replied. "Art, Jessica, Sasha… Mew already explained the rules. You have ten minutes to eat as much pizza as you can. Winner gets an advantage for the next challenge."

Jessica and Sasha eyed the stack of pizza boxes beside them, ready to go, while Art simply sat there with a deadpan expression. It wasn't like anything was going to change for him.

"In three… two… one… GO!" Victini exclaimed as a monitor with a countdown clock appeared behind them.

 **-000-**

Sasha grabbed her first pizza box and immediately opened it to reveal a large, deep dish supreme pizza. The Nidoqueen's eyes widened as she heard rapid chewing and slurping. She turned her attention to the table to her left and saw that Jessica was chowing down on the slices of pizza in the box. She was wasting no time, chowing down on every slice.

The Nidoqueen sweatdropped and looked down at the pizza before her. The dishes were very aromatic, but she was unsure if she was going to be able to eat all of the slices at the same speed as Jessica. Each pizza had eight slices, so it would definitely take her a bit more time.

Nevertheless, she picked up a slice and bit into it. The chewiness of the cheese and juiciness of the meat and vegetables made the pizza very savory. The Nidoqueen glanced back over to Jessica's table, and saw that the Bruxish was already done with her first box.

She looked back to the clock, and saw that only two minutes had gone by. Shaking her head, she just began eating the pizza casually, as she had her doubts that she was going to be able to catch up.

Seeing that Sasha wasn't really trying, Portia called out to her, "Sasha! What're you doing?!"

The Nidoqueen looked to her while chewing. After swallowing, she replied, "Jessica's a full box ahead of me... and this is a tasty deep dish pizza. I don't think I'm gonna be able to catch up with that…"

"Meanwhile, my situation doesn't change..." Art deadpanned, getting others' attention, as he was silent for the most part.

Portia scoffed, turning to the hosts, "So now Jessica's just gonna win by default."

"Well, I don't know what you expect us to do about it," Mew replied. "Each of you have unique characteristics that make challenges either easier for you or harder for you."

"Maybe you can think of challenges that would actually be fair for _all_ of us instead of just half of us…" Jessica chimed in, no longer eating. "Because if there's other challenges that are gonna be lopsided in terms of performance ability, then you guys may just need to rethink…"

The hosts exchanged glances, as the contestants' complaints were valid. They really needed to be fair with this, especially when they were so close to the end.

"Uh… okay," Victini began, clasping his hands together. "This challenge is over. Mew and I are gonna do some reshuffling and rethinking about the remaining challenges and we'll get back to you later. So, for now, consider this a break. And uh… feel free to keep eating the pizza if you want."

The two of them disappeared, leaving the competitors in the mess hall. Jessica and Portia exchanged glares, while Art simply decided to leave.

 **000**

Mew and Victini returned to the Hall of Origin, appearing in the foyer, with Victini holding his head in annoyance. He hated the fact that they had to come back just to rethink challenges. "Great, just great… Now we have to come up with better challenges that'll be completely fair. And I really liked the pizza theme. It's different!"

Mew deadpanned, "Uh… why wasn't fairness your main priority when _you_ conceptualized the theme and challenges?"

Victini rubbed his face downwards, "I wasn't thinking, alright!"

As the two of them floated toward the living room, they were very surprised to see a familiar gray and blue dragon raiding the refrigerator.

As the Boundary Pokémon prepared to shut the refrigerator, he heard his name being uttered. "U-Um… is that Kyurem!?"

He immediately slammed the door of the fridge, causing it to shake slightly. He despised being in the presence of his fellow legendaries, considering them all to be plagues in the Pokémon world. He did not care for anyone, nor himself, and in return, nobody cared for him. And yet, he still took residence at the hall.

"You finally decided to emerge from the basement for a snack?" Victini teased. "I thought you had your own kitchen set up down there."

The Boundary Pokémon stomped past them, muttering, "Pathetic, insufferable dullards…"

Watching him go, Victini turned to Mew, "You think I should ask him for some tips?"

Despite knowing that his co-host was joking, Mew deadpanned, "Hey, if you want the challenge to possibly kill them, then sure, feel free to question the sociopath."

"I just don't see why he doesn't just go back to the Giant Chasm if he hates everyone so much…" Victini responded as he and Mew entered the living room, where some of the same Legendaries were watching their show live, among them were the Lake Guardians, the Legendary Beasts, the Legendary Birds, the Legendary Golems, Darkrai, Celebi, Jirachi, and Latios.

Upon seeing them there, Celebi immediately shook her head, "You two idiots seriously didn't think about _fairness_ when it came to these challenges?"

Mew immediately pointed to Victini, as the Victory Pokémon didn't really fill him in on anything until right before they left to go to the island. "Blame him, he's the one who came up with all of the challenges this time," he said, earning a look from Victini.

Sitting on the floor, Regirock chimed in, "Nope, you're in it, too, Mew. The past few challenges _have_ been pretty unfair for some of them."

Mew let out a sigh, as Victini gained a smirk, folding his arms. They made most of their decisions together, so the blame had to be shared, even if one of them took over for a challenge.

"You guys are nearing the end of your show and starting to screw yourselves over. It's hilarious…" Zapdos chortled, perched on a sofa chair.

An unlikely source of input, Darkrai chimed in, "They're not really screwing themselves over." The Pitch Black Pokémon folded his arms, continuing, "Their show is still more popular than any of ours' combined, so their players whining about 'fairness' won't really change anything."

Uxie then chimed in, saying, "I don't even think that their 'fairness' complaint is really even entirely valid. I mean it's understandable, but like the Rhyperior said, their anatomies are different. Not everything is going to be possible for every Pokémon to do, and if they signed up for the show, they should have been prepared to adapt to the situation set before them."

Articuno wryly replied, "Uh huh… and why is it that Jessica needs to adapt when she can literally do anything she wants since she's a Psychic-type? She should have the same opportunities as the others and yet… they handicap her in the challenges where it can be useful… Why? Bec-"

"It's not because she's a female who's confident in her sexuality... We all know that you want her to win, but don't even go there," Registeel chided, cutting the Freeze Pokémon off.

Articuno huffed, grumbling to herself. She didn't care who won as long as it was one of the girls, so she really felt that Registeel was off-course. However, she kept her remaining thoughts to herself.

Seeing how the conversation was turning, Victini attempted to steer the conversation back on course. "Uh… anyways, do-"

"And to answer your question, Miss Girl Power," Darkrai spoke up again, "They have to handicap her because she's a Psychic-type, and we all know that Psychic-types are pretty damn powerful and wily. So, in order to prevent her from automatically just winning every challenge, they tell her not to use those abilities."

"-When they can just as easily tell her not to use her abilities to take shortcuts," Articuno argued. "It's ridiculous how dumb these decisions are and they're still gaining populatity…"

"Oh boo-hoo. Three females are still in the final three and the guy doesn't stand a chance anyway," Entei commented. "Get over yourself…"

Articuno glared at the Volcano Pokémon, but decided to let it go, since his opinions didn't really matter to her, and in the end, she'd still get her way, presumably.

Silence filled the room after that, as the Legendaries either exchanged looks or went back to watching the contestants on the television. Taking the chance, Victini cleared his throat. "Uh… so, any ideas for challenges that would be fun, fair, and… preferably fit in with the pizza theme?"

The Legendaries' eyes leveled in a glowering visage at the two hosts, as they found the request ludicrous. Given the blatant suggestion that Articuno gave to them regarding Jessica, and the fact that the complaints weren't completely valid due to the, now repeated, reality that a Pokémon's anatomy plays a big part on whether they'll be able to do certain things easier or not, they should be set to just go back and continue with the show. However, with these two, they decided to just play along.

 **000**

"Will you two stop bickering like immature children, please!?" Sasha bellowed, clenching her fists. "For fuck's sake!" She let out a sigh, rubbing the back of her head in uncertainty. "No… is that too aggressive?" she asked herself.

The Nidoqueen had left the mess hall and retreated to the empty boy's room of the Red Team's cabin. Portia and Jessica had started arguing again moments after the hosts left, and she did not want to hear any of it. She was presently just trying to figure out how to tell them to stop their childish bickering without sounding too harsh. This was a competition that they all wanted to win, but the arguments about who should go, and why, were becoming tiresome.

She sat down on one of the beds with a heavy sigh just before hearing a knock at the door. The Nidoqueen rose a brow, as she was sure that neither Portia nor Jessica watched her leave. Approaching the door, she opened it to reveal Art on the other side.

She didn't really know how the Ferrothorn knew that she was in the boys' side of the cabin, so she was a bit confused. "Uh… how did you know that I was in here?"

"I watched through my cabin's window," he deadpanned as he entered the cabin. Immediately, the smell of the other males that previously resided there assaulted him, causing him to gag a bit, "Ugh… it smells like musk and depression in here…"

Sasha gave him a look, closing the door. "Look, what do you want?" she asked, not wanting to deal with him at that moment.

Art groaned, "We need to talk. And I know that I'm probably the one that you'd want to talk to the least, but I think it'd be good for both of us."

Sasha twitched, "Okay, no. I've had Jessica and Portia pestering me last night and this morning about this junk. I just want-"

"LISTEN!" Art interrupted. In response, Sasha huffed and folded her arms. Now having her attention, the Thorn Pod Pokémon let out a sigh. "Now, I don't know if you're siding with Jessica or Portia, or if you're trying to come after me, but I think that you should know that, at the end of the day, _you_ are the biggest threat in this game."

Upon hearing that, Sasha scoffed in disbelief, shaking her head with an amused smile. "What the hell are you talking about?" she responded, sitting down on one of the lower bunks. "How the hell am I a threat? I haven't won any challenges. I'm not as smart as you or Jessica, nor am I as strong as Portia. So, I fail to see how I'm a threat in any way, shape, or form."

Art cleared his throat, "Allow me to explain it, then. You… are the only one here that's guaranteed to make it to the finale. You have connections with both Portia and Jessica _and_ I'd take you because you don't annoy me as much as they do. No matter what happens, you're at the end. That's why you're a threat…"

Sasha was completely stunned by this revelation. She honestly hadn't even thought about it like that. Now, while this was great news for her, what Art said next shattered her.

"Now, don't get too excited by that," Art explained. "I've already relayed this information to your partner Jessica as well…"

"You WHAT!?" she exclaimed, angrily standing up. She huffed, "Then what was the point in talking to me if you already told Jessica!?"

"Calm down," Art responded. "She didn't care. She practically said that it didn't matter as long as she was the one sitting next to you. So, I'm assuming that she thinks that she can easily beat you."

Sasha folded her arms, glaring at him, "Well, assuming makes an ass out of you and me, so I'm going to need you be sure about these things. Hell, how do I even know that you're telling me the truth right now?"

Art explained himself, his tone sullen, "Because, I tried to get Jessica to help me vote you out, she denied, and then told me that she'd rather take Portia to the end then me, so… I honestly doubt that I'll win anything. I have nothing to lie about."

The Nidoqueen's expression softened as she sheepishly began rubbing her arm. It was so bizarre. She was so adamant about getting rid of him, and she just learned that he wanted to get rid of her. Now, he knows that he has no chance in winning, and is, apparently, trying to help her.

"You can choose to believe me or not. You can still try and vote me out if you want, but I'm just gonna say that I don't think Jessica will be good to take further…" Art stated as he turned around and started heading back to the door. "You have the most power in the game, right now. Just… use it the way you think will benefit you the most."

The Ferrothorn exited the cabin, leaving the Nidoqueen alone once again. The Drill Pokémon sighed, holding her head.

 **000**

" **What the hell am I supposed to do?!" Sasha exclaimed. "Apparently, I have the most power since everyone likes me enough to take me to the end. But… how is that power?! Hell, at the end of today, I'm still gonna have to make a big decision depending on who gets immunity!"**

" **A part of me still wants to just get Art out of here and keep us girls together, and now another part of me wants me to get rid of actual competition since Art's pretty much given up…"**

 **Just then, a thought hit her, a look of suspicion forming on her face. "Unless he's lying to try and get me to betray one of them…" she said to herself.**

 **She groaned, "Why the fuck is this still so damn hard!?"**

 **000**

" **Well, at the end of the day, I know I ain't winning this crummy show since I'm apparently an awful Pokémon to these people," Art reasoned. "Hopefully when the time comes, Sasha will actually be smart and take out one of the two bickering biddies."**

 **000**

In the mess hall, Portia and Jessica had actually stopped their arguing. They still weren't too fond of each other, but they actually grew tired of their own arguing, as it was getting irritating and arduous. Neither of them were going to back down, and they actually gained a bit of mutual respect for each other because of that.

So, at the moment, they were conversing about what Art had told Jessica earlier. The Bruxish knew that the Ferrothorn's argument held a fair amount of truth in it, but it didn't really matter. However, she was curious as to what Portia thought, assuming that Art hadn't told her already.

"Wait, Art really told you all that?" Portia queried in bewilderment. "Why… How does that even…"

The Bruxish nodded her head, sarcastically replying, "Yep, apparently _Sasha_ is the biggest threat in this game because we all like her."

"Okay… that's true, she's a sweet girl, but I don't see how that would matter to anyone," Portia commented. "As long as it's you with her in the finals, why does it matter?"

"That's nearly identical to what I told him," Jessica concurred with a nod. "He honestly thought that if he got rid of Sasha, his chances of getting to the finale would increase because he'd be easy to beat."

Portia just shook her head, "He's really grasping at straws.

"Exactly… and I really haven't even seen a change in him since he's said that he's 'not as bad' as we perceive him to be," the Bruxish replied. "So, yeah…"

Portia hummed, "Say...do you think we should just do what Sasha's been suggesting? Just take out Art and duke it out in the final three?"

Jessica was hesitant about that proposition. There was hardly any doubt that the Rhyperior would likely dominate in the final challenges, and the chances of her taking Sasha to the finals over her were way too high for her liking.

Just then, an idea sparked in the Gnash Teeth Pokémon's head as the Rhyperior awaited a response, a look of concern growing on her face. "Okay, I can agree to that," Jessica replied. "On one condition…"

The rhino-saur rose a brow in curiosity, "What condition?"

The fish expounded, "If you win the challenges tomorrow … you take _me_ to the finals with you. No ifs, ands, or buts about it."

The Rhyperior's eyes went as wide as saucers. She honestly didn't know if she wanted to go through with that deal or not. Sure, she and Jessica had a somewhat newfound respect for each other's adamance and persistence to get rid of each other, but to her, Jessica was still a liar who tried to eliminate her in unsavory ways. She didn't want to go to the end with her.

However, a plan sparked in the Rhyperior's own head. It was subject to change, but she was hoping that everything would fall into place. She took a deep breath, "Okay, I'll… I'll think about it, alright? We'll see how these next challenges go, if they're fair enough for everyone this time, and I'll decide then."

Jessica took a moment, unsure if she could trust the Rhyperior. However, she nodded in understanding anyway, commenting, "Okay. Fair enough."

Suddenly, Victini's voice could be heard through the loudspeaker, startling the two girls. "CONTESTANTS! MEET US DOWN AT THE SIDE BEACH ON YOUR WAY THE VOLCANO! WE ARE BACK IN BUSINESS!"

Jessica huffed, rolling her eyes, "We'll see about that..."

 **000**

The contestants made their way to the designated beach, hoping that whatever challenge they came up with this time was designed for equal opportunity.

Upon reaching the sandy terrain, they saw that there were four enormous, open pizza boxes sitting side by side. Inside each box was a large, flat, doughy circle. Extending from underneath each of the boxes was a long, black, tarp-like strip that lead to pools that were a few yards away.

The most noticeable thing, though, was the fact that there was a Snorlax standing next to their hosts.

"So, you really decided to keep the pizza theme?" Jessica questioned tonelessly.

"It's a fun theme!" Victini argued back. He immediately cleared his throat, "Now, your next challenge is… to make a pizza!"

The contestants exchanged looks, unsure of what to make of the challenge. It sounded simple, but it couldn't be, given how large those pizza boxes were.

"To be more precise, this is a _race_ to make a large pizza," the Victory Pokemon elaborated. He nudged Mew, who was growing more annoyed the more he did that.

"Each of you will start in front of a pizza box. When you get the cue to start, you'll run out to those pools located further down the beach. The first pool is full of tomato sauce. You will have to dive in and coat yourself in sauce and run back in order to cover your pizza with sauce. You aren't allowed to carry any of it with your hands or mouth," he expounded.

Victini chimed in, "Once you feel that you have enough sauce, you will go back out there and get to the pool that holds the shredded cheese. You can carry the cheese with your hands only two times. After that, you'll have to use your body once again, so you'd better make those first trips count."

"Once that's done, you'll go to the last pool, which holds an array of toppings like pineapple chunks, pepperoni, and mushrooms," Mew explained. "You can carry those and make as many trips as you'd like, but remember, it's still a race."

"After you have everything you want on your pizza, close the box, and the heaters on the inside of the box will cook it," Victini explained. "The player who finishes their pizza first will get to choose the order in the final challenge."

"Okay… and what's with the Snorlax?" Art inquired, gesturing to the Sleeping Pokémon, who was standing silently.

"This is Leroy," Victini introduced. "He is going to judge you guys' pizzas once they're finished cooking. The pizza that he likes the most will get an _advantage_ in the final challenge. So, there's two rewards at stake this time. It's up to you to decide which reward you want to go for more."

The contestants all exchanged looks of surprise.

"And Jessica, you are allowed to use your psionic abilities, _however_ , you cannot teleport anything or anyone to make it easier for yourself. You have to use them in a regular fashion…" Mew added.

Jessica smiled at this; she could actually go up against Portia now.

"Alright, the four of you get settled and we'll let you know when to start," Victini explained.

 **-000-**

Each of the four players stood in front of one of the pizza boxes, awaiting the countdown. Soon enough, it began, with Victini raising his right arm, "Alright… in 3… 2… 1… Go!"

The contestants all began running toward the pools, making sure to stay in on the tarp strips to avoid getting sand in the ingredients. Art had a bit of a tough time thanks to the spikes on his disks, puncturing the tarp repeated and getting caught in it from time to time.

Jessica, being able to float, made it to the pool of sauce along her strip. Seeing how far ahead she was compared to the others, she chuckled to herself before letting out a sigh. "Well, time to get covered in more sauce, I guess…"

She dove into the pool of sauce and began to flopping around, trying to cover her entire body in the tomato paste. Once she felt that most of her body was coated, she floated up and started heading back.

At the same time, Portia finally made it to _her_ pool of sauce and got inside. Sasha came up a few moments later, entering her pool as well.

"Come on, come on…" the Rhyperior muttered to herself as she started scooping the sauce onto her body.

Next to her, in her own pool of sauce, Sasha was rolling around in her pool, trying to get enough sauce on her body. She didn't know how well this was going to work, nor how long it was going to take. Watching as Portia emerged from her pool of sauce, inspiration struck as she realized something.

 **000**

" **They said that we couldn't use our mouths or hands… they didn't say anything about other body parts…" the Nidoqueen chirped.**

 **000**

Sasha's body was still covered in sauce, but as she stood up, some of it sliding off of her. She didn't mind, though, as she began scooping up more sauce and putting it on her tail. She then put more on her head before stepping out of the pool and carefully making her way back.

Art, currently in last place, yanked his disks out of the tarp once again and groaned as he finally made to his own pool of sauce. He started scooping sauce with his disks and dumping it on his head.

Jessica was flopping around in the dough, trying her best to slather the pizza with the sauce on her body. She floated off of the dough and saw that she only covered a small portion of the pizza. Her smaller size made it so she moved faster, but collect less sauce.

"Damn it!" she cursed to herself before starting to float back toward her pool.

Portia arrived back at her pizza base and immediately stepped onto it. She started rubbing the sauce off of her body, her larger scale allowing for more of the sauce to come off. As she did this, she made sure to look around and see what the others were doing, in case they had a better strategy.

So far, Art wasn't getting much done, and Jessica only had a small amount of sauce on her dough due to her small size. However, she saw that Sasha was taking her time making it back, and noticed that she had a bit more sauce than she should be able to have. She was carrying some of the sauce on her head and with her tail, which immediately got her attention.

Once she finished shaking the last bit of sauce off of her legs, she immediately ran back toward the pool. Jessica returned to her box, once again covered in sauce, and began to flop around and spread it around a bit more.

As she flopped around, though, she ended up getting sauce on herself again. Groaning, she floated up to get an overhead view of how her pizza looked. The sauce wasn't as evenly spread as she'd like, and there still wasn't enough of it.

She groaned to herself and immediately went back to her pool, just as Sasha made it back to her box. The Nidoqueen slid the sauce off of her head and onto the pizza before turning around and shaking her tail to get the rest of it off. After that, she stepped into the box and started rubbing the rest of the sauce off of her body and onto the doughy base.

Art started heading back to his box, still getting caught by the tarp every so often. He groaned in annoyance, grumbling the whole time. Some of his sauce was dripping down his face and some of it was just falling off of his body altogether and getting on the tarp.

The Ferrothorn didn't care about the sauce, as he wasn't aiming for the advantage. He had his doubts that it'd really help him anyway; he was going for the 'lesser' reward.

Once he finally reached his box, he got onto the pizza, puncturing it a bit with his spikes, and just let the remaining sauce on his head slide off onto it. He started spreading the sauce out a bit with smooth sides of his disks, making sure it was at least evenly distributed, despite the low amount. He then started heading back to his pools, as Jessica went back to _her_ sauce pool for the fourth time, having just returned with a third coat of sauce on her.

Portia was carefully heading back to her box now sporting a large clump of sauce on her head, as well as some sauce on the rocks around her waist. Sasha noticed that Portia was copying her strategy and grew a bit worried. She was going to have to speed it up in order to catch up with her.

Jessica flopped around on her dough once again, and, upon seeing what her fellow competitors were doing, decided that she needed to just move on, despite her pizza's sauce ratio being a bit low.

She quickly floated back to her lane's pools, moving past the sauce and going for the cheese. Using telekinesis, she lifted about half of the shredded mozzarella cheese out of the pool, which was immediately called out by Victini.

"Nope! Jessica, we said you can only use your abilities _normally_ , so only take what would be equivalent to two armfuls for you," the Victory Pokémon explained.

"How am I supposed to-" the Bruxish began before looking down at the cheese. She spread her fins a bit, to get a gauge of what an armful would be for her, before using telekinesis on a decent amount of the cheese.

As she started heading back, she noticed that Art was making his way back with a pile of cheese on his head. This time, the Ferrothorn ignored the tarp, allowing his disks to enter the sand and make it easier for him to walk.

The Bruxish picked up her pace upon seeing this. She wanted to win the advantage for sure, so she wanted to make the best pizza she could, but she also didn't want to lose to Art and have _him_ decide the order in the last challenge. She groaned to herself as she dumped the cheese onto her pizza. At the end of the day, the advantage would benefit her a lot more than choosing the order would, so she just decided to ignore his progress.

She started making her way back to her cheese pool as Art dumped the cheese from his head onto his pizza haphazardly. He honestly just wanted to be done at that point.

After dumping the sauce from her second trip onto the pizza, Portia spread it out and saw that it worked out very well. She nodded to herself and started running to her next pool. She walked through the pool of sauce to reach the cheese pool and grabbed a big armful of the shredded dairy, much to Jessica's chagrin.

The Bruxish exclaimed, "Oh come on! How come she can do that, but I can't use my telekinesis to do it?"

"She's got bigger arms and you have smaller fins, we want you to use your abilities realistically for yourself," Victini explained.

As she carried her next bundle of cheese, she scoffed, "Well _realistically_ , I'd be carrying much larger amounts to get the job done quicker and win this thing."

"Don't start that," Art commented, not wanting to hear Jessica's complaints again. They actually made the game fair for them, but now it sounded like she just wanted them to make it so she won easily. "They're actually letting _you_ use your powers and _I_ can actually do something. They're not gonna let you win automatically, which is why they said use your abilities _normally_. Deal with it."

"What's the matter, Jess?" Portia teased as she spread her shredded cheese across her pizza. "Afraid that I'll beat you even _when_ you can use your psychic abilities?"

Jessica scoffed, "As if!"

Sasha remained focused on the challenge at hand. She was on her final trip with the sauce, as she felt that this last bit would be good enough to spread evenly. She shook her tail and rubbed the sauce off of her head once again before beginning to evenly spread the red sauce with her hands.

Once it was to her liking, she got up and started heading back for the cheese. On her way, she heard Art proclaim, "Alright, I'm done!"

"What?!" the Nidoqueen exclaimed in shock, stopping in place.

After putting a few extra toppings on his pie, the Ferrothorn had closed his box with an indifferent expression to let it start cooking.

"Art wins the race!" Mew announced. "So, he gets to pick the order in the next challenge."

The girls all glared at him in annoyance, with Jessica letting out a huff. "At least he won't win the advantage with that sorry excuse of a pizza he has cooking," she commented.

"Hey, you never know," Portia replied with a shrug as she ran back toward the pools in her lane. "Leroy _could_ like his pizza the best. At this point, we just gotta make sure that our own pizzas are as good as they can be."

Jessica grumbled as she continued floating toward her pizza and dumped the cheese onto it. She decided that she'd finish getting the ingredients first and then touch up the pizza later. Art had already won the first reward, so like Portia said, she had nothing to really worry about besides making her pizza good enough for Leroy.

Just then, as Sasha ran back to her pizza with armfuls of cheese, an important question came to her mind. However, with Portia and Jessica still working on their own pizzas, she was going to have to wait a bit longer.

 **000**

" **Since we're making pizzas for that Leroy guy, shouldn't we trying to cater to his tastes? I mean, he may be a Snorlax, but they could still have certain things they're picky about, right?" Sasha queried, folding her arms.**

 **000**

Portia picked out pepperoni, sausage, ham, and bacon bits, planning to make a meat lovers pizza. She made sure to gather as much as she could, even stuffing some into the holes in her palms.

On the side of her, she saw Jessica using telekinesis to pick up a decent amount of nearly all of the ingredients, excluding the pineapple chunks and mushrooms. Portia continued to take as much meat from her pool as she could, not wanting to waste that much time there, despite the race being over.

She walked back to her pizza with a smile before noticing that Sasha hadn't dipped into her pool of toppings yet; all she had was a regular cheese pizza so far. "Uh… Sasha, aren't you gonna add more to your pizza?" she asked curiously.

Sasha nodded, "I will, I'm just… waiting."

The rhino-saur immediately grew a bit suspicious,as she didn't know what her friend would need to wait for. She followed up her first question with another one, "Waiting for what?"

"Just… waiting a bit," the Nidoqueen vaguely answered, sweatdropping a bit.

Portia gave her a look before walking toward her box and dropping all of the meat she collected onto the pizza. She turned to Sasha, "Well, I guess you won't mind if I wait, too…"

Sasha let out a sigh, as she didn't want Portia or Jessica to respond to what she was about to ask. So, she decided to go ahead and walk down her tarped lane in order to get her toppings.

Seeing this, Portia hummed, her arms folded as she watched the Nidoqueen. She decided to go ahead and begin fixing up the pizza so that it looked better and offered more flavor with the spread meat.

Jessica had gotten all of the toppings she wanted, and with some telekinetic help, she ordered her pizza the way she wanted, with the cheese and toppings being as equal as they could be. She had black olives, pepperoni, sausage, bacon, green peppers, ham, onions, and spinach as her toppings. With all of those topping, she felt that she was guaranteed to win.

She closed her box with a smile, allowing her pizza to begin cooking. She looked over and saw that Portia was still working on her pizza, bringing a smile to her face. "Well, looks like I beat you this time…"

Seeing that the Bruxish's box was closed, Portia scoffed with a smirk, "That doesn't mean anything. Leroy's the one who's got the final say on the matter."

"Hey! Leroy!" Sasha called, standing at her pool of toppings, "What kind of pizza do you like the best?"

The question caused both Portia's and Jessica's eyes to widen as they looked back at the hosts and Leroy.

"Hey, she can't ask that, that's not fair!" Jessica bellowed. She had already closed her box! If they let the Snorlax respond, it'd be extremely unfair for her and Art since they already finished.

"Actually, we never said that you guys couldn't interact with Leroy," Mew explained.

"But you never said that it was an option, either!" Portia added, folding her arms. "So I call bullshit, too."

Victini interjected, "If we don't set certain parameters or call you out for doing certain things, you can do it. And it's still Leroy's decision if he wants to t-"

"I like Hawaiian Pizza," the Sleeping Pokémon stated abruptly. "But that doesn't mean that it'll automatically win."

Immediately, Sasha started taking out pineapple chunks and pieces of ham, as well as a few pepperoni. Portia looked at her pizza; she already had ham, among the other meat. She sighed, starting to run back to her pool.

Jessica growled to herself as she watched the two Drill Pokémon head back to their pizzas with their new ingredients.

 **-000-**

Once everyone was finished constructing their pizzas, their boxes closed to allow them to cook, and after fifteen minutes or so, they were ready to be judged. The boxes opened, causing a tasty smell to waft around the area.

All of the pizzas were thin crust, so they were easily able to be sliced for Leroy to taste. The Snorlax was say at a picnic table, which was brought there courtesy of Victini.

"Alright Leroy, you ready?" Victini queried. "You're gonna judge each pizza out of 5."

"Sure," the Snorlax replied with a shrug. "Bring on the pizza."

"Alright," the Victory Pokémon began. "Art's is first…"

Mew teleported a large pizza spade into his arms, picking up one of the slices from Art's janky-looking pizza. There wasn't that much sauce or cheese on the pizza, and the only toppings on it were mushrooms, a few pepperoni slices, and a few olives.

The slice that was placed in front of Leroy was mostly bread, with only a bit of sauce and cheese on it, with a single mushroom and piece of pepperoni on it. The slice was pretty large, but the Snorlax managed to take a large bite out of it.

Leroy hummed to himself, "Meh. Hardly any flavor or anything. 1 out of 5."

Art shrugged, already knowing that his pizza wasn't going to be liked. He won the order pick, so he didn't really care that much about the taste testing.

"Alright, Jessica's pizza is up next," Victini said as Mew brought over the next slice of pizza. This slice had a pretty decent array of toppings, as well a somewhat decent amount of sauce and cheese.

Taking a bite of it, Leroy didn't have much to say. He took another big bite of it before nodding his head. "Okay…" he said before swallowing. "That was better than the last one, but there's not that much sauce on it. The amount of toppings is pretty decent as well, but yeah, the low sauce quantity is a bit meh. 3 out of 5."

Jessica sighed to herself. She grew a bit more irritated knowing that Portia and Sasha's pizzas had toppings that the Snorlax liked. Sure, she had ham on her own pizza, too, but apparently the sauce amount wasn't good enough.

Portia's pizza was next. It had a higher sauce amount than both Art's and Jessica's, and a lot more cheese as well. The toppings were organized decently, with the slice taken from it having at least one of each meat, as well as a couple of pineapple chunks, on top of it.

Leroy took a big bite out of the slice and nodded almost immediately. "Not bad, not bad at all. Good amount of sauce and cheese, plenty of meat, and the pineapples are a nice touch. He took a few more bites out of it. "4.5 out of 5. Kinda feel like there's a bit _too much_ cheese, but otherwise, it's good."

Portia smiled to herself, folding her arms. Jessica glared at her with a huff, though her actual glare went to Sasha. Not only was _she_ the one who asked about Leroy's favorite, but she waited until _after_ she had already finished to ask. It was like she wastrying to help Portia. But, then again, Portia was against it as well, so she wasn't completely sure. It just didn't sit right with her.

"And finally… Sasha's," Victini finished, with Mew bringing the final, large slice over to the Snorlax. Sasha's pizza was a pretty standard Hawaiian Pizza, with the only toppings being pineapples and ham. The sauce quantity was nearly identical to Portia's, though the cheese amount was lower. The slice had a standard amount of both pineapples and ham on it.

Leroy chomped the final slice, once again nodding out of enjoyment. "Yep… that's a good pizza. But, it's kinda bunk that you asked me for my favorite instead of just going for it like the others did. So… 4 out of 5…"

Sasha looked down in disappointment, her attempt at winning him over having failed.

Victini proclaimed, "And with that, it looks like Portia wins the advantage!"

"What a surprise," Jessica deadpanned. If it wasn't Sasha, it was going to be Portia. The Rhyperior rolled her eyes in response to the fish's comment.

"Alright, thanks for helping us out here, Leroy," Victini thanked, patting the large bear's shoulder. "You can take the pizzas with you, if you want. We don't need them anymore."

"Nah, the wife's cooking, so I'm good for now," he replied.

Nodding in understanding, the hosts teleported the Snorlax away from the beach. Once he was gone, the hosts turned back to their contestants. "Alright," Victini began. "Head on back to the main beach and we can start the final challenge of the day."

 **000**

" **Alright, I won the advantage. Now, if I win immunity, I'm going to need to talk to Sasha immediately," Portia stated.**

 **000**

On the main beach, the camera panned across an enormous course constructed mostly of wood. There was a tunnel of strings at the front of the course, followed by a ramp that led to a rope hanging over a mud pit. Then, there were circular steps situated on tightropes, followed by a ladder leading to a higher platform, and a pole. Sitting at the end of the course was a table with a white cloth draped over it.

The four contestants stood at the front of the course, taken aback by the sheer size of it. There was a table sitting next to them with twelve pizza boxes resting on top of them. The hosts floated into the scene, with Victini chuckling and Mew still holding an expression of indifference

"Alright, it's time for you guys' final challenge! Pizza Delivery!" Victini introduced.

Mew, already knowing that Victini would make him explain the challenge, spoke up. "Each of you will have to go through this course while carrying three of these pizza boxes, and place them on the table on the other side. You can make as many trips as you'd like in order to transfer them from table to table, but if you drop even one of them, you have to stop and start back over," he expounded.

"The person who is able to transfer three pizza boxes across the course the fastest will win immunity," Victini added. "And, as per the terms of the previous challenge, Art, you get to choose the order."

The Ferrothorn chuckled to himself. It was in his best interest to have Portia go first, as she had an advantage, and it'd give the rest of them a time to beat. With that in mind, he gave his order, "Portia is gonna go first. Then Jessica, Sasha, and then me."

"Alright," Victini responded, nodding along. He turned to the Rhyperior, "Portia, you're up first. _But_ , since you won the taste test, your advantage is… you only have to carry _two_ boxes through the course."

Portia nodded along with a smile. "Nice!"

Jessica groaned in annoyance, though she was happy that Portia was going first. Knowing her time would be greatly beneficial.

"Okay, and just to be clear, we can carry multiple boxes at once if we want, right?" Portia queried as she grabbed two of the pizza boxes.

"Yes, but like Mew said, if you drop one, you have to start over entirely," Victini answered. "Up to you."

Portia was confident that she could carry both of her boxes with ease, so she approached the mat that was placed in front of the course.

"Alright Portia," Victini said, as a monitor was teleported next to the table. "Get ready…"

The Rhyperior glared at the tunnel of strings, ready to charge through it with her two pizza boxes.

"Alright, in three… two… one… GO!" Victini called, a timer appearing on the monitor.

 **-000-**

Portia immediately ran forward, entering the tunnel of strings. She had to force herself through, as the foundation of the course was much tougher than she expected. Her force and weight didn't cause the wood to budge even a little bit, and the strings were very taut.

She had to maneuver her large body through the strings, while making sure to keep a good hold on the pizza boxes she had. This was difficult, as, because of her larger body, it would take her longer to make it through. It was already proving to be challenging, as the threads were a bit rough and uncomfortable to move through.

Portia raised her arms up, still holding the pizza boxes, as she lifted up her left leg in an attempt to step over a multitude of strings that were close together, lower to the ground. She planted her foot on the opposite side and moved her arms down a bit lower, extending them toward the other side of the tunnel. The rough strings caused a few harmless, white marks to appear on her rocky body, as she made contact with them.

About three minutes passed as the Rhyperior eventually made it to the end of the tunnel. She extended her left foot once again, this time extending it out of the tunnel. She forced herself out of the tunnel, nearly dropping the boxes in the process.

Once she was finally free from the tunnel, she grumbled to herself due to how long it took. She ran up the ramp and eyed the rope cautiously. She would need to use her hands, so the pizza boxes were going to have to be held in another manner. She initially thought about putting them under her arms, but felt that it was too risky. She didn't want to drop them and have to go through the string tunnel again.

She looked at the boxes and sighed to herself. " _Well, they said that I have a big mouth, so…_ " The Rhyperior put the pizza boxes into her mouth, making sure her grip on them was secure with her teeth puncturing the cardboard.

The rhino-saur took a few steps back before running forward and reaching for the rope. She grabbed onto it, but due to her weight, she wasn't able to make it across in one fell swoop. So, she started swinging back and forth in order to get better momentum. Eventually, the woman was able to get enough impetus to launch herself to the other side.

She took the boxes out of her mouth and sighed as she approached the tightrope steps. "Mother of Arceus, this is going to be annoying," she commented.

Knowing that she was likely going to drop her boxes if she carried them in her arms while crossing, the cardboard went back into her jaws as she moved forward. She planted one of her feet on the first step, which immediately started to wobble, as expected.

Not sure if she wanted to lead with her left foot, she moved her leg back and scanned the tightrope steps. There were five tightropes, each with a different amount of steps either directly on them, or between them.

She carefully stepped onto a different pad and moved her other leg onto a pad diagonal from it. The Rhyperior's legs trembled as the tightropes quaked from her movements. She let out a breath, the boxes still in her mouth, as the tightropes slowly settled.

The timer was still going, approaching eight minutes. From the sidelines, Jessica was watching the clock and attempting to do the math in her head, while both Art and Sasha just watched Portia's progress. The Nidoqueen was a bit worried about her turn, as she wasn't sure if she would be able to beat Portia's time, _or_ Jessica's time for that matter, and she hadn't even gone, yet!

Art, on the other hand, didn't really have much of a reaction. He knew that he probably wouldn't beat anyone, so he was just there for the show. His order choice gave Jessica and Sasha a bit of a chance, too. If one of them managed to beat her, then good on them. If not, then, oh well.

Portia continued to wobble on the steps. She usually had no problem with balance due to her surfing experience, but this felt a bit different. She took another step, slowly, but surely, reaching the opposite side. With a grand leap, the woman reached the other side, taking the boxes out of her mouth with a sigh.

She rolled her eyes in annoyance before putting the boxes in her mouth for the third time. She began climbing up the ladder, her head turned to the side so that the boxes didn't hit the ladder rungs. She reached the top, standing on the platform, which had a hole cut out of it with a pole in the middle. The Rhyperior grabbed onto the pole and slid down. She moved away from the pole and toward the table, taking the boxes out of her mouth and placing them down.

"10 MINUTES, 18 SECONDS!" Victini announced.

Portia took a deep breath, rubbing her lower jaw. "Could've been better…" she muttered to herself.

 **-000-**

Portia returned to the group, her arms folded. She was a bit annoyed that she passed ten minutes, but what happened, happened.

"Alright. Jessica, you're up next," Mew stated. "Your time to beat is 10 minutes, 18 seconds…"

"Wait, wait, wait…" Portia interrupted, raising a hand in protest. "She can _float_ , otherwise she can't really move. How is that fair?"

"How does it feel to be at a disadvantage for a change?" Jessica teased.

"Hold your Horsea, Jessica," Victini retorted. "You still have to transfer three boxes. _Plus_ , since you're move via levitation, you still have to go through each section of the course. No floating over everything…"

Jessica nodded, understanding the rule, and not thinking that it'd hurt her that much.

"...and you need to hold the boxes in your mouth. No telekinesis," the Victory Pokémon finished.

Jessica immediately frowned. "Of course I can't…"

"Again, at least you can do stuff this time," Art commented.

The Bruxish gave the Ferrothorn a look, silencing him, though he did roll his eyes. Jessica grabbed one of the boxes with her teeth and went to the starting mat.

The timer was reset, with Portia's time being displayed at the top.

"Alright," Victini began. "In 3… 2… 1… GO!"

 **-000-**

The Bruxish immediately floated into the tunnel of strings, trying to carefully maneuver the box through the numerous strings. Because she was fish, she was able to slip through the strings with relative ease. However, the box was giving her trouble. She put the pizza box through a set of strings and shook her head in an attempt to get it, and herself, through.

She made it through that particular section and began doing it again for other tight portions of the tunnel. It didn't take her as long as it took Portia, but it still took a while, an entire minute. She managed to make it out with a sigh and started floating up the ramp, stopping upon reaching the rope swing.

The Bruxish sweatdropped, as she had no idea how she was supposed to proceed without dropping the box. It was then that she looked in the mud pit and noticed that, on the wall on the opposite side, there were rectangular holes that would allow someone to climb back out.

Taking this as a sign, the fish floated down into the mud put, making sure that the box remained out of it. She made it across the pit, with Portia scoffing upon seeing it. "Can she do that!?"

"Hey, we said that you couldn't drop the box. That's the main condition," Mew explained.

Portia groaned, folding her arms.

Jessica got out of the mud, still gripping the box with her teeth. She shook the mud off of herself and approached the tightrope steps. Because she couldn't just float over the whole thing, she started 'jumping' from step to step. She made it to the other side and let out a breath, still holding the box. She floated upwards, unable to use the ladder, and made it onto the higher platform. She floated toward the hole and went down before placing the first box on the table.

Jessica immediately floated back toward the beginning, knowing that she was going to have to go through all of that again. She saw that her time was nearing six minutes, causing her eyes to widen. There was no way that she was going to be able to make it after two more trips. The Bruxish decided to lessen the trips, putting two boxes in her mouth this time around. It would be a tad bit trickier and her jaws would be a bit cramped, but the time would be close.

With both boxes in her mouth, she immediately went back into the tunnel of string to begin the course again. Off the bat, the extra box proved to be a bit of an issue, as she would have to force herself though most of the strings, as opposed to just maneuvering for most of them. The fish continued to shove herself through the taut threads until she was finally able to make it out, having wasted two minutes inside.

Once she passed through the tunnel once again, she grumbled to herself before immediately moving onto the next obstacle. She dove into the mud once again, making sure to keep the boxes out of the wet earth.

She swam across the pit once again and before emerging from the mud and continuing with the course. She began 'jumping' from step to step once again, eventually making it across. She floated toward the ladder and went up and onto the higher level. She approached the hole with the pole inside and floated through it, going all the way to the bottom before placing her last two boxes on the table next to the other one.

"9 MINUTES, 46 SECONDS!" Victini announced.

Jessica's eyes widened as a smile formed on her face. "YES! I BEAT HER!"

 **-000-**

Jessica returned to the group with a smirk, with Portia glowering at her with her arms folded. She still didn't that it was fair due to the fact that Jessica could float, however, given what she said about anatomy, she felt that she'd be hypocritical to call Jessica out.

"Looks like I beat your score," Jessica teased. "No safety for you, this time…"

Portia huffed, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Alright Jessica, you now have the time to beat," Mew commented. He turned to the Nidoqueen fiddling with her claws. "Sasha, you're up next…"

The woman tensed up. She felt that she had the ability to beat both of their times, but was unsure if she wanted to. She wasn't sure if she wanted to trust Art or not. She was apparently the biggest threat and he had tried to get her eliminated. Plus, when she left the mess hall, Portia and Jessica were still yelling, but they could have been talking about her.

She took a breath as she approached the boxes of pizza. She decided to go ahead and try to beat both of them; she didn't know what to expect. Copying what they did, the Nidoqueen placed one of the boxes in her mouth. However, she decided to try and quicken the trips as well, picking up two other boxes so that she would only need one trip.

Jessica rose a brow, confused as to why the Nidoqueen was trying to carry so many at once. She usually wasn't one to try so hard. "Uh… Sasha, what are you doing?"

Taking the box out of her mouth momentarily, the Nidoqueen answered, "I'm going to try to win something for once."

A small smile formed on Portia's face, while Jessica simply nodded in understanding. However, thinking further, she was a bit unsure about what the outcome would be at the end of all of this.

Art spoke up as Sasha approached the starting mat, "And just to lessen the suspense a bit, I'm not gonna do this challenge, so Sasha's gonna be the last one. It's not like I'm gonna be able to make it that far anyway."

"Uh… alright…" Victini replied, not entirely bothered by it. He turned his attention back to Sasha, who was waiting for . "Alright Sasha, in three… two… one… Go!"

 **-000-**

Sasha ran toward the tunnel of strings, pushing through the tight threads with the boxes in her hands. She continued to push through, keeping her eyes tightly clenched shut and biting down hard on the box in her mouth so that it didn't get knocked loose as she moved her head around.

The Nidoqueen tripped over a few of the strings, but managed to keep her grip on all of the boxes she was holding. She got back on her feet, pushing against the strings. She carefully continued to maneuver herself through the tunnel, nearly losing her grip on the pizza boxes multiple times.

Eventually, after about five minutes of struggling, Sasha tumbled out of the tunnel, still holding onto all three boxes. She groaned to herself, her body covered in white marks from the threads. She placed all three of her boxes in her arms as she climbed up the ramp and approached the rope swing.

She sighed to herself. "Okay, what am I going to do now?"

She thought about the situation and knew that she couldn't put all three boxes in her mouth. She groaned to herself before deciding to go ahead and do what Jessica did. Holding the boxes close to her chest, the Nidoqueen jumped right into the mud. She trudged through the mud, still holding the boxes close to her.

Once she made it to the other side of the mud pit, she started climbing back up via the holes on the other side of the wall. She made it out of the pit and let out a sigh as she continued along the course, leaving muddy tracks behind her.

She approached the tightrope steps, letting out a groan of annoyance. She took a deep breath, continuing to hold the pizza boxes against her body. She took a shaky step forward, planting her foot on one of the closest steps.

Portia looked at the clock, which was approaching eight minutes. The Rhyperior didn't want Jessica to come out on top this time. "Sasha! Hurry! You're almost there!"

The Nidoqueen was close to the end of the course, her legs shaking. She attempted to take another step, but started to lose her balance. She ended up falling backwards, causing her to grunt. She slowly tried to get back up, but the ropes slowly separated, eventually dropping her to ground below.

"YES!" Jessica cheered before stopping herself and clearing her throat. "I-I mean…"

"No, no, don't do that," Portia responded, shaking her head. "You're cheering at her failure, so keep the same attitude when she gets back…"

Jessica rolled her eyes.

 **-000-**

Sasha sulked back over to the others, knowing that she wouldn't be able to beat either of her friends' times since she had fallen off the course.

"Uh… Sasha, any particular reason you stopped going through the course?" Victini queried.

The Nidoqueen was confused as to why he was asking that, responding, "I fell. I wouldn't be able to beat her time if I had to go through the course again."

"But… you still had your boxes," Mew chimed in. "As long as you didn't drop them, you were okay. There were ladders to let you get back up for a reason."

With this realization, Sasha looked to the clock and saw that it was at 9 minutes and 29 seconds and counting. She was able to continue after she fell, but just assumed that she would have to start over. She dropped to the ground, a look of complete sadness on her face. "I… I could have still won…"

"Yeah… but you made a mistake. And with Art not wanting to participate, that means that Jessica wins immunity!"

The Bruxish smiled, while Portia let out a sigh. Art shook his head, while Sasha just sat there, still upset about her poor decision.

"We'll call you all down when it's time for your elimination ceremony," Victini stated, clasping his hands together.

 **000**

" **I… I can't believe I fucked that up!" Sasha cried. "I could have actually won a challenge, but** _ **no**_ **, I didn't think and just gave up. Now, I don't even know if I'm going home tonight or not!"**

 **The door to the confessional suddenly opened, with Portia poking her head inside, startling the Nidoqueen. "Portia?" Sasha inquired, wiping her eyes while sniffling.**

" **We need to talk…" the Rhyperior responded.**

 **000**

In the mess hall, Jessica was enjoying her dinner, which consisted of steak and garlic potatoes. Art was the only other person in the mess hall at that moment, and, like Portia, he was dissatisfied by the challenge results.

Jessica was his target, and with her immune, that meant that the chance of him being eliminated was greater. He decided to try and talk to her once again, hoping that the results would be different. He approached the Bruxish, who was still focusing on her meal.

"So, are you willing to listen to me now?" Art inquired.

"Go away, Art," Jessica stated in a warning tone.

"Look, Portia and Sasha are both gone, so they're probably conspiring against you," Art hypothesized. "I mean, with one of them gone, it'll be-"

Jessica interrupted him, "Just stop, Art. You're not going to change anybody's mind. Just accept your fate and try to leave on a _good_ note."

The Thorn Pod Pokémon stared blankly at the fish before leaving the mess hall. It was like talking to a brick wall. He should have expected that from her anyway, though. She won immunity, so she could do whatever she wanted.

When the Ferrothorn left the mess hall, Jessica rolled her eyes. Despite what she had just told him, she was still debating who she wanted to eliminate. Getting rid of Sasha would make it much easier for her to get to the finale thanks to her deal with Portia. However, getting rid of Portia would make it easier for her to get to the finale with Sasha.

 **000**

" **Keeping Art around helps me out," Jessica explained. "So, I have to choose between Portia and Sasha…"**

 **She let out a sigh, "This is gonna be a tough one…"**

 **000**

The final four sat on the benches around the bonfire, having been called down for their next elimination ceremony. Art held a look of indifference, while Sasha had a look of annoyance on her face, her arms folded. Jessica only held a smile, while Portia simply sighed.

Eventually, Mew and Victini appeared, having no chips once again. Victini greeted, "Hello final four! Ready to turn into the final three?"

The four contenders exchanged looks, with Art being the one to speak up. "Sure, why not?" he deadpanned.

Victini cleared his throat, "Well, Jessica, you're already safe, so you have no worries."

"Just get on with it," Art drawled, already knowing the results.

Victini gave him a look, "Well, oddly enough, it wasn't a nearly unanimous vote. Everyone got votes, _but_ the player with the most, being two, is…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

...Art."

"Yep, I saw that coming," Art commented. "Try to warn people, but they don't wanna listen."

"Because it doesn't matter," Jessica spoke up. "You weren't going to make it to the end anyway…"

"...If it didn't matter to you, then why did you vote for Sasha?" Art retorted.

Jessica immediately paled, as Sasha turned to her with a look of shock on her face. "Y-You what?"

"Shut up Art. Stop trying to pin this on me!" the Bruxish shot back with a glare.

"Hey, I voted for Portia, and they said that everyone got votes," Art reasoned. "So if only two of you voted for me, I'm going to assume it's the two that were together while we were having our short chat at the mess hall."

Portia huffed. She didn't think that Jessica would really vote for Sasha, but now that she has, the point that she had made to Sasha during their talk was proven. "See Sasha, I told you that she was willing to let you go…"

Jessica growled at the Rhyperior before looking at the Nidoqueen, "Sasha, look, this bastard kept barking in my ear about-"

"I don't need to hear it…" Sasha cut her off. "He already filled me in on what he talked to you about. I just didn't think that you'd actually go for it…"

"Look, this doesn't change anything, I still wanna work with you," Jessica replied.

Sasha didn't respond, her arms folded as she held back tears. Getting no response, Jessica glared at the remaining male competitor. "Fuck you, Art…"

"Nope," Art responded. "You just fucked yourself, but you should probably be used to that, huh?"

The Bruxish glared at him just as a Lapras swam to the shore.

"Art, it's time for you to go," Mew said.

The Ferrothorn headed toward the Lapras without saying another word. He climbed onto the Lapras' shell and let his vines hang off the sides. The Lapras began swimming away, leaving the hosts alone with the final three contestants.

"Alright you three, head on back to the campgrounds," Victini instructed. "We'll call you down when we're ready to start your final challenge."

Portia nodded in understanding, while Sasha and Jessica just listened. The three of them hopped off of the benches, heading back to the campground. Sasha still held a look of sadness on her face, Portia's expression was that of focus and determination, and Jessica held a look of anger and annoyance.

"And like that, we have an all female final three," Victini announced. "Articuno is probably wetting herself from excitement as we speak."

"Yep, it all comes down to one more challenge tomorrow and we'll find out the winner soon after," Mew added.

"Who will the first winner of our Island Challenge!? Find out next time and place your bets!" Victini finished.

 **000**

 _ **Votes:**_

 _ **Art - 2 votes (Portia, Sasha)**_

 _ **Sasha - 1 vote (Jessica)**_

 _ **Portia - 1 vote (Art)**_

 **000**

 _ **Teams:**_

 _ **Merged - (Jessica, Portia, Sasha)**_

 **000**

 _ **Elimination Order:**_

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)**_

 _ **19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)  
**_

 _ **18th - Marley Banner (The Pranking Prodigy)  
**_

 _ **17th - Lawrence "Lucky" Addams (The Unlucky Charm)**_

 _ **16th - Lynn Jamison (The Calm Leader)**_

 _ **15th - Christopher "Chip" Torwood (The Buff Brain)**_

 _ **14th - Christine Reynolds (The Composed Musician)**_

 _ **13th - Richard "R.J." James Mitchell (The Flustered Hothead)**_

 _ **12th - Honey Winchester (The Royal Pain)**_

 _ **11th - Timothy "Tim" Lester (The Affable Introvert)**_

 _ **10th - Tonya Newman (The Inquisitive Speedster)**_

 _ **9th - Kane Mitchell (The "Daddy Bear")**_

 _ **8th - Maximus "Max" Nichols (The Cool Companion)**_

 _ **7th - Dade Lawson (The Surprise Schemer)**_

 _ **6th - Belladonna Jennings (The Party Girl)**_

 _ **5th - Zahku (The Supernatural Strongman)**_

 _ **4th - Arthur "Art" Richmond (The Cynical Smart-Ass)**_


	19. Grand Finale

**Time for a finale**

 **000**

The camera lingered on the ocean as the gentle breeze caused small waves to form on the surface. Wingull and Pelipper flew by squawking as they returned to a cliffside that they called home. The camera followed the Seagull and Water Bird Pokémon to a craggy cliffside, which was adjacent to a large, beachfront mansion.

The beach itself had pure, white grains of sand, with beach chairs, deck chairs, multicolored towels, and umbrellas decorating it. There was a set of stairs that led up to the main attraction, the mansion. There was a sizable pool sitting in front of the mansion, with multiple chairs sitting around it, against the walls, and wet towels adorning the edges of it.

The mansion itself was ghost white in color, and appeared to have three levels to it. There were two sets of stairs that both led to a door in the center of the second story. The door to the first floor was directly underneath it, with two ferns sitting on either side of it, along with two windows that allowed you to see into the building. The third floor had a long window that showed the multiple doors that were on that specific floor.

The camera returned to the staircase just as two familiar faces made their debut in the new vicinity. With a smile plastered on his face, Victini introduced the area. "Welcome… to Loser Land!" he presented, gesturing to the large building.

With this being the finale of the show, Mew's mood had perked up quite a bit, as he chimed in. "Did you really think that we were going to let the eliminated contestants go home immediately?" he laughed.

"Everyone that has been eliminated has been staying here, enjoying the lap of luxury while the other contestants still in the game have continued to battle it out for the grand prize," Victini explained, punching his hand. "Now, you may be asking yourself… 'Okay, why are they here to see the losers?' And the answer is simple."

Mew elaborated, "Because this is the finale, we thought that it'd be fair to check in on all of the eliminated contestants, get their thoughts on the final three and just the game in general, and see how much has changed since we last saw them."

Victini nodded, "Yep. From Kay, all the way to Art. Let's see how these guys are doing and get this show on the road!"

 **000**

The hosts approached the door on the first floor, with Victini knocking on it. Mew rose a brow, as they waited for someone to answer. "Uh… why don't we just go in?"

"Because we wanna surprise them!" Victini responded.

After about ten minutes, Victini knocked once again. Mew gave him a look, "Y'know, it's not noon yet. Most of them probably aren't up yet."

After a few seconds, the door finally opened, revealing a visibly hairier Ursaring, who was rubbing his eyes. Once he came to and saw the two hosts, Kane gained an expression of intrigue. "Victini…? Mew…? What are you guys doing here?" he asked with a chuckle.

"We're here to get you and everyone else' thoughts and let the viewers catch up with you guys," Mew explained.

"A better question is… why the heck are you hairier now? You're gonna make all of the girls and gay guys watching wet themselves!" Victini teased.

Kane stifled a laugh as he rolled his eyes and stepped back, letting the two hosts in. A Kingdra fountain was seen as soon as the hosts walked in. There was a hallway that led further back, straight ahead. A corridor was to the right, with a few of the doors open, and a path to the left led to a couple of elevators. There were a few paintings of different regions and Pokémon hanging around. The blue, marble floor tiles glistened from the minor sunlight beaming in through the windows.

As Kane closed the door behind them, he decided to enlighten Victini and explain his hairy situation. "And to answer your question, my fur grows like this if I don't shave it for a long time," he explained, raking his claws through the fur on his head. "And since Marley hid all of the electric razors, I'll have to wait until I'm back home…"

Victini chuckled as the three of them went down the hallway that was straight ahead. They entered a large living room. There was a large kitchen, on a higher level, was connected to the living room, which was a couple of stairs lower. There was a large, rather disheveled navy blue couch sitting in front of a 110-in television that was hanging on the wall. Adjacent to it was another couch, though this one was smaller than it.

A wooden table sat underneath the television, with a silver DVD player sitting atop it. Multiple movie cases were stacked on top of each other, though a few of them were also on the floor and others were open. Pillows were strewn about the floor, which was covered by carpet that was only on that lower level. A wooden table, similar to the style of the table underneath the television, sat close to the couch, with multiple cans, cups, and paper plates sitting on it.

The kitchen didn't look any better, as the trash can was pretty much full, and a half-full trash bag was leaning against it. There were a few dishes in the sink that weren't washed and a few pots and pans that were still sitting on the stove.

"Yeesh, this place looks like it's seen better days…" Mew commented, looking around. He was honestly surprised that the contestants were living this way, especially since they were adults. But, then again, some adults are just as, if not more, reckless than teens.

Kane let out a sigh, scratching the back of his head. "Most of the time it's up to either Lynn or myself to clean up these messes. I was gonna do it when I woke up, but… you guys are here now, so…"

"Where _is_ everybody?" Victini inquired, still surprised that there wasn't much activity, despite the earliness of their visit.

"Still in their rooms," the Ursaring explained as he went ahead and began tending to the trash. He slammed down the trash poking out before yanking the bag out of the vessel. "If not there, then they're probably in the media room or the exercise room up on the second floor."

Just then, a groan was heard from the couch. A visibly groggy Beartic sat up, rubbing his eyes "Kane! Who the hell are you talking t-" The Freezing Pokémon turned to the source of the voices, and immediately went silent.

"Oh, well at least _someone_ is down here with you," Victini commented. "But then again, it isn't really much of a surprise."

Mew decided to greet the Beartic, waving to him. "How's it going, Rich?"

In response, the Beartic immediately lied back down without saying another word. "Nobody's here. Carry on with your business…"

Kane gave his husband a look before shaking his head. "I'm about to take this out," he said, lifting both trash bags. He then turned back to the couch. "You guys can GO AHEAD AND TALK WITH R.J.!" he said in a loud voice, causing R.J. to shoot back up and glare at the Ursaring. "And I'll be back so you guys can go ahead and do what you came to do."

"Boy! You know-" R.J. began before Kane shot him his own glare, which effectively silenced the Beartic, who turned back around to hide a blush. The Ursaring went to another hallway in order to dispose of the trash, as the hosts exchanged glances. They floated down to the living room area, taking a seat in the smaller couch, as R.J. was lying on his side on the larger couch. A large, light blue quilt was covering his lower half and there was another pillow beside the one he was resting on, signifying that he and Kane had slept there together.

"Uh… any reason why you guys decided to sleep down here instead of in your own room?" Victini asked, curiously.

R.J. huffed, "The walls are pretty damn thin up there, and our bedroom is right next to the damn media center, or whatever. So, when I was alone and trying to sleep, I could still hear some of the other idiots playing games and yelling. I came down here to sleep and have been ever since. Then when Kane got here, he didn't question anything and just went along with it."

"Ah, so no hanky-panky for you two, huh?" Mew laughed.

R.J. gave him a look of annoyance, "I'm not falling for that trap. Now, what the hell are you two doing here, anyway? Shouldn't you be hosting the latest challenge or something?"

"They're here to talk to all of us and just catch up," Kane explained as he stepped down into the living room area. He took a seat next to his lounging husband, covering himself with half of the quilt. "So, what's up?"

"Oh," Victini began. "Well, you guys tell us. How was this experience for you? Who do you wanna win? Favorite challenges? Just you know, tell us whatever you want to tell us about the show."

"Maybe even give us some feedback if you want," Mew suggested with a shrug.

The bear couple exchanged looks, as R.J. decided to fully sit up. Kane cleared his throat, "Well, the experience for me was pretty enjoyable. The people were alright, the challenges were decent, and I had this cutie with me, so it was just an all-around good time for me. Not much for me to complain about… aside from maybe some people's immaturity."

R.J. let out a low growl, causing Kane to scoff, "I'm not talking about you… mostly…"

The Beartic playfully smacked the Ursaring's arm in response. "For me, I didn't really care about anybody but Kane," he explained, gesturing to him. "The challenges were meh and overall, I feel like my experience would've been worse without him here."

Kane chuckled, stealing a kiss from the Beartic. "Well, that's good to know…"

The white bear crawled into the Ursaring's lap, folding his arms. "Don't flatter yourself," he teased as Kane wrapped his arms around him with a smirk.

Victini chuckled upon seeing this. "Well, good to see that you're still being more open with your relationship and not afraid to show how much you love each other."

R.J. chuckled a bit as he lay back against Kane, intertwining his claws with his. He tried to hold back a smile, but just couldn't. "Yeah… I'll admit. If being in this game has done anything significant for me, it's helped me realize... I don't have to be scared or... overprotective. At the end of the day, he's still with me…" The Beartic pecked Kane's cheek before nuzzling his furry neck.

Wanting to change the subject a bit, Mew brought up one of the other questions, "That's great to hear. Now, onto another question. Based on how the game's gone, who do you think is going to win?"

"And Kane, you don't answer," Victini immediately chimed in, not wanting the Ursaring's answer.

The man gained a confused visage, as did his husband. "Uh… why not?" he asked.

"You'll find out later on," the Victory Pokémon responded vaguely. "For now, just shhh…." he sibilated. "R.J.?"

"Uh… I honestly don't know because I don't care about any of them," the Beartic replied with a shrug. "But, if I had to choose… I guess I'd choose Jessica since she wasn't on my shitty team and she didn't try to specifically be with my man…"

Mew nodded, "Understandable."

"Well alright…" Victini stated. "Besides that, how've you guys been doing here? Anyone pissing you off? Have you gotten to know anyone better?"

Kane chuckled, "That's all on this guy." Kane was mostly nice and cordial to everyone, with the exception of a few that still annoyed him. R.J. on the other hand wasn't as pleasant.

"Nearly half of the people in this place pisses me off," the Beartic growled. "Kay is still an entitled, self-righteous little shit, Xavier is annoying with his worthless popularity advice, Marley's pranks are still stupid, Dade and Lucky are always on their dumb nerdy crap and had the volume to high when they're playing their dumb games, plus Lucky's bad luck is actually still here, Christine's violin playing is insufferable, and Bella always plays her damn music too loud! Everyone else is decent, I guess. They stay outta my way and I stay outta theirs…"

Victini chortled, "Well… that's what happens with over ten people occupying a single space like this. But, still good to hear that not _everyone_ pisses you off."

Mew was more focused on something else he heard the Beartic say. "Uh… what was that about Lucky?"

Just then, a bit of cracking was heard, causing the four of them to look around. As they did this, a soaked Machamp walked into the kitchen with a towel around the back of his neck and another towel around his waist.

"Hey, Chip! How's it going!" Victini greeted as he and Mew started floating over to him, leaving the bear couple to their own devices.

The Machamp, upon noticing the two hosts, gained a smile. "Hey! What's up!?" he greeted, high fiving them simultaneously with his extra arms. "What're you guys doing here?"

"Just here checking on all of you guys," Victini answered, folding his arms. Acknowledging how wet he was, the Victory Pokémon inquired, "Just getting out of the shower?"

Chip nodded as he approached the fridge, "Yeah, I was exercising and got musty." He opened the fridge and took out a can of root beer.

The cracking sound was heard once again, causing everyone to look around once again. Deciding to ignore it again, the hosts focused back on Chip. "So, how are things going around here for you?" Mew inquired.

Chip hummed as he opened the can in his hand, "Things are alright, I guess. Sucks that I'm out of the game, of course, but… it's not so bad."

Victini nodded as Mew began looking through the fridge, himself. "Still plan on giving Portia a chance when this is all over?" the Fire and Psychic-type asked, remembering their interaction.

Chip chuckled in response. "Most definitely. Especially after seeing how kick-ass she's been in the challenges lately. She's only grown stronger out there and I'm really proud of her."

"You think your students and colleagues are gonna give you a hard time when you get back?" Mew inquired, taking out a Fruit Punch soda.

The Machamp immediately chuckled. "Oh, I know for a fact that they're gonna be on my ass for weeks because I got out before the merge. But, they'll probably give me a bit of leeway for coming back with a strong babe."

Kane chimed in with a chuckle. "Yeah, that's all you really have to count on. As long as you come back with something that's impressive or something interesting happened to you, your friends won't be able to tease you that much."

"Right," Chip agreed, raising his can to the Ursaring's statement.

"So, with all of this in mind, I think it's safe to say that you want Portia to win, right?" the Victory Pokémon assumed.

"Damn right," Chip responded. "That'd make things even better for both of us!"

Suddenly, the sounds of footsteps could be heard, along with a bit of chatter. Eventually, a Tropius and Gogoat made their appearances, a Delibird riding on the Tropius' back.

"Ugh… please don't tell me everyone's gonna keep coming down, now," R.J. groaned.

"Good morning to you, too, R.J.," Lynn deadpanned in response, giving the Beartic a look.

"Mew, Victini… what are you guys doing here?" Tim asked with a chuckle.

"They're just here to talk to everyone," R.J. answered, pinching the bridge of his snout. He found the slowly increasing number of people in the vicinity really annoying, as there was usually no more than three people down there at a time.

"Oh, well we're just here to pick up some snacks so we can keep our movie marathon going," Max explained, flying off of Tim's back and heading to the pantry.

"You guys are still doing that?" Chip huffed. He had learned about their marathon a few days ago, but saw that the movies that they were watching at that point were either animated or comedic. So, after a lengthy debate with Tim, he just left and decided to just ignore what they were doing. "Watching any _good_ movies this time?" he asked, taking another swig of his root beer.

"Hey! Cartoon and comedy movies are just as good as action and horror," Tim argued, to which the Machamp rolled his eyes.

"Hey, let's not start this petty debate again, okay?" Lynn spoke up. "Plus, Chip, you walked out, so you shouldn't really give a damn about what we're watching. We're still open to suggestions, though…"

"Whoa, whoa, pump the brakes," Victini spoke up, folding his arms. "What debate?"

Lynn scoffed, rolling her eyes. "It's stupid. Chip thinks that animated movies are childish and worthless, and that comedy movies are all cringeworthy-"

"Which is true…" the Machamp interjected.

The Gogoat rolled her eyes, with Tim glaring at the Machamp, continuing, "-and Tim _likes_ action and is indifferent to horror movies, but thinks that they're pretty much the same."

"I mean, yeah!" Tim began. "All horror movies have some kind of killer or entity going after a group of people and killing them, the last person standing is almost always a girl, and the killer usually comes back to life repeatedly for more movies! And action movies usually have some kind of grand scheme or missions, a lot of fighting and guns and stuff, and the good guys win most of the time. It's formulaic!"

"Not as formulaic as those dumb kiddy movies with all the friendship, adventure, and bad guys losing all the time…" Chip argued back with a laugh. "I can admit that you have a point, but at least horror and action look good with their effects. Cartoons are just drawings most of the time. What is that gonna convey?"

Lynn just shook her head with a sigh as the two seemed to begin their arguing once again. "Maybe I should have just stayed upstairs…"

"Meanwhile, I just having fun watching whatever movie is in front of me as long as there's other people around," Max commented as he flew back with a plastic bag filled with an assortment of chips.

"Alright, good. Let's go before these two talk each other's heads off," Lynn stated as Max flew down the hallway that led to the foyer. Her eyes had followed the Delibird out, so she set them back on her man, who was currently listening to Chip condemn animated movies. Noticing that he was growing more and more frustrated, Lynn called to him. "Tim."

Tim looked back to her and saw that she was gesturing for them to go. He looked back at Chip, who had a smug expression on his face. He huffed, "You're wrong." He then turned around and began leaving with Lynn.

"Y'know what, I think we'll join you guys," Victini stated. "If people are gonna keep coming down, we might as well meet them halfway."

"We'll talk to you guys again later on," Mew said as he followed Victini, leaving the couple and Machamp where they were.

With them gone, Chip chuckled to himself. He liked to tease Tim with his opinions. He honestly didn't care about what they were watching, he just liked seeing the Tropius all riled up over it. He took another swig of his drink before asking aloud, "So, how long have those two been here?"

He looked over to the couch and saw that Kane and R.J. were making out. He gave the couple a look before shaking his head and deciding to leave as well.

 **-000-**

Exiting the elevator on the second floor, they all found themselves at a long corridor with numerous doors. The floor was covered in retro carpeting, and the door that was seen from outside was spotted on the right side, along with a few windows.

"So, I take it that you guys have been enjoying your time here?" Mew spoke up. "Well, besides the arguing…"

"Actually yeah, it's been pretty cool," Tim responded as they walked down the long hall. "I mean sure, not all of us get along, but we're all decent to each other for the most part."

"Mhmm…" Victini said as he read the names that were printed on the doors they passed by. One name caught his attention and jogged his memory briefly, "So, what's going on with Honey? You guys still hate each other? Is there beef between her and Lynn?"

The couple exchanged looks, sweatdropping a bit. "Uh… well…" the Gogoat began. "It's kinda complicated."

Mew rose a brow upon learning this. "Complicated how?"

"By complicated, she means that Honey pretty much hates her, so she tries to avoid her at all costs," Max explained. "But, on the bright side, she's a lot nicer to Tim."

"Thanks for that, Max…" Lynn deadpanned, giving the Delibird a look before they reached a cracked door that had 'Media Center' printed on it.

Inside, they saw that the media room had a few computers set up in the back left of the room, along with a couple of chairs. There were a couple of bean bag chairs in the back right, next to a window, along with a radio. There were also three arcade machines against the left wall. One was 'Dancey Pancy', one of the standard dancing games with the arrows on the bottom part, and the other two were simple racing games: 'Turbo Time' and 'Rush More'."

To the right was a large television, much bigger than the one in the living room. There were dozens of movie cases stacked and strewn about the floor around it. There were also numerous game systems sitting in boxes on the left side of the television. The main focus, however, was the fact that were two other eliminated competitors sitting in front of the television, with a large, pink and red blanket partially covering them. It was a bit hotter in the room, as one would likely expect, but there were a couple of box fans plugged up that changed that.

"Tonya, Bella, we're back," Max said, flying over and taking a seat next to the Accelgor, who was the first to notice Mew and Victini.

"Oh, you guys are here, too?" she asked as Belladonna turned around and gained a smile.

As they approached, Mew nodded, "Yeah, we're just here to y'know, see how you all are doing and talk a bit about the game and stuff."

"Oh, cool," Belladonna commented. "Kinda like a revisit."

"Hmm… sorta," Victini replied with a shrug as Lynn and Tim sat down.

"So, what's it like here when someone's eliminated?" Mew inquired as he floated toward the back window and looked out. "Do ya'll do anything special for them?"

Lynn hummed, "Sorta… There's usually a watch party downstairs when the show is on. Then when someone gets eliminated, some of us wait to greet them on the beach."

"Ah, okay," Mew replied with a nod, floating over to the game systems.

As the pink feline did this, Victini posed another question to the group of eliminated players. "So, how were you guys' experiences in the game? Anything you regret or wish you did better?" he asked.

They all exchanged looks, waiting for someone to answer so that they didn't cut anyone off. Tonya decided to answer first, "Well, a-a-aside from Honey's immaturity and Marley's pranks, things were pretty okay for me. The challenges were cool, and mostly everyone was nice. Though, if I had to change anything, it'd probably be who I aligned with when the game first started."

"Yeah, being a part of Honey's clique for the first part of the game didn't really seem that fun," Max commented as he waddled over to Mew, who was inspecting the game systems that were next to the television and the games that came with them.

Tonya huffed, "What about you?"

"My experience was fine. Made more friends than I usually would, and made it far in the game," the Delibird responded with a shrug. "I didn't really expect to win, so I'm proud of the way I played. Wouldn't really change anything."

"I feel about the same," Tim chimed in. "I was annoyed by more people than you, but our experiences were relatively the same." He then chuckled as Lynn nuzzled against him, "We even both came out with girlfriends…"

"Oh yeah, speaking of that, how is you guys' relationship going so far?" Victini queried.

The pair blushed a bit, with Lynn clearing her throat. "Well, we're doing pretty well. We haven't been able to go out and do much of anything, but we've talked and spent a lot of time together, so… I'd say that we're doing pretty well together."

She nuzzled him once again, causing Tim's face to turn a darker crimson.

"So how long has this movie marathon of you guys' been going on?" Mew asked, putting down the video game cases he had in his hand.

"About four days now," Belladonna answered, opening one of the bags of chips. Before eating a few, Belladonna decided to speak up about her own experience, as they had seemingly skipped over her in favor of asking about Tim and Lynn's relationship. "As for my show experience, it was pretty damn exciting the whole time. I mean, sure, I hit a few bumps like with the thing with Dade and just trying to keep making it further, but I'm happy with how things went. Met a lot of great people like these guys and Portia, had a few interesting challenges, and just.. Overall, it was a great time for me."

"Awesome to hear," Victini said with a smile, glad that the contestants were taking things in stride. "And thoughts on the final three?"

"Well, I'd say that the one with the biggest chance of winning is Portia," Tim commented. "Don't really know her too well, but she's been doing really good in most of the challenges, so I think she could win when it comes down to it."

"Jessica has a pretty good chance, too," Lynn chimed in. "As long as she can use her telekinesis properly, she could give Portia a run for her money. And, Sasha has the determination, I just don't know if she'll be able to pull anything off."

"Sasha's a strong g-girl," Tonya chimed in. "She hasn't really b-been the luckiest, and she's been dealing with her own personal issues for most of the game, but she could s-still pull something off."

The Gogoat nodded in understanding, "I don't doubt that. But the fact of the matter is that Sasha hasn't won any challenge for herself, not counting the escape rooms since Belladonna was with her."

"Well," Max chimed in. "She came close to winning the challenge yesterday; she just made a mistake because she thought that she'd have to start over from the beginning. So, I don't think we should count her out entirely."

"Yeah, they all have a pretty decent shot at winning this thing, though I think that Portia's shot _is_ much higher, like Tim said," Belladonna added.

"And who do you guys think will win, overall? Like... final guess?" Mew asked. "Max and Bella, you don't get to answer just yet."

The twosome exchanged looks before shrugging it off, turning to Tonya, Tim, and Lynn.

"Well, judging on performances, I think it'll be Portia winning," Tim stated, not wanting to repeat his points.

"If I had to choose… I guess I'll choose Jessica, because with her abilities, she's been showing that she can keep up with Portia," Lynn answered.

"I guess I'll just go with Sasha," Tonya stated with a shrug. "U-Underdogs…"

"Okay, nice," Victini said with a nod. "We'll leave you guys to your movies and catch up with you guys again later."

The Victory Pokémon started flying out of the media room, with the pink feline in tow.

 **-000-**

The hosts proceeded back down the hall, heading back to the elevators. As they passed by the rooms of the other eliminated players, a question formed in Mew's mind. "Say, should we be checking some of these guys' rooms to talk to some of them? We don't know if some of them are even going to come out."

Victini shrugged, "We can worry about that after we scan the third floor. If there's no one out and about, we can just call them all down, question them, and let them know what's happening today."

Mew nodded in understanding as the elevator doors opened and he watched Victini enter it. Mew gave him a look, "Can't we just teleport to the top floor?"

"Just get in…" Victini replied, not wanting to respond to the feline.

Mew shrugged before entering the elevator as the doors closed. After a few seconds, they reached the third floor, where there was another corridor, albeit a somewhat shorter one. The carpet was the same, as was the way the doors were situated. On the right side of the floor was a long window, which stopped just as one would turn the corner at the end of said corridor.

As they began floating down the corridor, Mew noticed that Kane's name was on the first door they passed. He reasoned, "Ah, so the third floor is for the people who made the merge and the second floor is for the others…"

"Pretty much," Victini replied as they eventually reached the end of the hall and turned.

They passed by a sauna as well as a bar-like area before reaching the back of the house, which had a wooden deck with a jacuzzi. Surprisingly, nobody was out and about on that floor. But, then again, they had already seen a majority of the players who had made it to the merge, barring Dade and Art, as well as Zahku, though that'd be handled later.

"Well, coming up here was a waste of time," Mew commented. "Unless we wanna knock on Art's door."

"Nope, like I said, we're just gonna go and call them all down so we can get some more info and tell them what's going on," Victini explained.

 **-000-**

Returning to the first floor, the hosts went back into the main area where the kitchen and living room were. The smell of coffee partially filled the air as they turned and saw that Kane and R.J. were no longer alone. A Kricketune was sitting on the other couch with a coffee mug and a partially eaten bagel sitting on napkin on the table in front of her. The television was also now on, with the news playing.

"Hello Christine," Victini greeted as he and Mew approached her.

She turned to them with a small smile, "Hey Mew, Victini. Kane told me that you guys were here, but I didn't see you anywhere."

R.J. huffed while snuggled against Kane, who had his arm around him. "Because you had just woken up like fifteen minutes ago," the Beartic replied.

Christine rolled her eyes in response, picking up her bagel again. "So, you guys are here to ask questions and such?"

"Pretty much, but we also have some news for some of you that we're gonna share when we get everyone down here," Victini explained.

Christine nodded before picking up her cup of coffee. "Well good luck with that," the Kricketune commented. "Kay hardly ever comes out of her room, thankfully, and Honey sleeps until 2 P.M.."

"Don't worry, I have a way to wake everybody," Victini replied as he floated past the kitchen and into the back room, where Kane had gone to dispose of the trash.

As they all watched this, R.J. inquired, "Uh… what all is even back there?"

Suddenly, the Victory Pokémon's voice boomed throughout the house. "WILL ALL RESIDENTS OF LOSER LAND PLEASE REPORT TO THE LIVING ROOM! I REPEAT, ALL RESIDENTS REPORT TO THE LIVING ROOM!"

"Wait, there's an intercom here?" Christine said questioningly, looking around.

"Apparently so…" Kane said, looking around.

 **000**

After about ten minutes or so, a majority of the players made their way down to the living room, though some of them, who were still asleep, were a bit disgruntled. However, some of their unhappiness soon turned into confusion upon seeing the hosts there.

"Uh… why are you guys here?" Dade inquired with a yawn.

"We'll tell you once everyone's down," Mew responded, looking over the group of people that were either standing, sitting, or flying in the living room.

The only players that weren't present were Kay, Honey, Zahku, and Art, to hardly anyone's surprise. Victini headed to the back room once again to access the intercom, which was hidden behind one of the wall panels. "HONEY, KAY, AND ART! COME DOWN OR YOU'LL JUST BE TELEPORTED DOWN!"

"I'm already here!" the rabbit heard as he floated back out. There, he saw a Ferrothorn walking toward the group with an annoyed expression. "Now what the hell is going on? I just left that shithole last night and I immediately see you guys' faces the next day."

Ignoring him, Mew turned to Victini, "Okay, just teleport Kay and Honey down here. I don't think they're gonna come down willingly."

"I told you," Christine said with a shrug.

Victini teleported the Stufful and Vespiquen to the living room, with Honey looking very groggy and Kay looking awake and irritated. "Hey, you posers! I was watching my favorite show!" the Flailing Pokémon screeched in anger.

"You can watch your show later," Mew responded, unfazed by the Stufful's insult. "We need you guys for a bit."

Honey just let out a sigh, rubbing her eyes as she started looking around. "Seriously, what are we doing here?"

Mew, growing steadily annoyed by the repeated questions, held his composure and answered, "We're about to explain it once we get Zahku here."

He nodded to Victini, whose hands glowed. Mere seconds later, a Makuhita was teleported into the vicinity, throwing a punch that struck the closest person to him: Lucky. The punch sent the Crabominable into the wall, causing the Makuhita to sweatdrop. "Oops. Sorry, crab friend…"

"No problem…" Lucky groaned.

Zahku looked around and saw that he was surrounded by his fellow eliminated contestants and grew a bit confused. However, he didn't say anything about it.

"Uh... hey there, Zahku," Dade greeted hesitantly. "How's training going?"

"It goes good," the Guts Pokémon responded. "Zahku feels much stronger already."

"We can tell," Marley laughed, staring at Lucky's body, which was halfway in the wall. "You punched Lucky's lights out."

"Hey, shut up you useless inbred losers!" Kay exclaimed. "I wanna go back upstairs, so shut up so these dumb hosts can tell us what they want."

"I'm surprised that no one has pinned you down and tried scrubbing your mouth out with soap," Art commented.

"Oh, we have," Tim chimed in. "Didn't really do anything and she just knocked us back."

Art shook his head, "Pitiful…"

"Okay!" Mew exclaimed, floating next to Victini. "Now that all of you are here, allow us to explain why we're here. Though some of you already know…"

"We just want to know how you are doing and how you felt about the competition as a whole," Victini explained. "Some of you already gave us some answers, so now we just wanna hear from the rest of you."

"The show sucked, you sucked, and everyone here sucks," Kay stated with a glare before starting to walk away, only to be surrounded by a pink aura and picked up. Noticing this, the Stufful grew even more vexed. "LET ME DOWN, YOU WORTHLESS SACKS OF-!"

She was then muted, courtesy of Victini, who was holding her up via telekinesis.

Marley tittered, "Hey, can you keep her up there so we can use her as a piñata?"

"No…" Victini responded. "Now, anyone else wanna say something?"

"I mean," Dade began. "The competition was pretty cool. I mean, some of these guys still scare me, but I think I like everyone a bit more now. And I wouldn't have made the friends I did without it. And I made it further than I thought I would."

"You were lucky out that there were bigger annoyances to deal with," R.J. commented. "And I'll admit, you were kind of useful at certain points."

"I'll take it," Dade responded with a shrug.

"I didn't really care about the competition aspect that much," Marley admitted, hanging on the couch. "I just hate that I got voted out for being myself…"

"Marley, your pranks were annoying as heck," Belladonna stated. "And you weren't really _that_ helpful in challenges."

"Not my fault that you guys can't take jokes," the Aipom replied. "I'm just glad the pranks that I left behind got some of you."

"And your popularity steadily decreases in the crowd…" Xavier chimed in.

"And so does yours every time you talk about people's popularity as if we're supposed to give a damn," Art retorted. "So, I just you stay in the background where you belong…"

Chip chuckled, "So much for there being more to you than being an asshole."

Art gave the Machamp a look, "Don't start with me. There _is_ more to me, and I don't have to say shit else about it if I don't want to."

"Okay, I feel like we're getting off topic," Christine chimed in. "They asked us about how we felt about the game and how we feel…"

"Okay, then I feel nothing," Art responded. "I got eliminated because those dumb girls didn't want to listen. And the game was… mediocre at best. Don't really harbor any major positive or negative feelings about it."

"Alright then…" Mew deadpanned. "Uh… who haven't we heard from, yet?"

"Just Xavier, Lucky, Honey, Zahku, and Christine," Victini named, looking among the crowd.

Those whose names were called immediately had eyes on them. A mumble was heard as Lucky somehow managed to get his body out of the wall. The yeti crab groaned, "My head…"

R.J. immediately said, "Hey, Bad Luck Brian, tell them how your experience and stuff."

"...Yes, I'm okay. Thanks for asking," Lucky sarcastically retorted, realizing that nobody asked if he was alright.

Rolling her eyes, Christine decided to speak up. "Fine, _I'll_ talk." She cleared her throat, "My experience was… mostly irritating. I didn't really get any get anything major out of it. No offense to anyone, but I probably wouldn't want to talk to any of you outside of this game. Our personalities and interests simply vary and I don't feel I have anything in common with any of you."

"Oh don't worry, lady, I'm sure the feeling is mutual," Art stated, giving her a look.

Christine huffed, "Look, I'm not trying to sound like a bitch or anything, but the company here isn't for me. That's literally it. Don't try to twist it into something it's not."

A few of the others simply exchanged looks, taking slight offense to what the Kricketune said. Some of them barely got to know the Cricket Pokémon, and vice versa, because she usually chose to exclude herself from most of the activities they did together during their time there. No one else decided to say anything, wanting to just let her finish so they could move on.

"As for the challenges, they were pretty simple. Nothing too difficult, well, at least until the merge," the Kricketune continued. "Overall, I suppose it wasn't _too_ bad, but I probably wouldn't do this again."

"Good to know," Marley commented, rolling her eyes.

"Well, my experience was pretty fun," Lucky grunted, finally deciding to speak up. "My bad luck may have screwed me and my team over a few times in challenges, but the experience was cool. I'd definitely do another one of these shows if I had the chance. It's kinda cool to meet new people."

"Hate to cut in, but happened with Lucky, exactly?" Dade inquired. "I thought that you guys fixed his bad luck."

" _I_ thought we did," Mew commented, turning to Victini, who sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, actually, we can't entirely remove luck, good or bad," Victini explained. "I can bring people good luck or make sure that they always win, but dispelling bad luck? Nope. So, I just gave him a bit of good luck for a short time."

"So… you lied to him. Thanks…" Dade replied with a glare. "Not cool…"

"Hey, I'm still fine," Lucky commented, not minding the fib.

Just then, the cracking from earlier continued. A large, queen-sized bed fell through the ceiling, landing behind the hosts, causing everyone to flinch.

"...My bed…" Lucky stated, seeing the messy bed sitting behind the hosts.

Wanting to go ahead and change the subject, Victini turned toward Zahku, "Zahku, what about you? How do you feel about the game?"

Zahku shrugged his shoulders, "Zahku aimed to come to show and be stronger, and he still doing so. He okay. No other comments…"

His gaze turned toward the Magnezone, "Xavier?"

"No response available," the Magnet Area Pokémon responded, as he honestly didn't have much to say about his experience, as he didn't do much.

This only left Honey, who hadn't offered any other commentary and just listened to everyone. The Vespiquen knew that she was the only one who hadn't offered her perspective and was a bit wary, as she already knew that the others likely didn't really like her at all.

Eventually, the Beehive Pokémon took a breath, not needing for Victini to call on her. "Well, if I'm being honest… I kinda feel shitty about how everything went. I tried too hard to be the boss and get people to like me and do what I said so that _I_ would come out on top."

A few of the others exchanged looks as the Vespiquen continued, surprised that she was saying all of this.

"The challenges were decent I suppose, but other than that, I don't have much to say. I screwed myself over, and well… I'm here now. And nobody really cares for my presence, which I understand," she finished. "So… yeah."

There was a bit of silence before Tonya spoke up. "Okay," the Accelgor began. "I'll admit, I wasn't really expecting that response from you, but… I'm glad that you're owning up to your mistakes."

"Oh my… she didn't even make any mistakes," Art groaned. "She just did things that you guys didn't like to get herself further in the game. You guys just got all pissy and took it personal. But whatever..."

"At the end of the day, she's owned up to it, which is more than we can say for you, Kay, and Marley, so it doesn't really need to go much further," Christine commented.

"Hey!" Marley exclaimed with a glare.

"Alright, alright. It's great to hear from all of you again, and I'm sure the viewers are happy to see all of you again." Victini interrupted, getting everybody's attention once again. "Now, onto the other, more serious, reason why we're here. "

"All of you guys will be playing a part in who wins the game!" Mew revealed.

Immediately, everyone's interest was piqued, as they began to talk over each other, resulting in a wave of words. Victini whistled, getting all of their attention once again.

"Now, we know that all of you guys are excited about the prospect of being the ones to choose the winner, _but_ there are two different parts to this," Victini explained. "There's still one challenge left, so, those of you who were eliminated _before_ the merge, you guys will play a part in that challenge."

"Now, those of you who were eliminated _after_ the merge," Mew included. "You guys, along with whoever loses the challenge today, will be able to talk to the final two players, assess them, and make a decision based on their answers, as well as your own discretion."

"Wait, wait, so there's no final challenge to determine the winner. _We_ get to choose?" Dade inquired. He then chuckled, "This is going to be very interesting…"

"Yes it will," Victini responded.

"Oh… so _that's_ why you guys said that you didn't want us to answer before," Max reasoned. If they had answered them, then they would likely spoil the votes and who the winner could possibly be before the challenge even began.

"Yep," Mew replied. "Now, we're about to head back to the island so that we can start the challenge, so, we're gonna need everybody who was eliminated after the merge to leave the room. The pre-merge boots are going to play their role right now."

With a few nods of understanding, the mergers began to vacate the living room, leaving the pre-mergers behind. For a bit of added security, Victini turned to Mew. "Follow them to make sure they don't try to eavesdrop," he instructed.

The New Species Pokémon nodded his head before following the group out of the room. With them gone and taken care of, Victini turned his attention back to the remaining eliminated players.

"Alright, I'll cut to the chase," the Victory Pokémon stated. "The eleven of you are going to tell me the person that you want to win, and whoever gets the most votes will get an advantage in this upcoming challenge. So, whoever wants to go first, lay it on me…"

The eleven players exchanged looks with each other.

 **000**

Back on the main island, things were rather tense between the three girls. Especially between Portia and Jessica, who were both in the mess hall.

"WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU TELL HER!?" Jessica bellowed. It turned out that the deal that she made with Portia was a lie to get Sasha to trust her less. "WE COULD HAVE HAD AN EVEN SHOT AT THE FINALS!"

Portia laughed in response. "Right… you go on and on about how much you wanna beat me. You gloat when you're finally able to do something and manage to win. And your decisions were all still shitty! You really expect me to go with someone that I don't respect the gameplay of?"

Jessica scoffed, "So you'd pick _Sasha_? Who literally rode on everybody's coattails to be here?! You respect _her_ gameplay?!"

"Uh, need I remind you that she almost kicked your ass in that challenge yesterday and that you _cheered_ when she failed?" Portia responded, glaring at her. "You're really just digging yourself a deeper hole. You're not really her friend. You just want someone else you can control since Max isn't here anymore."

"I'M NOT CONTROLLING ANYONE, BITCH!" Jessica shouted back. "IF I WAS, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN MADE IT THIS FAR!"

"Oh please. You failed trying to eliminate me every time. Get off your high horse, lady!" Portia shot back.

Jessica scoffed, a smile forming on her face as she shook her head. "You're the one with the high horse. You really think that turning Sasha against me is going to change anything. All I have to do is win another challenge and _you_ go bye-bye."

"Aw… no more deal?"

"OF COURSE NOT! YOU SOLD ME OUT!"

Portia giggled, as she started applauding. "Really nice to see your true colors shining through so _radiantly,_ " she snarked back.

Jessica growled. "This is a game that I want to win and I'm the same person I've always been. _You_ are over here antagonizing me and trying to paint me as some awful person over a few questionable moves and making up stupid lies about me trying to control people, which isn't true in the slightest! If anything, _your_ true colors are shining through, because you're manipulating Sasha and trying to get her to go against me! You're so, _so_ scared that if she manages to win, she's going to choose me, her _actual friend,_ instead of someone like you that she just shared her pain with for a few minutes."

Portia glared daggers at the Bruxish in response. "Fuck off…"

Jessica giggled, "Ooh… looks like I struck a nerve~."

"I said, fuck off!" Portia shouted back.

"Can you guys just STOP?!" Both girls froze as they turned toward the mess hall entrance and saw a peeved Nidoqueen standing there with her arms folded, her eyes piercing right through both of the feuding ladies.

"Oh… Sasha," Portia began, rubbing the back of her head. "Uh… how long have you been standing there?"

Sasha pretended to think for a moment before replying, "Oh, around the time that Jessica mentioned responding my 'coattail riding' gameplay."

Jessica let out a sigh, "Listen Sasha, I didn't mean-"

"No, no, I don't want to hear any more from either of you," Sasha responded as she approached her usual table. "You're both acting like children over this game and at this point, I'm already pissed off at both of you, so I think it'll be best for you both to just be quiet and leave me alone."

The two females glared at each other, but obliged, sitting at different tables. After a few minutes, Mew and Victini arrived in the mess hall, breakfast boxes in the former's hands.

"Good morning final three…" Victini greeted. "Your adventure ends today. We'll be having the final challenge, and then, later tonight, the winner will be crowned."

"Wait, that all happens today!?" Jessica roared in surprise.

"Yep, so eat up, and meet us at the beach in half an hour," Mew instructed, putting the breakfast box on one of the tables. "One of you is being eliminated right after the challenge is over."

The girls looked at each other, pure anxiousness and dread filling their bodies.

 **000**

" **Well, I guess this is pretty much the end of the road," Portia commented, rubbing the back of her head. "It's now or never. I have to make sure that I win this…"**

 **000**

 **Sasha shook her head, "At this point, I'm just in this for myself, 100%. I don't care about Jessica; I don't care about Portia. I don't even know who I'd choose** _ **if**_ **I won the challenge!"**

" **I'm just gonna do what's best for me."**

 **000**

" **Okay, I still have a fighting chance. As long as I beat Portia, I'm golden," Jessica stated. "And hopefully, Sasha can forgive me for everything I did that could've possibly offended her, or been twisted by Portia," Jessica stated.**

 **000**

Once they finished their breakfast, which consisted of pancakes, eggs, bacon, a small bowl of cereal, along with a small carton of milk, and cinnamon toast, the girls all headed down toward the beach, where three stones of varying sizes awaited them. In front of each rock was a small whiteboard and a marker, much to the surprise of all three of them.

"Wait… this isn't a physical challenge?" Portia inquired.

"Nope," Victini chirped as he and Mew teleported into view. "This challenge is basically seeing how well you paid attention to, and got to know, your fellow competitors throughout your time on the show."

The girls' eyes went wide from the challenge explanation. They weren't expecting a challenge like this! How were they supposed to remember all of the information the others gave them about themselves? Especially since they weren't on the same team for half of the game!

"Your goal is to make it to ten points," Mew explained. "The last person to reach ten points is automatically eliminated."

"Now, you may be wondering why we were a few hours late…" Victini began. "We actually visited the eliminated contestants to see how they were doing and hear their thoughts on the show and just their experience."

"Wait, what?" Sasha inquired. "I thought that everyone went home..."

Mew chuckled, "Nope. They all got transported to a resort."

The girls all gaped in shock before glaring at the hosts. They were still stuck on a crummy island, while everyone else who got _eliminated_ were living in the lap of luxury? What kind of backwards logic was that?

"Anyways," Victini continued, thinking that the conversation took a slight detour. "Then, we asked eleven of them who they want to win, because whoever garnered the most votes would get an advantage."

Immediately, they all perked up, wanting to hear what happened next. "Okay, so who got the most votes?" Jessica inquired with a smile, hoping that she would be the one to get the advantage.

"Well, with seven votes to four, Portia came out on top," Mew explained, causing Portia to fist bump.

"YES!" the rhino-saur cheered, with Sasha looking down and Jessica rolling her eyes. Just then, the Bruxish realized something.

"Wait... you said 'seven votes to four'. That means that one of us didn't get any votes at all…" Jessica recalled curiously.

"You are correct," Victini affirmed with a nod. "Portia got seven votes and Sasha got the other four votes. Sadly, nobody voted for you."

Upon hearing that, Jessica looked down in disappointment. Not one person that they asked voted for her? That… that didn't really give her much reassurance. Even _if_ she managed to win, there was a chance that they wouldn't even vote for her!

"Oh…" she softly replied, looking down.

Despite their current issues, Portia and Sasha couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for the Bruxish. She let out a sigh. "Well, not much that I can do about it besides try to win…"

"That's the attitude to have!" Victini cheered. "Now, because Portia got the most votes, she gets an advantage. You start out with one point!"

The same monitor from previous challenges appeared next to the hosts. The three players' names were scribed on it, with Portia's already had a tally mark underneath it, much to her excitement.

"Now… let's get into this," Victini began, a stack of cards appearing in his hand. He further expounded, "You'll have fifteen seconds to write an answer once I finish reading the question. First one to show a correct answer gets a point. You guys ready?"

With hesitant nods and an exchange of looks, the challenge began.

 **-000-**

"Alright, first question," Victini began. "Whose middle name is… Shannon?"

The girls sat there, clueless, for a few moments before beginning to write their answers. Portia held her board up first, having Christine's name written on it.

"Christine," Victini read. "That is incorrect."

Portia had only guessed, so she wasn't really bothered. Sasha held up her board next, with Jessica showing hers shortly after. Both of them had Tonya's name on it.

"Tonya is correct," Victini replied. "Sasha's board went up first, so she gets the point."

The Nidoqueen smiled to herself, while Jessica swore due to being a few seconds late.

"Alright, next question," Victini said. "Name three of the contestants who are married."

Immediately, the three girls began writing. This was an extremely simple question for them due to how prominent it was for a few of the others. Portia was the first one to show her board, though, showing that she had written Christine, Kane, and R.J.'s names.

"Christine, Kane, and R.J. are correct," Victini replied with a nod. "That's another point for Portia."

Portia nodded with a smirk as she and the others proceeded to wipe their boards. Jessica was getting a bit annoyed already, but she hoped that things would change.

"Alright, next question," Victini replied as he halved his stack of cards in order to hand some to Mew so that he wasn't just floating there doing nothing. The feline rolled his eyes as Victini read the question aloud. "Who graduated college at the top of their class?"

Sasha sat there, thinking about the possibilities, while Jessica and Portia were both already writing. They both showed their boards, though Jessica was quicker. The Bruxish had written down Art's name, while Portia had written down Lynn's.

"Art is incorrect," Victini responded, causing Jessica to curse once again. He then turned to Portia. "Lynn… is correct."

"Yes!" Portia cheered, as Jessica groaned and Sasha sighed.

"Come on!" the Gnash Teeth Pokémon exclaimed.

"Hey, don't get all pissy. This challenge is easy. You just have to be _right_ ," Portia teased. This earned her a side glare from the fish.

"Alright, so far that's three points for Portia, one point for Sasha, and none for Jessica," Mew recapped, looking at the screen. "Now, for another question, I guess."

He looked down at the first card of the stack that Victini handed him, reading, "Name a contestant that did not go to college."

Jessica immediately started to write something down, while Portia and Sasha were left confused. They didn't recall anyone mentioning _not_ going to school. However, with only fifteen seconds to answer, the two of them had to just make a guess.

However, it didn't really matter, as Jessica showed her board, which had Max's name inscribed on it.

"Uh… Max is correct," Mew said, reading the back of the card. "Other answers were Kay, Xavier, and Zahku…"

"Ah, that explains why Kay is likely still a brat with no people skills," Portia commented as Sasha couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that.

"That's a point for Jessica," Victini said as a tally mark appeared under Jessica's name on the monitor, bringing a smile to her face.

"Alright, who wrote on their application that they would like their dream job would be being a video game developer?" Mew inquired, reading from the card.

Sasha immediately started writing on her board, while Portia and Jessica took a while before finally starting to write. The Nidoqueen turned her board around quickly, revealing that she had written down Tim's name.

"Alright, Tim is correct!" Mew replied.

Sasha let out a breath in relief. "I honestly just guessed…" she admitted with a giggle.

"Alright, Portia still has three points, Sasha now has two, and Jessica only has one," Victini recapped. "However, that is soon to change with these next rounds."

"Wait, there's rounds to this?" Jessica responded, raising a brow in confusion.

Victini nodded affirmatively, "Yep, and you guys just finished the first one. Now, for this round, at the end of fifteen seconds, you girls with all flip your boards around at the same time. Whoever has it right will get a point, regardless of the order you flipped them."

Jessica perked up at this, as she wouldn't have to worry about being quick anymore. However, it also meant that Portia had a chance to get more easy points.

"Alright, you girls ready for the next round?" Victini asked, sifting through the cards in his hands.

Sasha nodded, while Portia and Jessica simply remained focused on the rabbit of victory. Seeing their responses, Victini cleared his throat as he started reading the next question.

"Name three of your fellow competitors that are a part of the LGBT+ community," Victini read from the card, though he felt that it was a bit too easy. So, he added an extra twist, " _Excluding_ yourselves, if applicable, R.J. and Kane."

That didn't really cause much issue, as the girls had a bit of time to think before writing down their answers. They knew some of them for sure, but were unsure about a few others.

Once the fifteen seconds were up, Mew spoke up, "Alright, let's see those boards…"

The three girls turned their boards around, though Sasha a bit more hesitant than the other two. The Nidoqueen had written down Belladonna, Chip, and Xavier's names; Portia wrote down Chip, Belladonna, and Zahku; and Jessica also wrote down Chip, Belladonna, and Zahku.

Scanning over the girls' boards, Victini nodded. "All of you got it correct, that's one point for all of you."

"Wait, _Xavier_ is part of the community?" Portia queried, surprised by the revelation.

"Yep, apparently he's asexual," Mew confirmed. "And that's a part of the community in some places, so we're counting it."

"Onto the next question," Victini shifted, not wanting to delve into the conversation deeper. "What two contestants have tattoos?"

Portia immediately began writing her answer, but immediately froze. _Two_? There was only one person that all three of them knew had a tattoo, as it was obvious. But, who could be the other person?

Mew let them know to stop writing, stating, "Time's up. Let's see who you got."

The girls all turned their boards around with unsure expressions. All three of them had Chip's name written down, though Portia had written down 'Chris' instead of Chip, but they each had different names underneath his. Sasha wrote Max, Portia wrote down Kane, and Jessica wrote down Dade.

"Um…" Victini began, looking at all three boards. "Well, you all got Chip right, but none of you got the other person. It's actually Lynn. She has a yin-yang collar tattoo underneath her neck leaves.

Jessica scoffed, "How were we supposed to know that?!"

"Well, to be fair, this is pretty much showing that you guys don't know _that_ much about the others anyway," Mew addressed.

"No points," Victini said, getting back on track. "Next question. What is Honey's last name?"

The girls all started writing, though there was a bit of uncertainty on Portia's side. She didn't really remember much about Honey aside from the fact that she was annoying and apparently rich.

"Alright, show us those answers," Victini instructed.

Both Sasha and Jessica had written down 'Winchester', while Portia wrote down 'Williamson'. Seeing that the other two girls' answers were the same, Portia let out a groan.

"Winchester is correct," Mew said. "That's another point for both Jessica and Sasha. It's pretty close."

"Yep," Victini chimed in. "Sasha and Portia both have four points, and Jessica is close behind with three. Let's get to this next question."

"What was the name of the spray that Marley used during the initial tour of the island?" Mew inquired, looking at his card.

The girls immediately drew blanks, trying to dig into the back of their minds to remember what the Aipom had used. They remembered that she had used it around the small lake on the island, but otherwise they couldn't really recall the name. Well, at least two of them couldn't.

The girls turned their boards around again. Sasha wrote down 'Butt Spray', Portia wrote down 'Liquid Ass', and Jessica wrote down 'Ass Spray'.

"And… Liquid Ass is correct!" Victini announced.

Portia cheered once again, "Five points. I'm halfway there…"

Jessica glared at the Rhyperior. At this rate, there was no doubt that she was going to be the one to win. So, she had to shift her focus from beating Portia to beating Sasha.

"Alright, next question," Mew continued. "Whose initials are K.A.Y. and what does it stand for?"

The contestants exchanged looks, as there were only two possibilities. Sasha knew that it wasn't Kane, as his last name didn't start with a 'Y', so she started thinking about Kay. Portia and Jessica didn't really remember Kane or Kay's full names, so it was a bit difficult.

"And the boards?" Mew queried, urging the girls to show their boards once again.

The girls all revealed their answers. Sasha made a guess and wrote down 'Kay Anita Young'. Portia just wrote down Kane's first name, as she he no real idea, and Jessica just wrote down Kay's first name.

"And… no points once again," Victini stated. "It's Kay Allie Yarbrough."

"Yeah, I wasn't getting that," Portia stated as she started erasing her board.

"She wasn't here that long and she was an annoying cunt, so I don't really mind getting it wrong," Jessica responded nonchalantly.

Victini chuckled in response. "Well, the scores remain the same. Now, time for another round. This time, the questions will be multiple choice. Same rules as the previous round, if you get it correct, you get a point."

"Well, this'll hopefully be much easier," Sasha commented, with Portia nodding in agreement.

"It probably will," Mew agreed with a nod as he looked through his cards. "Okay… here's a question to start the round: What is Lucky's _real_ name? A. Miles; B. Lawrence; C. Rod; D. Dallas."

Given those answer choices, the three girls immediately wrote down their choices.

"Alright, let's see those boards," Victini stated.

All three girls chose 'B. Lawrence'. The Victory Pokémon nodded, "Good job, girls. All of you got it right. That's one point for each of you!"

Portia smiled to herself, as she only needed four more points and Sasha was close behind. "Keep doing questions like this and this won't take long at all."

Jessica glared at the Rhyperior from the corner of her eye.

"Alright, next question. Where did Zahku get his name?" Victini inquired, immediately causing the girls to gape in shock.

The Bruxish scoffed, "How are we supposed to know _anything_ about-"

Victini ignored her interruption, continuing to read, "A. His parents; B. Himself; C. An Emolga; D. A Garchomp."

The girls exchanged looks, before putting down their answers. Zahku was such an enigma that they had no idea what to put down. For all they knew, all of the answers could be correct!

After fifteen seconds, the girls revealed their answers. Sasha chose B, Portia chose C, and Jessica chose B. Seeing the answers, Victini chuckled. "Well, believe it or not, Zahku named himself."

Portia groaned, while Sasha and Jessica both gained smiles.

"Alright, the score is now tied with both Sasha and Portia having six points and Jessica still trailing behind with five," Mew recapped, eyeing the monitor.

"Next question," Victini began, moving right along. "Who was the only person to not jump on the Blue Team during our first challenge? A. Dade; B. Lucky; C. Honey; D. Christine."

A smile formed on Portia's face immediately, as a scowl formed on Jessica's. Once time was up, they turned their boards around. Seeing that they all chose A, Victini nodded, "Correct. Points for all three of you."

"Okay, this is just getting annoying at this point," Jessica stated, as she was still one point behind Sasha and Portia. "These questions are just gonna get easier and make it easier for Portia to make it to the end since she's already got an advantage."

"And yet Sasha is tied with me…" Portia scoffed. "You're really just whining any time things aren't going your way, now."

"Oh please. Without that dumb extra point, Sasha would be ahead of you," Jessica retorted with a glare. "Don't act like you're hot shit…"

Portia glared at the Bruxish, setting her board aside. "Okay, you know what? I'm _really_ getting tired of you. You started bitching when you couldn't do _anything_ , but as soon as you _can_ do something, you still bitch because you're losing. You're not special! If Sasha hadn't stopped yesterday, you'd be gone, with or without her vote."

Jessica stayed silent, glaring at her, "Face me…"

Portia rose a brow before scoffing, as Sasha simply held her head. "What…?"

"Forfeit your advantage. Let Sasha into the final two. Let's just make this between you and me," Jessica challenged. "We'll have the same scores and we'll keep the same criteria. First one to ten points will win the other spot. I'll show you that I can beat you easily."

The Rhyperior thought about it momentarily before chuckling, "You have issues; you know that?"

"Nope. You're the one with issues if you're too scared to face me one-on-one in this challenge," the Bruxish replied sternly. She was tired of Portia winning most of the challenges. The Bruxish finally won a challenge yesterday, but the Rhyperior was acting like it didn't matter because Sasha _could_ have won it. Not only that, but she was trying to turn the Nidoqueen against her! The rhino-saur needed to go, and she was going to be the one to get rid of her.

"Okay… fine," Portia acquiesced, folding her arms. She turned back to the hosts, who were simply listening intently. Victini had an excited smile, while Mew remained indifferent. Sasha, who had remained silent the entire time, just groaned to herself.

 **000**

" **This is the most childish shit I've ever seen," the Nidoqueen said, pinching the bridge of her snout. "They seriously just decided to let me go to the finals just because they want to beat each other so bad. It's so stupid!"**

 **She then sighed, "But, I guess this has been brewing for a while. And hey, if their childish decision somehow gets me 100,000 Poke, then… I can say their fighting did some good."**

 **000**

"So, you guys want the challenge to just between you two?" Victini asked, wanting clarification. "You're both fine with letting Sasha take the first slot in the finals?"

"Yes," Jessica responded with a form nod.

Portia shrugged her shoulders with an expression of indifference, "Sure."

"Alright then…" Victini began before turning toward the quiet Nidoqueen. "Congrats, Sasha. You're in the final two!"

"Uh… Yay?" Sasha replied, feeling a bit uncomfortable. She was happy, but annoyed at the same time. Not only were her two friends acting like brats, she was actually tied with Portia and _could_ have won for herself if the questions continued to be rather easy.

"Now, let's see who will be joining you..." Mew commented, going through his cards.

"Oh, and as per your conditions, everything will remain how it is currently and Portia will have her bonus point retracted, bringing her down to six points," Victini added. "So, the first one to reach ten points will win. If there's a tie, then we'll keep going until somebody gets it wrong. Understood?"

Both girls nodded, readying their markers.

"Alright, now the questions are going to get a bit more about the challenges and show, as well as your fellow competitors," Mew explained. "Like this one… What song did Tonya have to sing during the karaoke challenge? A. Yellow; B. White; C. Blue (Da Ba Bee); D. Red."

The two girls both wrote down their answers and immediately showed them to the hosts. Both Portia and Jessica wrote 'C' on their boards.

"Correct! One point for each of you," Mew stated.

"Next question," Victini replied. "Where did Zahku say his strength comes from? A. Nowhere; B. Fornication; C. Training; D. B & C."

Both girls immediately wrote down their answers before immediately revealing them. Once again, both girls had correct answers, having both written 'D'.

"Both of you get a point once again," Victini stated. "It's getting really close. Next question!"

Mew jumped straight into it, asking, "Who was the first person to arrive on the island?"

Immediately, the girls grew a bit uncertain, as they had arrived at separate times. This was an extremely important question for them, as one slip up could make or break them. Mew read out the answer choices, "A. Lynn; B. Christine; C. Zahku; D. Max."

They were going to have to guess, as they had no idea. Sasha simply let out a sigh as she watched this happen. The girls turned their boards around, showing their answers. Portia had chosen D, while Jessica chose A.

"The correct answer is… D. Max," Mew revealed.

Portia smiled. "Yes!"

"Hey, don't cheer yet," Jessica stated, glaring at her. "There's still another question and you could get it wrong."

Portia rolled her eyes. Yes, there was a chance that she could miss the next question, but that didn't mean that she couldn't be excited.

Victini began, "Alright, this next question could be it. Portia is at nine points and Jessica is a bit behind with eight. For the win, and a spot in the final two… What did Art put down as a reason for him joining the game?"

Both girls immediately blanked, a sudden wave of curiosity washing over them. Victini read the answer choices, "A. He wants to be a reporter; B. To pay for his grandma's hospital bills; C. To try and find a place to stay; D. He just wants the money for himself."

The girls immediately began thinking about the Ferrothorn's mannerisms and trying to remember anything that he had said in the past. Eventually, both girls had their own ideas and put down their answers.

"Alright…" Mew stated. "Jessica, show your board first…"

The Bruxish turned her board around, showing that she had written down the letter 'C'. Victini looked at the card in his hands and shook his head. "That is incorrect."

Jessica let out a sigh. She really hoped that Portia either chose the same letter or got the wrong answer.

"Jessica got it wrong, so it comes down to you, Portia," the New Species Pokémon informed. "If you get this correct, you move on. Let's see what's on your board..."

Portia took a deep breath, clenching her eyes shut as she flipped her board around, revealing that she had chosen choice 'B'.

Seeing that answer, Jessica gained a smirk, believing that it couldn't possibly be the answer. But then, she recalled what Art was saying about him not being a complete jackass like they thought he was. She paled.

"B is correct!" Victini announced, causing Portia to excitedly jump from her seat. "Congratulations Portia, you and Sasha are the final two!"

"Yes!" the Rhyperior cheered, picking up the Nidoqueen, who had an expression of slight sadness as she looked at Jessica, who had a look of disappointment on her face as she stared down at the sand.

"That means… Jessica…" Victini began.

"I'm out…" the Bruxish sighed as Sasha, who had been put down, went over to her and hugged her.

Mew chuckled, "Yes, you're out of the competition, _BUT_ , you'll be helping to decide which of these two ladies will win it all."

Jessica's eyes widened, as did Sasha's and Portia's. "Wait, WHAT?!" Portia and Jessica both exclaimed.

"That's right," Victini replied. "There's no final challenge. The winner will be decided by the votes of all of the eliminated competitors who made it to the merge with you."

"Wha- How is that-"

"Tonight," Mew interrupted. "Jessica and the other six players eliminated after the merge will return and ask you questions and maybe just talk to you before making their final decision on who deserves to win the grand prize."

"So, you'd better be ready to state your cases and answer truthfully," Victini concluded. "For now, Jessica, it's time for you to go."

A Lapras arrived just as he said that, causing Jessica to take a breath. She looked at Portia and Sasha with a small smile. "Well, good game, you guys. Sasha, I'm rooting for you. And Portia, I hope there's no hard feelings. I was just playing the game as hard as I could."

The Rhyperior sighed, "Yeah, I get it. It's no big deal. Sorry for making you feel shitty. But, I'm not sorry that I beat you. It was either you or me..."

Jessica giggled, "Figures that I lost on the question about Art… Even after he's gone, his influence is still here."

Portia nodded in agreement.

"Thanks for helping me out in the game, Jess," Sasha thanked. "I mean it…"

Jessica smiled back at her. "It's fine, just try to get those votes tonight."

The Nidoqueen nodded with a smile.

"Alright Jessica, let's get you to Loser Land," Mew said, gesturing for her to head to the Lapras. The Bruxish obliged, floating toward the Transport Pokémon.

As she did this, Portia rose a brow as she folded her arms. "Wait, you called the resort Loser Land? Really?" she deadpanned. She felt that the name was pretty corny and boring, especially since it was apparently a resort. "You couldn't name it Elimination Isle or something?"

Victini shrugged in indifference, as the name didn't really matter. "Eh, we just named it the first thing that came into our minds. Anyways, you shouldn't worry about it, because you guys are still in the game!" he announced with a smile.

"Yep, now you have to count on the others," Mew explained. "For now, you girls can return to the campgrounds and just wait for us to call you down in the next five hours.

"So… what do we do in the meantime?" Sasha asked, hoping that there was something to preoccupy them so that they weren't just stuck with nothing to do.

The hosts exchanged looks, as they didn't have anything too special planned for the final two, as one of them would be winning a huge prize at the end. "Uh…" Victini began. "You guys can just talk and get yourselves ready. Get some rest if you'd like. Just relax and reflect on your experience in the game."

"We'll see you in a few hours," Mew followed before the two of them teleported out of sight.

 **000**

Portia and Sasha exchanged looks before heading back to camp. The Rhyperior was so happy with how she played. She was one of the biggest threats from the get-go, a huge rock-type that had no fear of water. Yet, she managed to outlast everyone by making good friends and winning the challenges.

Now, all she had to do was say her piece about the game and hope that nobody held anything against her. She really liked Sasha and felt that she was a great person, but with how little she did, she didn't know if anyone would really vote for her aside from Jessica and Kane. However, she couldn't be cocky. Nothing was guaranteed.

Sasha, despite her excitement, gained a rather nervous disposition. Yes, she had made it as far as she could in the game. However, that didn't mean that she did well during her time here. She already knew that some people didn't see her as anyone but the girl that had a crush on Kane. She had been trying to show her worth, but was almost always overshadowed.

She really hoped that she could try and articulate what happened with her throughout the game. She didn't want anyone to just dismiss her altogether. The Nidoqueen let out a sigh as she approached her cabin. She felt an arm on her shoulder and turned to see Portia smiling down at her. "We did it…"

Sasha nodded back with a smile. The Rhyperior ended up guiding her into the mess hall, where they both took a seat at the table that she and Jessica usually sat at during breakfast.

Portia let out a sigh, holding her head. "I still can't believe it. We actually made it here…"

Sasha giggled softly, rubbing her arm sheepishly. "Yeah, it's… it's pretty insane. I don't think either of us expected to make it this far…"

The Rhyperior shook her head in response, agreeing with the Nidoqueen. "Nope. I was worried that I'd be gone earlier, but my strength made me more valuable, I guess."

She noticed that the Nidoqueen seemed to be rather downcast despite their victory. "Something wrong?" she queried in a tone of concern.

Sasha let out a sigh in response. "I'm just… worried about how tonight's gonna go," she answered, her gaze still locked on the table. She looked up momentarily. "I mean, I made to the end, but is anyone besides Jessica even gonna vote for me?"

Wanting to lift her spirits, the Rhyperior mentioned, "Hey, I'm pretty sure that you've got Kane's vote. You two had a whole thing! I'd be surprised if he voted for me instead of you. And I think you've got… Max's vote, too. Maybe… even Dade's…"

The Rhyperior let out a sigh, holding her head. Her trying to lift Sasha up, in turn, caused her to bring herself down. She had neglected to really think about who all would be deciding who won, as she had been mainly hoping that it would be a final challenge and not a final vote. The more she thought about it, the more nervous _she_ began to get.

"Well… I guess I do have a bit of a chance, but I don't really know," Sasha responded with a shrug as she got up. "I just hope that the questions they ask aren't that bad…"

As the Nidoqueen left, Portia let out a breath of her own. "Yeah…"

 **000**

" **Well, this is going to be a bit tougher than I thought," Portia commented, rubbing the back of her head. "Sasha has more possible votes than I do. I know for a fact that I have Bella's vote, but… Sasha has Jessica AND Kane's votes. Maybe I can do some good convincing and convince the others to vote my way, too."**

 **A grown of frustration followed, as she exclaimed, "WHY COULDN'T IT JUST BE A FINAL CHALLENGE LIKE OTHER SHOWS?!"**

 **000**

 **Sasha sighed, "I made it this far, and hopefully I can convince anyone unsure about the vote that I played a good game! Jessica has my back, and… Kane may, too. But after everything, I wouldn't fault him if he didn't vote for me."**

" **I just hope that things go my way, tonight," she whispered to herself.**

 **000**

At the Hall of Origins, a vast majority of the Legendaries were in the living room, including Arceus and Giratina. The large room had been expanded even further to allow everybody to be able to enter and view what was going on. There were more couches, sofa chairs, and even a few perches in the room, now. The only Pokémon currently absent were Kyurem, who didn't care; Phione, who was asleep; and Manaphy, whose anxiety about the sea kept him from returning for a while.

"Alright, who're we betting on?" Victini asked, pushing a large whiteboard into the vicinity.

As the other Legendaries watching the show shouted out their predictions and bets, Arceus and Giratina remained silent, focusing on the show at hand. They weren't interested in the bets, but were curious to see how this voting finale would turn out. A majority of other shows, including the ones done by the other Legendaries, all ended in a final challenge that would determine the winner.

Due to the multitude of voices all talking at once, the couple spoke to each other via telepathy.

" _So, love, who do you think is going to take home this prize?"_ Arceus inquired.

Giratina hummed to himself momentarily before responding, _"I think that it's going to be a close vote.; they each have connections to the voters. However, I think that a few of them could go either way and it'll depend on the questions they ask. How about you?"_

Arceus responded, " _Hmm, I think that Portia will take it. I believe that despite some dissensions she may have had between a few of the voters, that her answers will be sufficient enough to get her the needed votes."_

Giratina nodded, _"I can envision that. I really can. But, for now, we'll just have to wait_."

The goddess nodded before scooting closer to her renegade husband, resting her head against the gold rings around his neck.

"Alright, so that's twenty votes for Portia and fourteen votes for Sasha," Victini reviewed. "Anyone else?"

"Nope," Latios answered. "So, what's the deal for this round since it's your finale?"

Victini began to think about the possibilities, but Giratina spoke up, disrupting his thought process. They didn't expect him to have any input on their bets, so this was a bit of a surprise. "You all have been using these bets to get out of doing your chores around here. So, if you lose your bet this time, you have to go out and do the jobs that you are normally assigned, as well as the jobs of the ones who won for two months."

Immediately, all of the other Legendaries looked at each other, slightly horrified. Most of their jobs just included patrolling the world, sitting in one place and watching other Pokémon. It was so incredibly boring for a majority of them. Most of the time, nothing happened with or without their assistance anyway.

"U-Uh… is it too late to take out my bet?" Raikou queried, as did some of the others. The Renegade Pokémon had just made the punishment for being wrong downright cruel, in their eyes.

Arceus shook her head. "No withdrawals. If your name is on that board, you're a part of it."

"Gee… thanks mom and dad…" Zapdos deadpanned.

The Legendaries all began conversing again as the show continued, showing both girls going into their own cabins.

Mew had been mostly silent, simply watching Shaymin and trying to think about what he was going to say to her once the show was over. He was suddenly nudged by Victini, who he turned around the face.

"Let's go back to Loser Land," he whispered. "It'll be something for us to do in the meantime and we can just talk more to the others."

Mew shrugged his shoulders, "Sure, whatever…"

Victini gave him a look, knowing that he was still thinking about Shaymin. "Dude, you're going to talk to her tonight after all of this is said and done. You can continue to be happy like you were earlier. Come on!"

Mew groaned to himself, "Fine…"

"Atta boy, now come on," Victini said as the two of them teleported out of the area.

 **000**

Hours passed, with the sun slowly beginning to set on Jeje-Amawa Island. Portia and Sasha were both sitting on the beach, watching as the star slowly disappeared.

"PORTIA AND SASHA, HEAD DOWN TO THE ELIMINATION AREA!" the duo heard Victini's voice echo.

Both girls let out a sigh before looking at each other. This was it, the last hurrah. All that was left for them to do is talk with the others and see who wins.

"You ready?" Portia asked with a small smile.

Sasha took a deep breath before rising to her feet. "Yeah, let's go…" she said with a nod.

The Rhyperior followed suit, getting to her feet. The two women began making their way to the elimination area, still on edge.

 **000**

" **Alright," Sasha began. "This is it. I have a chance. I've thought about it, and I think I know what I'm gonna say. Hopefully it works well…"**

 **000**

" **I'm gonna try to answer all the questions with honesty and apologize if I ended up hurting anyone in the process of making it here," Portia stated. "Hopefully they don't hold any grudges."**

 **000**

The elimination area had been completely reorganized. There was a single bench on one side of the fire pit, and a set of bleachers on the other. Said bleachers were already occupied by those who would be determining the winner. Kane, Max, and Jessica were on the top row, Art, Belladonna, and Dade were on the second row, and Zahku sat alone on the last row.

Sasha and Portia took a seat next to each other on the bench as Mew and Victini entered the scene, with Victini lighting the fire with a snap of his fingers.

"Alright!" Victini began, turning his attention to Portia and Sasha. "It's been a long half-month, but you two have managed to beat out all of your fellow competitors."

Mew decided to chime in, "At the end of the day, regardless of who wins or loses, hopefully you guys have enjoyed yourselves."

"Now, before we let you guys talk, we want to hear from you two," Victini said. "How has the game changed you, if it did? Did you have fun? What would you change if you had to do it again? And most importantly… why do _you_ deserve 100,000 Poke."

The camera lingered on the two finalists as the Victory Pokémon continued, "You can start at any time."

Portia cleared her throat. "Well, I think that I deserve to win because of how unlikely it was for me to make it this far. I mean, I thought that I would be an early out because I thought that I'd be seen as a threat because of my strength. But, I managed to pull through and make it further. I dodged some bullets thanks to my friends, and I managed to win challenges. I know that some of you may not really like me, but if you think about it, I'm the right choice."

The others listened intently, though Art rolled his eyes at what she was talking about at some points.

She continued, "This experience has been great. I made some good friends, I met a guy that can care for me a lot… and this whole experience has made me a stronger woman. I really hope that you guys choose me. I'd really appreciate it."

"Okay…" Mew nodded. "Sasha?"

Sasha let out a sigh. "Well… I think that I deserve to win because of how much I care and how much I've tried. I've been cordial to nearly all of you, and I have no problems with any of you. When it comes to my gameplay, I already know… I sucked at it. I spend half of the time just… fawning over Kane, and the other half, I've tried to win challenges, but I ended up making slight mistakes or just being beaten out by the larger threats. I mean, hardly anyone could beat Zahku in the merge! And like Portia, I thought that I'd be an easy out because of how much I clung to Kane like a lost puppy. But, with the help of a few others, I managed to continue and never get a vote cast against me until last night."

The Nidoqueen paused, not entirely knowing what else to say. "Um… just… thank you guys for listening to me and… hopefully you choose me."

With that closing statement, Victini stated, "Alright, now let's hear from the eliminated counsel…"

He turned his attention to the players sitting on the bleachers, "If any of you have any questions, or just want to say something, then go ahead and speak up. **"**

The counsel exchanged glances with each other before Belladonna cleared her throat. "Well, all I have to say is that both of you did well, and that Portia, I support you 100%."

Portia giggled, "Thanks."

"Well, I guess I'll go next," Kane said, standing up. "What would you guys say were your biggest accomplishments in the game? Aside from making it this far?"

Sasha fiddled with her claws momentarily, "Well, I think my biggest accomplishment would be… getting over you. Once you were gone, I just started focusing more on the game. I was still a bit sad, but… I made it this far, haven't I?"

Kane chuckled, "Portia?"

The Rhyperior rubbed the back of her head. She couldn't really think of anything specific aside from making it this far. "I… I honestly have no idea. I guess… finally beating Jessica out for this final spot because of our rivalry."

Kane nodded, "Okay, I can take that. Thanks."

The bruin sat back down, with Dade immediately chiming in a moment later. "Okay, so this is what I want to hear. Why doesn't the other person deserve to win?"

The girls were a bit confused initially, with Sasha tilting her head in confusion. "Wait… huh?"

Dade sighed, believing that his question was simple. "Instead of telling us why _you_ deserve to win. Tell us why the other person _doesn't_."

"Oh… uh…" Portia began. "Well, Sasha didn't exactly play the most strategic game. She spent most of her time just being obsessed with Kane or doing nothing special to make herself look… _major_ , in a sense. This is a game and to win it, shouldn't you actually have to play it?"

Dade nodded, "Okay… And Sasha?"

"Well, while playing the game is a good thing, playing it _too_ hard is a problem, and I think that was something that Portia was doing a lot," Sasha explained. "She keeps talking about how she won challenges and about strategies, but I don't think she had that many… positive relationships besides with like… four or five of us in total."

Dade hummed, "That's true, but you didn't really make yourself open, much, either."

"Exactly," Portia chimed in. "She was mainly around Kane, Jessica, Max, Tonya, and Honey for a majority of the game, and I was mainly with Belladonna. We both had specific people that we went to more than others."

"But I still have more, though," Sasha argued. "And we became friends too."

"I think you guys are getting off topic," Max spoke up.

The Nidoqueen sighed, "Basically, I actually made more friends and tried to establish more relationships aside from just playing the game, while Portia just worried about making it further in the game with only having a few relationships."

The Mothim nodded, "Alright, then."

Noticing that there was a bit of silence following it, Victini inquired, "Anyone else?"

"Alright, y'know what, I think I'm just gonna start talking and say what's been on mind for a while," Art stated as he started getting out of the bleachers. "There's gonna be a few questions thrown in as well, and I think I'll be thorough enough so that the mutes will actually have to think."

The others on the bleachers glowered at the Ferrothorn as he began his sermon.

"Alright, let's assess who we have to choose from, first," the Ferrothorn began. "We have a lady who started off strong, but got doughy-eyed for a buff gay and started doing nothing until he was eliminated. And then, she just rode along and was essentially _brought_ here."

Sasha gave the Ferrothorn a glare. "You were the one who called me a threat…"

Art ignored her comment as he turned his attention to Portia, who already had an expression of annoyance on her face. "And here we have a lady whose ego is so huge that it could crush Regigigas' pelvis, even though in reality she's been scared for a good portion of the game."

Portia huffed, folding her arms. Given what he had just said to Sasha, she didn't expect any less from him.

"Now, both of you played the game differently. Sasha, she played more reserved and Portia, you played more obvious, but something that you both have in common is that you had a lot of luck," the Ferrothorn continued.

"Portia, you've been up for elimination a few times and got lucky because of a statue from Belladonna one of those times. And, the only reason that you even managed to win some of the challenges is because Zahku _let_ you win after you made a deal with him," Art stated. "If it wasn't for Belladonna, you wouldn't even be here."

"Art, is this really necessary?" Belladonna queried, glaring at the Thorn Pod Pokémon. It felt more like he was attacking the two of them instead of just questioning them or giving general comments.

"Hey, we have to decide which of them gets fame and 100,000 Poke," Art replied. "I say that this _is_ necessary, especially since I know that some of you are completely biased because of friendship. Heck, what I say may not even change your minds. _But_ , it'll offer some perspective."

The others in the bleachers exchanged looks. They understood what he meant, but it still felt a bit wrong.

Art continued, "Now, Sasha… like you said, you lasted the majority of the game without getting a single vote cast against you. And the only one you did get… was from your own ally."

"Because you-"

"Ah!" Art interrupted. "You guys had the chance to change things and you didn't, so I don't wanna hear it."

Jessica grumbled to herself as Max patted her on the side.

"Now, why do you think that happened?" Art asked the Nidoqueen. "Was it because you genuinely were always safe and had control of your fate… or was it because other people were either bigger threats or bigger annoyances than you?"

Sasha sat in silence for a bit, unsure if she was actually supposed to answer or not. With Art giving her a look, she figured that he wanted her to answer. "Uh… well, perhaps a combination of both?"

"Mhmm…" Art replied. "Portia, why do you say?"

With a huff, the Rhyperior responded, "I say that this is stupid and that you should just get on with it instead of trying to berate us."

"Hey, I'm just trying to provide some more insight before we all vote, because it's just gonna end up being a popularity contest if they don't get to know more… And we both know how that's gonna go for you…" Art explained.

Portia growled softly to herself.

"Now, Sasha, you tried your damndest to get rid of me and finally succeeded," the Ferrothorn replied. "Did you orchestrate anyone else's elimination?"

"Uh… besides yours… just Belladonna's," she explained.

"Exactly, so you're not as innocent as you'd like us to believe," Art stated. "So why act all timid now? Why not mention it?"

"W-Well, I just didn't think about it…"

"I mean, it proves that you _are_ playing the game, unlike what Portia said earlier," Art explained. "Why not have some confidence for a chance?"

"Art, are you seriously just here to talk shit and disguise it as giving more insight?" Portia scoffed, unappreciative of how Art was burying Sasha in questions and ignoring her.

"I'm showing that despite Sasha making it this far and making a decent moves, she still has hardly any confidence in herself. You're taking ownership and the fact that you're defending _her_ shows that you have more confidence and respect for her than she does," Art explained. "I mean, sure, she's a threat because of her kind nature, but if she doesn't have any confidence to back any of it up, then what's the point of her even making a statement?"

Portia just shook her head as Sasha looked down at the ground in sadness.

"Now," the steel durian continued, "another thing that you two have in common is you guys' personal problems. Portia, you didn't mention your sexual abuse, it came out during the challenge, and obviously you didn't want it to."

Portia decided to start tuning the Ferrothorn out, as it was just getting ridiculous at this point. It seemed like he was advocating for her, but she wasn't sure if it was a fake out or something.

"And Sasha, well, you pretty much hammered it into everyone's minds every time you had a chance," Art chuckled. "That seems like a cry for sympathy, and if I'm being honest… I think that Portia's would be better to go for, because your problem has an easy solution."

"Why are you being such a jackass?!" Sasha shouted at him, fighting back a few tears. "I thought that you were more than that..."

"Oh, you guys all learned about why I got in this game in the first place," Art explained. "At this point, it doesn't really matter to me what you think. I failed at what I was trying to do, so I'm just moving on."

He turned to Portia. "Now, Portia, you started out as a chill surfer girl. Spouting your dudes and dudettes, but you turned into this bitchy game-bot pretty damn quickly. You made and broke a deal with Zahku to get a win. You started retaliating against Jessica instead of just leaving it be and moving on. You argued _against_ her about the competitions becoming unfair for her and myself, you started trying to manipulate Sasha into turning against Jessica because of your insecurity, and when Jessica finally beat you at a challenge, you got salty."

Portia simply narrowed her eyes at him, becoming more and more annoyed the more he talked.

"Now, I'll give you props, but to be honest, you should've been gone a while ago," Art replied. "Heck, it should've been yesterday, but… what can you do?"

"Wrap it up, Art…" Mew deadpanned, increasingly growing more uncomfortable and feeling bad for the girls.

Art sighed, turning to the counsel. "Our job is to award one of these two with a huge prize and honor. They both have a lot of flaws, but one has made more mistakes and did less in this game than the other. Make your choice wisely and don't just vote based on who your friends are. The end."

Mew pinched the bridge of his nose. "Thanks for that, Art…"

Victini, seemingly unfazed by all he's heard, continued with the show. "Now, it's time to vote. Head to the confessional one at a time and state the name of the person who you think deserves to win the game. And after that… _interesting_ speech from Art, I think it'll be an exciting vote…"

Everyone sitting in the bleachers began to head toward the confessional, leaving the two finalists alone. Portia shook her head as she looked down to Sasha, who was wiping a few tears away from her face.

"You okay?"

Sasha sniffled in response. "No… not really. I just got bombarded with questions that I couldn't really answer and berated because of my anxiety…"

"Well, that's Art," Portia responded. "Guess that since he couldn't do what he came here to do, he just didn't give a fuck and let it out…"

Sasha sniffled, "Well, I don't know _what_ ' _s_ gonna happen now."

Portia wrapped her arm around the Nidoqueen, giving her a side hug. "Well, we're going to find out in a few…"

 **-000-**

Once Dade returned, having been the last one to vote, Victini and Mew exchanged looks. A jar full of slips of paper appeared in Victini's arms.

"Alright, now that all of the votes have been cast, let's see how it all ends…" Victini said. "All of the votes have been recorded and dispensed as these slips of paper. Whoever has four votes win. So, let's get to it…"

Victini dug in and pulled out the first slip. "The first vote goes to Portia…"

The Rhyperior nodded.

"Second vote… also goes to Portia," Victini read.

Portia smiled to herself.

"Third vote…" Victini began, looking at the slip. "Sasha…"

The Nidoqueen took a deep breath, rubbing her eyes.

"Fourth vote… Portia," Victini read.

Portia clenched her toes, taking a breath. She just needed one more vote.

The Victory Pokémon reached in for another slip. "Next vote… Sasha."

Everyone watched and listened intently as he reached into the jar once again, grabbing at one of the last votes. "...Sasha," he read. "It's a tied vote. This last vote determines who wins…"

Sasha and Portia clenched each others' hands tightly.

"The winner...of our first ever Island Challenge…" Victini said as he took out the slip and handed it to Mew.

Mew chuckled to himself, reading the name on the slip, "...Sasha."

The Nidoqueen gasped in shock, tears beginning to stream down her face. "I… I w-"

"YOU WON!" Portia suddenly exclaimed, picking her up and embracing her in a hug.

The others all approached, excluding Art, congratulating her and hugging her.

Mew and Victini all went toward the main camera. "And there you have it! Sasha is the first ever winner of our Island Challenge!" Victini announced.

"That's the end of our show for now, but we'll see you again one of these days. So keep those heads up!"

"This has been Mew and Victini's Island Challenge. Hope you enjoyed, and we'll see you again next time!"

 **000**

At Loser Land, nearly everyone was celebrating Sasha's victory with a pool party, even those who didn't really care for her all that much were out and about. Kay was sleeping in a cage behind a few plants, not wanting to deal with anybody. Marley, Kane, R.J., Jessica, Max, and Belladonna were all in the pool, splashing and swimming around; Xavier, Lucky, and Dade were simply talking under an umbrella, which closed on Lucky immediately; Lynn and Tim were sitting by the edge of the pool, with Honey watching them from one of the chairs; Christine had asked to be sent home immediately; and Art, Zahku, Chip, and, surprisingly, Portia, were nowhere to be seen.

Lying in one of the chairs, Sasha took a deep breath. The Nidoqueen still couldn't believe that she had won, _especially_ after everything that Art had said about her. She watched as the others all played around and talked, a smile forming on her face.

"So, what are you planning on u-using the money for, aside from a good divorce lawyer…" Tonya teased, lying on the chair beside her's.

Initially a bit surprised, Sasha chirped, "I'll probably just find an apartment and settle down. Use the money for those bills, maybe find a good job…"

Tonya giggled, "So… you doing okay? Art r-really ripped you a new one…"

The Drill Pokémon let out a sigh. "Yeah… and somehow I still managed to win," Sasha responded, reaching for a glass of wine that was sitting on a table beside her.

"Hey, if I were you, I'd go and t-tear _him_ a new one for s-saying all of that crap," Tonya suggested.

Sasha shook her head. "There's no point. He'd probably just tune me out anyways… I'm just gonna get some more meatballs and keep relaxing for a while…"

Tonya nodded in understanding as the Nidoqueen got out of her chair and headed inside of the mansion, where there was an array of different foods in the kitchen.

Inside, she saw that Art was sitting on the couch, alone, staring at the blank television screen. She decided to just ignore him, picking up a small plate and a pair of tongs as she approached the pan with the multiple meatballs.

"I'm sorry…" she suddenly heard, causing her to freeze in place. She slowly turned around and nearly jumped upon seeing that Art was now behind her.

Feeling rather uncomfortable, the Nidoqueen stammered, "Oh… u-uh…"

Suddenly, a new, angry voice was heard, asking, "Art, what the _fuck_ are you doing?"

That voice was revealed to be Kane, who was wet from being in the pool. After Art had made Sasha cry, he didn't really want him anywhere near her.

"I'm just…"

"He's… apologizing to me…" Sasha cut him off. She looked to Kane. "It's okay."

Kane nodded, glaring at the Ferrothorn before turning back around and heading back to the pool. Art let out a sigh. "Look, I was way out of line, alright? I tried to warn the others about the possibility of, well… _this_ happening," he explained, referring to Sasha winning. "But, nobody wanted to listen, so I just tried to show them your weaker side."

Sasha shook her head. "Why? Why did it matter so much that I didn't win?"

"Because then something would go my way in this game…" Art replied before letting out a groan. "I don't want any trouble with anyone, even though I'm pretty sure a good portion of them probably hate me more, but… you have to understand where I was coming from with my… _situation_."

"Right… your… grandmother," Sasha replied, rubbing her arm sheepishly.

"I'm not gonna ask you for anything. That would be the worst thing I could possibly do, aside from robbery," Art replied. "Just know… nothing that I said really means anything. She still proved me wrong and… I hope that things are, at the very least, lukewarm between us."

Sasha gave him a small smile, "It's alright. And… thanks for your apology."

Art nodded before walking away, presumably heading up to his room. Portia passed by him as he exited the kitchen, her legs a bit shaky. "Hey, hey," she greeted, approaching the Nidoqueen with a smile.

Sasha giggled as she started taking out meatballs, "What happened to you? You look really happy…"

Portia returned the giggle with her own, leaning against the kitchen island. "Well~... Chip and I just had some… _fun_ upstairs…"

Sasha gaped in surprise, "Oh, _really_? How was it?"

The Rhyperior smirked with a chuckle, "Better than I could have imagined." Remembering that Art had just left, she asked, "So, what was that jackass doing in here?"

"He actually apologized for what he said," Sasha replied as she and Portia started leaving the kitchen to head back out to where the party was.

"Wow, I'm surprised," Portia said, placing her hands on her hips. "So, what's the move once the party's over?"

"I'll probably go to my mom's place and stay there for a while," Sasha replied. "I'm just so happy that this is over…"

"So am I," Portia replied, rubbing her back.

 **000**

" **My vote is going straight to Portia," Art stated. "I don't like her, but hopefully something will go my way…"**

 **000**

" **Portia's got this. Love you sister!" Belladonna said with a smile.**

 **000**

" **Eh, Art made a good point. Portia it is," Dade said with a shrug.**

 **000**

 **Jessica growled, "Art is such a fucking bastard. I'm** _ **still**_ **voting for Sasha, regardless of what he says."**

 **000**

" **Sasha," Kane stated sternly.**

 **000**

" **Yeah, Sasha's definitely got my vote. Art was such a jerk. She still did well, regardless!" Max stated.**

 **000**

" **...Big rock lady broke deal with Zahku, so she no win. Vote for Nidoqueen lady. She nice," Zahku stated.**

 **000**

 _ **Votes:**_

 _ **Sasha - 4 votes (Jessica, Kane, Max, Zahku) (WINNER)**_

 _ **Portia - 3 votes (Art, Belladonna, Dade) (RUNNER-UP)**_

 **000**

 _ **Merged - (Portia, Sasha)**_

 **000**

 _ **Elimination Order:**_

 _ **20th - Kay Yarbrough (The Elitist)**_

 _ **19th - Xavier Steele (The Wannabe SQUIP)  
**_

 _ **18th - Marley Banner (The Pranking Prodigy)  
**_

 _ **17th - Lawrence "Lucky" Addams (The Unlucky Charm)**_

 _ **16th - Lynn Jamison (The Calm Leader)**_

 _ **15th - Christopher "Chip" Torwood (The Buff Brain)**_

 _ **14th - Christine Reynolds (The Composed Musician)**_

 _ **13th - Richard "R.J." James Mitchell (The Flustered Hothead)**_

 _ **12th - Honey Winchester (The Royal Pain)**_

 _ **11th - Timothy "Tim" Lester (The Affable Introvert)**_

 _ **10th - Tonya Newman (The Inquisitive Speedster)**_

 _ **9th - Kane Mitchell (The "Daddy Bear")**_

 _ **8th - Maximus "Max" Nichols (The Cool Companion)**_

 _ **7th - Dade Lawson (The Surprise Schemer)**_

 _ **6th - Belladonna Jennings (The Party Girl)**_

 _ **5th - Zahku (The Supernatural Strongman)**_

 _ **4th - Arthur "Art" Richmond (The Cynical Smart-Ass)**_

 _ **3rd - Jessica Harper (The Intelligent Seductress)**_

 _ **2nd - Portia Kipper (The Tough Surfer)**_

 _ **1st - Alexandra "Sasha" Gaines (The Hapless Housewife)**_


	20. Epilogue

**000**

"ALRIGHT, let's see who lost their bet…" Victini teased, looking over the whiteboard once again. "Tsk tsk tsk… Ooh Entei…"

Entei grumbled to himself, "Motherfuckers…"

The Victory Pokémon continued, "Zapdos… Regirock, oh you hate to see it…"

As Victini continued to call out the names of the Legendaries who had bet on Portia winning, Mew remained focused on Shaymin, who had a smile on her face. The Gratitude Pokémon had correctly bet on Sasha, so she didn't have to worry about anything.

As some of the Legendaries began to leave out of annoyance, Mew took this as an opportunity to finally talk to her. He approached her, "Uh… hey, Shay."

"Congrats on finishing up you guys' season!" Shaymin cheered, hugging him.

Mew blushed a deep crimson. "T-Thanks!" he chuckled nervously as they ceased their embrace. "Uh… I was wondering… can we talk? In private?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"Oh, sure…" Shaymin replied with a smile. "The comfy bed awaits you!" she teased as she flew toward her room, with Mew following her.

 **-000-**

The New Species Pokémon entered the reindeer-dog's room, where she was waiting on her bed. He had closed the door behind him, not wanting anyone to possibly listen in.

Taking a seat next to her, Mew could feel himself tense up a bit.

"So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?" she asked curiously.

Mew took a deep breath. He had been thinking about what he was going to say and he really didn't want to blow it. He turned to face her, looking into her spring green eyes. "Shaymin… I… I… really like you, okay? I think you're cute, funny, sweet, and… I just really like being around you," he admitted, his cheeks burning a bright red.

Shaymin blushed, "M-Mew… I-"

"I've felt this way for a long time… and, I could never really say anything because…" he trailed off. "I don't even know. But, what I do know is that… I love you…"

The Gratitude Pokémon was in complete shock. She knew that Mew had a bit of a thing for her, but _love_. It was so sweet and he was so genuine. Shaymin looked down at her paws, "I… I like you, too, Mew..."

Mew's eyes widened in excitement and shock. "Y-You do? I-I can-"

"...but as a friend," she responded, completely Mew's expression to turn from elation to slight depression.

"O-Oh…" he replied, looking down.

"I'm sorry…" she replied, scooting closer to him, nuzzling him.

"SHAYMIN! COME AND GET YOUR IDIOT! HE'S TRYING TO MAKE TACO WAFFLES AGAIN!" an audibly annoyed Articuno squawked from the kitchen.

Upon hearing that, Mew grew confused. "Wait… are you and Keldeo…"

Shaymin looked down again, "We just started yesterday…"

Mew just flopped on his back on the bed, causing Shaymin to worry a bit. She let out another sigh, "I'm sorry." She pecked him on the cheek before flying out of her room.

The pink feline floated out of the bed, his eyes beginning to water as he returned to his room, locking the door behind him.

 **-000-**

 **21 years later**

 **-000-**

"MEW OPEN UP ALREADY! ARCEUS AND GIRATINA WANT TO TALK TO YOU!" Celebi shouted from outside the cat's door.

He had locked himself in his room for two decades, hardly speaking to anyone and teleporting all of his food and drinks to himself instead of going back out.

This was the fifteenth time that the Time Travel Pokémon had to try and get him to come out of his room in the years he's been keeping himself locked away. During that time, Shaymin and Keldeo had broken up, and Victini and Jirachi had split up once again.

Getting no response once again, she teleported inside of his room, only to see it in complete disarray. There were food boxes and soda bottles and cans everywhere. He had gotten himself a micro-fridge and a hot plate, as well, so he wouldn't have to go out and cook in the open.

"Ugh, this is just pathetic…" she commented, looking at the pink feline as he lay in his bed, his sheets covering his whole body. "One girl rejects him and he goes on a depression fit for decades? Wow, he's lame…" she said to herself.

"Alright, get the hell up!" she shouted, throwing one of his empty soda bottles at him, causing him to shuffle in his sleep.

"Go the hell away!" he shouted.

"Not happening this time," she replied. "Arceus and Giratina want your ass down to their chambers, NOW!"

He didn't respond.

Groaning, Celebi decided to take the easy route this time, teleporting him, as well as his bed, down to Arceus and Giratina's room.

The couple, upon seeing this, shook their heads. "Mew!" Giratina called out to him, startling the New Species Pokémon as he came out of his sheets, his fur was ruffled and he seemed to have food stains on him.

Giratina let out a sigh. "Is this really how you intend to spend the rest of your life here?"

"We understand that Shaymin means a lot to you, but shutting us all out for years does not help your cause at all," Arceus added.

Mew let out a sigh. "Well, I don't know what to do, then! I've loved her for a long time and she doesn't even like me the same way."

"Move on," Giratina offered. "There is more to life than just dating, anyway. If she likes you as a friend, then be a friend. Don't pout about it. It makes you look like… what does Articuno call it?"

"A beta male…" Arceus answered.

Mew groaned, "Fine… I'll _try_ to stop thinking about her. It's gonna be hard seeing her face here every day, though."

"We know, but it'll help you grow," Arceus replied. "If you can face her without sinking into depression, then you're making progress."

Mew nodded, "Am I free to go, now?"

The goddess shook her head, "Not just yet, there _is_ another matter that we'd like to discuss."

Mew rose a brow. "What else is there? Did something happen when I was out?" he asked, scratching his chin.

"Well, you guys' finale… it seemed to be very controversial," Giratina explained. "Apparently many people felt that Portia deserved to win and that the voting thing was abysmal."

"Oh…" Mew replied, his eyes wide from shock.

"Yes, a lot of articles and reviews said that the winner was predictable. As soon as you guys said it was going to be a vote, they knew who was going to win," Arceus explained.

"That was a few weeks after you guys' show had ended," Giratina clarified. "So, despite the overwhelming success, we decided to hold back on giving you guys another seasons. And with your… lengthy episode, and Victini's reluctance to work with anyone besides you, it seemed to be perfectly fine."

"But, as of today, we've decided to allow you and Victini to continue and do another season," Arceus explained. "That is… if you're up for it."

Mew took a deep breath. The first time around was pretty fun, and maybe it'd take his mind off of Shaymin a bit quicker. "I guess…"

"Great," Giratina responded. "We've spoke to Victini about this yesterday, so he should still be preparing. And it's going to be a _lot_ more work than it originally was. He's planning on having _forty-eight_ _teenagers_ apply this time..."

"Mew's eyes widened in complete and utter shock and awe. "W-Why!?"

"Apparently since you guys' trial season did so well, until the end, he wanted to take on a bigger challenge and do something that'll definitely get more views," Giratina explained. "And, to quote him, 'What better way to get a wider audience than to include hormonally stressed-out children?'."

Mew sighed, facepalming himself. "When does it start?" he inquired.

"He said that he wanted to start it on Monday," Arceus answered.

Mew facepalmed. "Tomorrow… of course…"

"Hey, you might wanna go tell him that you're gonna join him. We told him that it'd be a possibility that you'd work with him again and if not, he could do it all on his own," Giratina explained. "And with how wilder he's been getting while you were in your room, we don't want that…"

Mew chuckled to himself, albeit a bit deviously, "Okay… I'll see about that."

The pink feline teleported himself and his bed out of the couple's room, with them exchanging looks of concern once he was gone.

"Do you think he's gonna be okay?" the Renegade Pokémon asked his wife.

Arceus let out a sigh. "He's locked himself in that room for two decades… I have no idea what may be going through his head…"

 **000**

An orange and yellow rabbit floated in front of a camera, "HELLO VIEWERS! Victini here and I'm back with Mew for a little show that _I_ like to call Total...Pokémon… Island!"

The pink feline beside him let out a sigh, "Do you seriously have to do that again? They remember us, don't they?"

"SHHH!" Victini replied, glaring at him. "If _you_ hadn't decided to be a baby and lock yourself in your room for years on end, our _original_ audience would!" He cleared his throat as he faced the camera again, "Forty-eight teens have signed up for-"

Mew cleared his throat rather disruptively, causing Victini to groan. "What now?!"

The New Species Pokémon rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, you know how you told me to shred all of the extra applications…?"

Victini gave him a look, "Let me guess… you shredded the ones we needed…"

"Yeah… but we can still-"

"No, no we can't," Victini interrupted him before pinching the bridge of his nose. "We need this all to be in one take and we need everything to be prepared."

"But… don't we still have them saved?"

"My laptop is garbage, remember?!" Victini shouted before groaning to himself. He sighed as he looked at the camera once again. "Uh… sorry 'bout that, folks. But, the good news is, since Mew is a complete idiot-"

"HEY!" Mew roared in annoyance.

"All of you teens will have another chance to send in an application and I promise you, _this time,_ they're won't be shredded," Victini emphasized.

Mew huffed, folding his arms.

"You can find the application on LegendaryForums .org ," Victini stated. "We look forward to your apps…"

 **000**

 **And thus it begins.** **Thanks to everyone who's still been sticking around. I know that the hype for TPIs is steadily going down, but I won't let it stop me. I hope you enjoyed it for the most part and found it interesting. And… I'll see you all later. BYE!**


End file.
